written and illustrated by Kim Hyun Rae

Some journeys come unexpectedly and without planning. The journey of an octopus also begins one day when it is caught in a net and placed on land. “The beginning of a journey is taking the first step.” The octopus boldly takes the first step and slides away, using its characteristics as a mollusk to blend in with the scenery. Sometimes it moves carefully, and sometimes it moves leisurely, pushing and pulling with the new world to get to know it. The octopus's flexible thinking and pleasant wit make this improvised journey a breeze. This is a picture book that follows the desire to treat everyday life, full of small incidents and encounters, as gently as an octopus and as a traveler.
This book is drawn with winding pen lines and vivid colors, like the movements of an octopus. Only the minimum background is placed to complete a scene of the journey, leaving the space open with white margins. The smooth flow of the picture further enhances the feeling of free travel. In the picture, the main character, the octopus, hides in the scenery in a creative way without standing out. It is interesting to see the octopus's witty attempts to fit in with the new environment, pretending to be a chair, a kickboard, or a flowerpot. Just when you think, “I want to live as flexibly as an octopus,” the octopus prepares its mind again. “There are many interesting things to see, but this is not where I belong.” Now, it boldly flies away to live as an octopus.