Q&A with Deborah Kerbel

 

 

 

Deborah Kerbel is the author of the new children's picture book What About an Octopus?: A Fact-Filled Underwater Adventure. Her many other books include the forthcoming What About an Elephant?: A Fact-Filled Savanna Adventure. She lives in Thornhill, Ontario.

 

Q: What inspired you to write What About an Octopus?

 

A: During the pandemic, I watched a fascinating documentary on Netflix called My Octopus Teacher – maybe you saw it too? It really opened my eyes to what incredible creatures octopuses are. It left me excited to learn more about them and, in the process, I was inspired to write What About an Octopus?.

 

Q: How did you research the book, and what did you learn that especially surprised you?

 

A: I’m a big fact nerd, so it was a lot of fun to take a deep dive (pun intended!) into the behaviours and habitat of these amazing animals. There are so many great octopus facts! So, really, the most challenging part was deciding which facts to include in the story.

 

I think the tidbit that surprised me the most was how the oldest octopus fossil ever discovered is approximately 330 million years old, which means they’ve been around long before humans and…even dinosaurs. 

 

Q: What do you think Dawn Lo’s illustrations add to the book?

 

A: Dawn’s illustrations are pure delight. They bring so much warmth, charm, and whimsy to the octopus character, and I hope readers will come away from the story with a deeper appreciation and understanding of not just octopuses, but the wonders of the natural world itself. 

 

Q: The Kirkus Review of the book called it “[e]nthralling fare for budding naturalists.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: Well, I won’t argue with Kirkus! I agree that kids who are curious about the natural world and who love facts will definitely find this book enthralling. I’ve had a bunch of kids tell me it’s their favourite book of mine. Considering my 30th book for young readers comes out in March, that’s quite the endorsement!

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I’m in the illustration review stage for two picture books coming out in 2026, and about to start into the editing stage for three books scheduled for 2027, so that’s keeping me pretty busy at the moment.

 

But I’ve got a bursting file of fun and fascinating book ideas that I can’t wait to dig into once I have a bit of spare time. Hopefully soon!

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: Yes! There’s a companion book to What About an Octopus? coming out in August 2025 called What About an Elephant? A Fact-Filled Savanna Adventure. It’s also illustrated by Dawn Lo, so get ready for another super-cute informational picture book with lots of fun facts to discover about another truly fascinating animal.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Deborah Kerbel.