Part of the new Ladybird Expert series, Octopuses is a clear, simple and entertaining introduction to these eight-armed, ink-making, soft-bodied wonders. Written by the leading lights and most outstanding communicators in their fields, the Ladybird Expert books provide clear, accessible and authoritative introductions to subjects drawn from science, history and culture. For an adult readership, the Ladybird Expert series is produced in the same iconic small hardback format pioneered by the original Ladybirds. Each beautifully illustrated book features the first new illustrations produced in the original Ladybird style for nearly forty years.
Helen Scales is a marine biologist, writer, broadcaster, surfer and diver. When she's not on or under the waves, she writes and talks about the connections between people, science and the living world. She's a tutor at the University of Cambridge and advises the charity Sea Changers on how to help safeguard British sea life. Her recent book Spirals in Time was picked as book of the year by the Economist, Nature, The Times and the Guardian and a BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week.