Mary’s in a jam. She’s a curious, energetic 7-year-old, and she’s only got 5 minutes left of bath time. She’s gotta think of something fast. Oh, that’s it! Underwater imagination adventure! Down, down, down into the ocean depths she goes until she meets a squishy stranger. Introductions are made, an awful pun is delivered and a shaky bond is forged. “Mary and the Octopus: A Children’s Tale of Dubious Friendship” is the debut picture book from children’s author and illustrator Scott Lemonier, a former journalist who left the world of newsprint for something even riskier: freelance children's author.