Kid Review: Cosmic Creatures: The Snuggly Snowpop By Tom Huddleston
About This Book:
On Planet Vela, adorable creatures need help!
Charlie lives with her family on a faraway planet where there is always a new cute alien animal that needs help. Luckily, Charlie and her best friend, a robot named Random, are always ready for a rescue adventure. . . .
Charlie and her dad are on a mission with Captain Robertson and his daughter, Miranda, to climb the highest mountain on planet Vela. When some very cute but very mischeivous snowpops turn up and start to cause trouble, the captain is not amused. But then a snowstorm threatens to put them all in danger, and Charlie turns to the snowpops for help.
Fans of Zoey and Sassafras and Catstronauts will love Cosmic Creatures! Other books in the series include The Runaway Rumblebear, The Friendly Firecat, and The Helpful Hootpuff.
*Review Contributed By Olivia Farr, Staff Reviewer*
engaging action/adventure sci-fi chapter book
THE SNUGGLY SNOWPOP is a fun sci-fi chapter book featuring unusual critters. The COSMIC CREATURES series takes place on a planet far away, where Charlie and her family have settled along with other people from Earth. Her best friend and robot, Random, and she are excited to learn about the creatures on the planet, and they begin to meet snowpops – creatures who end up helping out when the weather turns.
Charlie and her dad Kwame are heading up the mountain with Miranda and her father, the captain, whose blustery confidence seems designed to lead them into trouble. Even though Kwame warns a storm might be coming, the captain is convinced their expedition can beat it. However, when the head up the mountain, with Miranda being a bit slow and the storm coming in earlier than anticipated, it will be a challenge to survive and make their way out of danger.
What I loved: This is another imaginative adventure with sci-fi themes and cool new animals. The new planet, weather, and terrain all add up to great world-building. With the added danger of a trek up a mountain, this book is full of adventure and action. The fast-paced style is great for getting and keeping readers hooked. There are also some great themes around kindness and understanding, even for people you may not like that add to the story nicely.
As a chapter book, this is great for readers who are advancing beyond the basics but not ready for larger middle grade stories yet. It includes slightly enlarged font and illustrations on every few pages (not every page spread). The complexity of words is great for readers gaining confidence with some larger/more complex words used throughout. The illustrations themselves are fantastic with a sketch-like quality and plenty of details to enjoy.
Final verdict: THE SNUGGLY SNOWPOP is an engaging chapter book for readers who enjoy action/adventure and sci-fi stories.