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Cosmic Creatures: The Helpful Hootpuff
On a faraway planet, cute alien animals need help! Luckily, Charlie and her robot friend, Random, are ready for any rescue adventure... Charlie and Random discover an amazing underground cave filled with incredible animals. But the captain wants to start drilling for a new energy source. Charlie will have to think fast to save these cute creatures and their unusual home! Fans of Zoe's Rescue Zoo and Holly Webb will love Cosmic Creatures! Beautifully illustrated throughout by Sophy Williams, Cosmic Creatures is perfect for animal-mad readers aged 5+. Look out for the other Cosmic Creatures stories!
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About the author
Tom Huddleston
35 books44 followersI'm Tom Huddleston, author of fiction and non-fiction for adults and children. I've written books on famous creatives including DAVID LYNCH: HIS WORK, HIS WORLD; THE WORLDS OF GEORGE RR MARTIN and THE WORLDS OF DUNE, all about the inspirations behind the greatest SF novel of all time.
For younger readers, I've written original adventure stories like the FLOODWORLD trilogy (FLOODWORLD, DUSTROAD and STORMTIDE), along with several episodes in the WARHAMMER ADVENTURES and STAR WARS: ADVENTURES IN WILD SPACE series.
I also write about film and TV for publications including Time Out, the BFI and The Guardian, and I sing in a folk-rock band called The No Sorrows.
I was born in Kendal and raised in North Yorkshire, though I now live in London. I realise that I almost have the same name as Loki, but rest assured I'm not him: I'm slightly rounder and a lot less famous. However, I have managed to make him admit that it's his family who spell their name wrong, not mine.
If you have any questions, please get in touch!
For younger readers, I've written original adventure stories like the FLOODWORLD trilogy (FLOODWORLD, DUSTROAD and STORMTIDE), along with several episodes in the WARHAMMER ADVENTURES and STAR WARS: ADVENTURES IN WILD SPACE series.
I also write about film and TV for publications including Time Out, the BFI and The Guardian, and I sing in a folk-rock band called The No Sorrows.
I was born in Kendal and raised in North Yorkshire, though I now live in London. I realise that I almost have the same name as Loki, but rest assured I'm not him: I'm slightly rounder and a lot less famous. However, I have managed to make him admit that it's his family who spell their name wrong, not mine.
If you have any questions, please get in touch!
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 16, 2025
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central
Charlie and Maki are hanging out at the Shimmering Pool on the planet Vela. Whie Charlie is enjoying swimming, her little brother is not. He's playing on a tablet, but after the two hear a whoosh overhead, the tablet goes missing. There are problems in the colony that their mother Shona has founded on this new planet, where former inhabitants of Earth hope to live in balance with nature. There isn't enough electricity, which is causing problems with transportation, heating and cooling, and charging robots like Charlie's friend Random. When Shonas and the annoying Captain Akira need to investigate a nearby cave to look for renewable energy sources, the kids are glad to go with them. However, another whoosh overhead results in Random going missing. Since he hasn't been able to charge himself, Charlie is worried. As her mother and the captain look for geothermal energy in an underground cave, Charlie and her brother head out to look for Random. They find a small, OWL like creature; a hootpuff they call Hoo. They figure that Random was mistaken for an owlet and whisked off by the flock that bothered the group. Finding Random is not easy, and there are scary moments when they lose their mini-com, are almost attacked by a lizard, and are trapped by rocks after a robot that Captain Skira has brought in, Rotor, causes an earthquake. Will the siblings be able to get out of the cave, find Random, and convince their mother that drilling in the cave would harm the ecosystem of their new planet?
This British import is illustrated with black and white line drawings that shown the idyllic atmosphere of Vela, the super cute hootpuff, and the helpful robots. These drawings, along with the larger font (18 point?) and shorter length (99 pages) will encourage younger readers to pick up the next book in the series, The Snuggly Snowpop, as soon as they polish off the easy-to-read magical science fiction adventure.
I enjoyed the fact that Charlie and Maki are concerned about the environment, but a little surprised that Shona kept the unconcerned Captain around, since he clearly was not interested in doing the right thing for the community. It will be interesting to meet other inhabitants of Vela in upcoming books.
This is a fun series for readers who can't get enough magical books like Daisy Meadows' Magical Animal Friends, Webb's Wintery Tales, Meister's Fairy Hill books, or Rivadeneira and Jones' FrankinSchool series.
https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
Charlie and Maki are hanging out at the Shimmering Pool on the planet Vela. Whie Charlie is enjoying swimming, her little brother is not. He's playing on a tablet, but after the two hear a whoosh overhead, the tablet goes missing. There are problems in the colony that their mother Shona has founded on this new planet, where former inhabitants of Earth hope to live in balance with nature. There isn't enough electricity, which is causing problems with transportation, heating and cooling, and charging robots like Charlie's friend Random. When Shonas and the annoying Captain Akira need to investigate a nearby cave to look for renewable energy sources, the kids are glad to go with them. However, another whoosh overhead results in Random going missing. Since he hasn't been able to charge himself, Charlie is worried. As her mother and the captain look for geothermal energy in an underground cave, Charlie and her brother head out to look for Random. They find a small, OWL like creature; a hootpuff they call Hoo. They figure that Random was mistaken for an owlet and whisked off by the flock that bothered the group. Finding Random is not easy, and there are scary moments when they lose their mini-com, are almost attacked by a lizard, and are trapped by rocks after a robot that Captain Skira has brought in, Rotor, causes an earthquake. Will the siblings be able to get out of the cave, find Random, and convince their mother that drilling in the cave would harm the ecosystem of their new planet?
This British import is illustrated with black and white line drawings that shown the idyllic atmosphere of Vela, the super cute hootpuff, and the helpful robots. These drawings, along with the larger font (18 point?) and shorter length (99 pages) will encourage younger readers to pick up the next book in the series, The Snuggly Snowpop, as soon as they polish off the easy-to-read magical science fiction adventure.
I enjoyed the fact that Charlie and Maki are concerned about the environment, but a little surprised that Shona kept the unconcerned Captain around, since he clearly was not interested in doing the right thing for the community. It will be interesting to meet other inhabitants of Vela in upcoming books.
This is a fun series for readers who can't get enough magical books like Daisy Meadows' Magical Animal Friends, Webb's Wintery Tales, Meister's Fairy Hill books, or Rivadeneira and Jones' FrankinSchool series.
https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
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November 8, 2025See my full review here: https://yabookscentral.com/cosmic-cre...
COSMIC CREATURES: THE HELPFUL HOOTPUFF is a fun sci-fi action/adventure chapter book. Charlie and her family are living on a faraway planet and discovering new animals that live there with them. As the Captain is drilling, things begin to go awry, and Charlie looses her best friend and robot Random as she finds a baby Hootpuff, which she names Hoo. As she searches for Random and helps Hoo to find her family, she will find herself in a spot of danger and cut off from communications. Luckily, with the help of the Hootpuffs, everything is set to rights by the end of the story.
What I loved: This is another creative and clever sci-fi action/adventure story in a very cool series! Charlie, as per usual, is brave, courageous, and standing up for what is right. As the Captain continues to make a mess of things, she and her family will find a way to save the day and be kind to their new planet. Themes of kindness, conservation, exploration, and friendship are strong in this and other books in the series.
This chapter book is a bit more advanced than beginner ones, including some complicated, multisyllabic words and pictures every few pages. This works well for readers who are advancing but not quite ready for full middle grade novels yet. The images are very detailed with a sketch-like quality that gives intriguing peeks into this imaginary new world. There are words that will challenge independent readers around many that will be more straightforward for them, which is great to help them continue to advance.
Final verdict: COSMIC CREATURES: THE HELPFUL HOOTPUFF is an engaging chapter book with intriguing sci-fi elements, thoughtful themes, and lots of action/adventure to keep readers on their toes!
Please note that I received an ARC. All opinions are my own.
COSMIC CREATURES: THE HELPFUL HOOTPUFF is a fun sci-fi action/adventure chapter book. Charlie and her family are living on a faraway planet and discovering new animals that live there with them. As the Captain is drilling, things begin to go awry, and Charlie looses her best friend and robot Random as she finds a baby Hootpuff, which she names Hoo. As she searches for Random and helps Hoo to find her family, she will find herself in a spot of danger and cut off from communications. Luckily, with the help of the Hootpuffs, everything is set to rights by the end of the story.
What I loved: This is another creative and clever sci-fi action/adventure story in a very cool series! Charlie, as per usual, is brave, courageous, and standing up for what is right. As the Captain continues to make a mess of things, she and her family will find a way to save the day and be kind to their new planet. Themes of kindness, conservation, exploration, and friendship are strong in this and other books in the series.
This chapter book is a bit more advanced than beginner ones, including some complicated, multisyllabic words and pictures every few pages. This works well for readers who are advancing but not quite ready for full middle grade novels yet. The images are very detailed with a sketch-like quality that gives intriguing peeks into this imaginary new world. There are words that will challenge independent readers around many that will be more straightforward for them, which is great to help them continue to advance.
Final verdict: COSMIC CREATURES: THE HELPFUL HOOTPUFF is an engaging chapter book with intriguing sci-fi elements, thoughtful themes, and lots of action/adventure to keep readers on their toes!
Please note that I received an ARC. All opinions are my own.
October 14, 2025
Very cute book- I haven't read the first two of the series, but they seem like they could stand alone fine without reading the others. They all seem to be about animals that are found on a planet that the characters live on (and are trying to inhabit). A good beginning chapter book that still includes pictures for kids who enjoy or need them for comprehension.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews