Cosmic Creatures: The Snuggly Snowpop

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.

Grab your boots and backpacks as Charlie and her robot Random take on a new adventure in the mountains of Vela. At first, Charlie isn't sure about this expedition - it's cold and snowing, and this girl Miranda isn't her idea of a best friend. But up on the mountain, it's up to the two girls and some adorable little snowdrops to make sure they all make it safely back to camp.

With intense mountain climbs and cuddly creatures, it's intense and adorable all in one. The whole snowy setting reminded me immediately of Korman's Everest series, and how uncertain companions have to work together to beat the elements. And these young adventurers are well-equipped for the challenge, relying on both first-hand experience, stories from their parents, and some creativity to get themselves out of a pickle. Overall, I think the book does a great joy encouraging exploration while also acknowledging the possible danger that comes from not listening to instructions or being unprepared.

Snowpops and robots give a flair of the fantastic to this survival story, which is sure to entice young fantasy and scifi lovers alike. Frequent illustrations make it easy to keep turning pages (lots of pictures of the girls and the snowdrops!), and although the book is enjoyable all on its own, fans will be happy to know there's plenty of other books in the series to pick up next.