Title: Call the Puffins! Tiny’s Brave Rescue

Written by: Cath Howe

Illustrated by: Ella Okstad

Published by: Welbeck Publishing

Another fantastic early reader from one of my favourite authors. Cath Howe always manages to make me think and Call the Puffins! Tiny’s Brave Rescue is no exception. This fun, entertaining adventure incorporates themes of empathy, perseverance and team work. The short chapters and larger font makes the book highly accessible to children who are becoming more independent with their reading.

This excellent sequel to Call the Puffins! is written from Tiny’s point of view. I like how all the way through we see the world through Tiny’s eyes, a bit blurry at first but he gets there in the end. It was a lovely touch the puffins call humans ‘long legs’. A very apt description.

The gorgeous black and white illustrations compliment the text perfectly showing the puffin’s distinct characters and subtle differences. I like the fact a map of the Island of Egg has been included at the beginning of the book. I think this would have been more useful if the key landmarks, such as the Wings and Things supplies store, the winding track, the windmill, the beach where the bucket could be found and the burrow were labelled. This fantastic addition would then help further comprehension and understanding.

Tiny must overcome his doubts on whether he is good enough to become a Rescue Puffin as he believes he is too clumsy and slow to be a success. But Flight Officer Faroe recognises potential in Tiny and explains sometimes puffins need a little extra kit to help them. with a little guidance Tiny discovers he can be just as good as the other puffins. There is such a splendid and inclusive last line too.

At the back of the book there are some puffin facts with black and white photos to inspire young readers to find out more about these amazing creatures.

Tiny and Muffin are most definitely a dynamic duo. I look forward to reading the next instalment with Call the Puffins! Muffin and the Shipwreck released in March 2024.

I have also reviewed this book on NetGalley, Amazon and Goodreads.

To read my review of the first book in the series, Call the Puffins! Take a look at: Book Review: Call the Puffins.

I have also previously interviewed Cath Howe about her teacher resource, Let’s Perform for Writers’ Forum. You can find out more about this interview here: An interview with… Cath Howe.

You can buy copies of Call the Puffins by Cath Howe and Ella Okstad from your local bookshop, or online at uk.bookshop.org.