Title: Call the Puffins! Tiny and the Cave Ghost

Written by: Cath Howe

Illustrated by: Ella Okstad

Published by: Welbeck Publishing

Blurb

Fourth in a delightful illustrated series about puffins and teamwork for readers aged 5+.

Muffin, Tiny and the rest of the trainees are busy learning the skills they need to become rescue puffins. Life is always busy on the island of Egg, and the friends are delighted to be taking part in a special day of celebrations called Puffin Power, where they can practise all the things they’ve learned.

But when a chick goes missing the young rescuers must put their training into practice, and before long they’re deep in the cave network searching for the lost chick. It’s dark and spooky – what if the legend of the ghost puffin that haunts these caves is true? Muffin, Tiny and the others need to gather their courage and work as a team to rescue the chick and lead everyone to safety!

This highly illustrated series featuring a cast of adorable puffin characters is perfect for families to share, or for newly confident readers to enjoy reading to themselves.

Review

This delightful story, beautifully illustrated in black and white, features an irresistibly charming cast of puffins that young readers will want to return to time and time again. Ella Okstad’s expressive illustrations perfectly complement the narrative, supporting children who are transitioning from picture books to early chapter books.

I like the way that Cath Howe has alternated the main character in each of the Call the Puffins books. For the fourth adventure set on the Island of Egg, we are in Tiny’s point of view and his fear of the dark caves they have never explored. Flotsam the chick, who hatched from the rescued egg in Book One, bonds with Tiny but when Tiny is distracted during rescue practice Flotsam wanders off. Our heroes believe the only place Flotsam could have disappeared is into the cave. Tiny and Muffin quickly organize a rescue mission, leading to another suspenseful and heartwarming adventure.

One of the most impressive aspects of this book, and the series as a whole, is its use of foreshadowing. Cath Howe masterfully plants narrative clues, such as Old Kintyre’s bedtime story about the wandering puffin, which later echoes through the plot when Flotsam disappears. Similarly, the puffins’ earlier practice balancing on slippery logs cleverly sets the stage for a key rescue scene later in the story.

The book gently explores themes of belonging and rising to challenges, all within a framework of teamwork, empathy, and resilience. Readers will find messages about loyalty and cooperation woven subtly throughout.

Perfectly pitched for its audience, the story offers just the right mix of peril, suspense, and heartwarming moments to keep young readers engaged. It’s a joy to revisit these familiar characters in new situations, and the series continues to encourage developing reading and comprehension skills through its rich storytelling and thoughtful design.

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To read my review of the first book in the series see: Book Review: Call the Puffins

You can also read my review of the second book in the Call the Puffin series here: Book Review: Call the Puffins! Tiny’s Brave Rescue

And the third book in the series, Call the Puffins! Muffin and the Shipwreck here: Book Review: Call the Puffins! Muffin and the Shipwreck.

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 all the Call the Puffins! books by Cath Howe and Ella Okstad from your local bookshop, or online at uk.bookshop.org.