Book Review: Cookie Blast Off!

Cookie Blast Off!
By: Clare Helen Welsh
Illustrated by: Sophia Touliatou
Reviewed by: Kathryn Kardiff

Oliver was a good boy, a kind boy … a hungry boy! He shouldn’t sneak into the kitchen in the middle of the night for something to eat, but he does. Little does he know, his desire for a midnight snack will lead to an unexpected adventure—to the moon and back, in fact—with a band of pirate mice! Even the most reluctant reader will be eager to turn the page and find out what happens next as Oliver assists the pirate mice on their cheese-finding mission, blasting off to the moon in a rocket made of the very cookies he intended to have as a midnight snack. Sophia Touliatou’s illustrations have a layered, collage feel that draws the eye across the page, making it easy for the reader to lose themselves in this out-of-this-world excursion. Clare Helen Welsh’s occasional repetition (“He crept down, down, down…”) and circular ending make this a great story for bringing a busy, adventurous day to a close when shared at bedtime. Part of the new “Early Bird Stories” series, this book features a short comprehension quiz at the end and is leveled for guided reading.