Cloud Puppy: Game On!
Cloud Puppy returns in a second collection of fan and media-based adventures. This collection focuses on various types of gaming. In 
the first adventure, “Cloud Puppy and the S-Tier Games,” Cloud Puppy and her friend Berry Rose loves to play a simple farming game, Valley of Runes. Jack makes fun of their game, insisting that only “S-Tier” games, like those he and his brother play, are worth playing. It takes some gentle guidance from her mom and friends before Cloud Puppy can learn to enjoy what she likes without worrying about what other people like. Jack learns some lessons about being a friend – and being honest—as well. This adventure has 9 chapters and is the main focus of the book. It’s followed by two short adventures, both featuring Berry Rose, first in a Live Action Role Playing (LARPing) game and then with all their friends playing Valley of Runes.
Miller’s colorful artwork is front and center, creating unique fantasy characters—Cloud Puppy is a fluffy white cross between a cloud and a dog, Berry Rose is a teddy-unicorn with wings, Jack is a jackalope, and Mossquatch is a giant, moss-covered boulderand depicting them acting in believable, child-appropriate ways. This volume includes the character—s in lots of new settings, from video games to live action. In the video games, the screen shots are shown in lighter, pastel shades with simplified, slightly pixelated backgrounds to differentiate them from “real life.” More characters show up in the LARPing adventure, which happens outdoors, with lots of opportunities for fun costumes and colorful landscapes.
The colorful settings, quirky characters, and fun adventures all encapsulate various social-emotional learning opportunities with the overall lesson being similar to that of the first volume – everyone gets to enjoy things in their own way! Berry Rose steps outside her comfort zone and finds that others will respect her need for structure so she can have fun, but in return she needs to let them play in their own ways as well. Jack learns not to play mean tricks on his friends, even if they end well, and Mossquatch gets a little more confidence which each new adventure. Cloud Puppy; bouncy, excited, and enthusiastic, learns to stand on her own while still being kind to her friends and at the end all the kids are better friends for having learned more about each other, apologized for their mistakes, and tried new things.
While the first book isn’t necessary to read the second title, it does introduce the general cast of characters and explain how their world works. Younger elementary school students are the prime audience for this, especially those who love video games and other fandoms, but even older kids will enjoy the colorful art and goofy, sweet stories.
Cloud Puppy: Game On!
By Kelly Leigh Miller
Simon & Schuster Atheneum, 2025
ISBN: 9781665932158
NFNT Age Recommendation: Easy Readers (5-9), Middle Grade (7-11)
