Where Are You Puffling?

Skellig Michael is a rocky crag situated off the coast of County Derry. It has become very famous most recently due to it being Luke Skywalker’s retreat in The Last Jedi. However Skellig Michael, much more importantly, is home to the most wonderful seabird the puffin and its offspring.

Where are you Puffling? is a perfect introduction to the wildlife on Skellig Michael. It carefully takes you to meet the different creatures who inhabit the crag through the journey the little puffling makes across the island. On her travels she meets lots of inhabitants and helps them in different ways; fixing a nest, digging a burrow.  Meanwhile her puffin parents are a little concerned and so ask who has seen the puffin. Eventually the little puffling gets reunited with her puffin parents. The language is great for young readers with a repeat phrase asking about the puffling’s whereabouts – a good one for joining in with.

Gerry Daly’s illustrations are delightful and really bring the island’s wildlife to life in a characterful way. It is great to see them as characters and learn about their habitats through the story.  There is also a handy key at the back of the book entitled Life on the Skellig Islands which gives you more information and a longer list of the amazing wildlife on the islands. The book certainly makes you want to go and visit and see all this wonderful nature for yourself. It will definitely add to any child’s repertoire of animal books and it is refreshing to have a puffling in a picture book for a lovely change.