Snoodles on the Loose!: A Tashi Non-Stop Adventure

By: Natasha Hanina and Houston Howard
Illustrated by: Anhelina Van Gogh
Publication Date: February 9, 2024
ISBN: 979-8864785775
Reviewed by: Holly Connors
Review Date: March 4, 2024

How can an imaginary friend compete for a boy's attention against all the digital fun offered by a brand-new phone? It’s a quandary that is resolved in a wonderful way in Snoodles on the Loose!

Lucas is a young boy who is happy, playful, and a fantastic student. He lives in Borington, a small town where not much happens. Fortunately, Lucas has an amazing best friend:

“Lucas had the greatest friend.
They met in the library.
His name was Snoodles,
He loved chocolate noodles,
And – gasp – he was imaginary!”

Snoodles and Lucas played every day and had loads of fun. They pretended to be knights and had sword battles and hid in forts. And the best part? Snoodles could change his shape and color all the time. There was so much to do and the only limit to their adventures was Lucas’s imagination. But that all changed one day when Lucas was given a phone.

Poor little Snoodles did not understand the attraction of the electronic device that Lucas seemed hypnotized by. The boy slouched in his chair as he stared at the phone, playing games and downloading apps. Snoodles attempted to play with his friend, showing him toys that they could take outside and play with, but Lucas ignored his playmate. Snoodles tried and tried to entice Lucas away from the phone, but eventually he realized he was now alone. Lucas would not pull his eyes away from the phone. It was time for Snoodles to leave...

Snoodles wandered around town, not sure where to go. Unfortunately, wherever he went, children were playing with their electronic devices. A tear fell from Snoodles' eye – he was so sad.

Eventually, Snoodles stumbled upon a treehouse, with a banner that announced, “The Super Secret Non-Stop Imagination Club for Kids.” It sounded like a great place and when a nice girl, Tashi, invited him to come in and play, he happily agreed. Snoodles soon discovered that it was, indeed, a really, really fun place. He loved spending time there, but he still missed Lucas. Would they ever be reunited?

The authors of Snoodles on the Loose!, Natasha Hanina and Houston Howard, have done a fantastic job of writing a creative, entertaining story that really shows how letting your imagination run wild is such a great alternative to sitting inside all day, staring at a screen. Snoodles is an adorable imaginary friend and it was easy to see how sad he was when Lucas lost interest in playing with him. The story does have a happy ending, with a treehouse that encourages everyone’s creativity to blossom. At the back of the book is a page of questions to discuss with your child; a QR code that will take the reader to a free activity packet that is loaded with drawings to colors, a maze, a crossword puzzle, and crafts; information on streaming a musical adventure featuring Tashi and her treehouse; and finally, a QR code that will take the reader to the YouTube channel Tashi Non-Stop. That’s a lot of fun packed into one little book – Don’t miss it!

Quill says: Snoodles on the Loose! is a fun rhyming story that teaches young children that there is so much more to do than stare at a screen all day. The power of imagination is a fantastic tool to learn about yourself and the world around you and this book shows youngsters how to do just that.

For more information on Snoodles on the Loose!: A Tashi Non-Stop Adventure, please visit the author's website at: tashinonstop.com/