Happy Hills, Mr Big Fluff Rules by Sophy Henn – Get Kids into Books

Published by Simon & Schuster, 2025.

We’re back among the residents of Happy Hills in book three of this full-colour graphic novel series. Don’t worry if you’re new to the Hills, there’s a handy introduction to the colourful cast of characters and you’ll soon be immersed in this vibrant, madcap world.

There’s a new villain in town, a gangster hamster called Mr Big Fluff, and he’s determined to steal the happy from Happy Hills by any means necessary. I loved the Italian mafia gangster tropes and allusions to The Godfather. In fact, the book is brimming with brilliant pop culture references from Star Wars to The Magnificent Seven via Gladiator and Jaws, and there’s even a nod to The Usual Suspects. (Some of these references may be lost on the kids but they’ll certainly give the adults a chuckle.)

The illustrations are bold and brilliant, saturated with colour, and this – combined with the book’s humour – makes the series really appealing. There are jokes and laughs a-plenty – perfect for keeping young readers entertained.

Alongside the main story, there are a series of funny sub-plots, each serialised throughout the book. There’s a confused game of ‘It’; Mimi’s bungled attempts at cheerleading; and the Captain’s life hacks – some more useful than others. Sparks fleetingly becomes an influencer on ‘Spit Spot’ (I loved the biting takedown of the futility of chasing likes from strangers) and my absolute favourite: the musical theatre scene. It’s a big song-and-dance number extolling the virtues of cake. Cue extravagant costumes, spectacular choreography and (because there’s perhaps just a bit too much cake) sparkly rainbow vomit.

Rating: 💙💙💙💙💙

Suitable for children aged 5+

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for sending me this book to review. I reviewed it as part of the Happy Hills, Mr Big Fluff Rules blog tour. Check out all the other posts on the tour for more exclusive content.