Hairball Heroics

An interactive adventure in 8 chapters

Original Idea by Vicki Grant

Interactive design by Andrea Phillips

Illustrated by Mike Holmes

Synopsis

Best friends Talin, Yakira and Charlie are shocked to meet a tiny alien from a distant planet in desperate need of help! Their new extraterrestrial friend needs someone with a bright imagination to help overthrow Zarlak the Unpleasant, who’s taken over the planet Jelabi. Join in through Talin's Cybersplorer app, and help them pilot a thought-powered spaceship, outwit robot guardians and bring justice to planet Jelabi.

Contents

  • 8 chapter books
  • 1 neon flyer
  • 6 alien postcards
  • 8 interactive games

Games

  • Sniffing for Aliens
  • Dr. Snook Search
  • Snook’s Secret Office
  • Thought Catcher & Scavenger Hunt
  • The Race against Zarlak
  • Sound Scrambler
  • Build-a-Planet
  • Portal Home

Ages

8-12 years old

Brains Wanted!

The adventure begins with the delivery of a special flyer to your mailbox, requesting your child’s help as part of the Cybersplorer Network. The characters in the book need your child by their side as they explore the faraway land of Jelabi and try to outwit its tyrannical ruler, Zarlak the Unpleasant. Join in through the Cybersplorer app as a trusty sidekick to bring peace (and grilled cheese jokes) to planet Jelabi.

An Activity for Every Chapter

Every chapter has a cliffhanger ending where your child steps in to keep the story moving. Guided by our simple-to-use parental dashboard, each reading experience is followed by a personalized online game or an exciting real-life challenge. From crafting a thought-catcher, to searching for alien postcards beamed down from a spacecraft, every activity has your kid working their wits and imagination.

Personalized Adventures Together

Our technology needs parent-power to run! In addition to customizing the experience with your child’s name, you play a vital part in the story. In the Sniffing for Aliens game, parents set up a few “hotspots” in the nearby park or neighbourhood for their child to discover using GPS. These waypoints need to be uncovered to continue the characters’ quest.

Cute Coincidences

In the Scavenger Hunt game, parents hide alien postcards around the home and leave clues for their child to discover. Your kid needs to find all the missing postcards to help the characters in the book pilot their way to Planet Jelabi. These hiding places can be as intimate as under your child’s pillow or as silly as inside the fridge! These hiding spots are all set up from your parental account, creating a gaming experience that’s as unique as your child.

‘“It’s okay,” Yakira said, pressing the button on Talin’s phone that activated the Cybersplorer Network. “I think I know somebody who can help us!”

A Special Souvenir

The fun doesn’t stop with the last page. Once the story is all over, your child will have 6 alien postcards from Planet Jelabi to share with friends. Mail them out to say hello (they’re lettermail approved) or simply keep them as a reminder of the quality time you’ve had together… and maybe start planning your next adventure together!

My daughter asked me several times each day to read the next chapter, or do the next activity. That's fantastic. Thanks for such an interesting series."

Your Co-Conspirators

Vicki Grant

Original Idea

Vicki Grant is the author of fourteen books including THE PUPPET WRANGLER, QUID PRO QUO, DEAD-END JOB and NOT SUITABLE FOR FAMILY VIEWING. They’ve been translated into seven languages and have consistently garnered her recognition from the American Library Association, the Canadian Library Association and The Canadian Children’s Book Centre. Her mysteries have been especially popular. QUID PRO QUO, a comic legal thriller for 10 to 14-year olds, was shortlisted for an Edgar from the Mystery Writers of America and won the Arthur Ellis Award for Best Juvenile Crime fiction in Canada. Vicki is also an award-winning television scriptwriter. She has written almost 100 episodes of children’s TV and is set to begin work on her third documentary soon.

Mike Holmes

Illustrator

Mike Holmes is an illustrator/comic creator in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He has three graphic novels – Shenanigans (Oni Press, 2007), This American Drive (Invisible, 2009) and True Story (Invisible, 2011), a collected volume of his art project Mikenesses (2012), and has contributed to the Image Comics anthology This Is A Souvenir (2009).

Andrea Phillips

Interactive Designer

Andrea Phillips is an award-winning transmedia writer, game designer and author. She has worked on projects such as iOS fitness games Zombies, Run! and The Walk, The Maester's Path for HBO's Game of Thrones, and the independent commercial ARG Perplex City. Her book A Creator's Guide to Transmedia Storytelling is used to teach digital storytelling at universities around the world. Her independent work includes the Kickstarted serial The Daring Adventures of Captain Lucy Smokeheart and The McKinnon Account. Her debut novel Revision is out on May 5 from Fireside Fiction Co. and her short fiction has been published in Escape Pod and the Jews vs. Aliens anthology.

Together Tales - Bring Stories to Life for Your Kids!

Together Tales is a collection of interactive books that come to life with a little help from grownups. The child becomes part of the story as you help create the treasure hunts, digital clues, and cute coincidences that bring the story to life.