Potterwookiee: The Creature from My Closet



Potterwookiee: The Creature from My Closet is a novel for middle-grade audiences, written and illustrated by Obert Skye and released by Henry Holt and Company, LLC in 2012. The title was preceded by Wonkenstein and will be followed by Pinocula. The book parodies the conventions and scenarios of both the Harry Potter and Star Wars franchises.

Story
The story focuses on a boy named Robert Columbo Burnside, a boy who discovers an odd creature in his closet. The creature is furry and makes unusual sounds, but wears glasses, has a lightning-bolt scar on his forehead, and wears a scarf with the colours of Gryffindor. Robert dubs it a "Potterwookiee" and names it "Hairy."

Trying to learn more about this creature, Robert visits the library and checks out as many Star Wars and Harry Potter titles as he can. He is amazed to discover how much fun he has reading, and also astonished by how much material is found in the books, as he was previously familiar with the subjects only through the films. As the story continues, the Potterwookiee helps Robert and his friends to stand up to a bully, and later uses magical powers to help them reach tryouts for Average Chef, a cooking competition that spoofs franchises such as MasterChef or The Next Great Food Network Star.

Official Promotional Blurb
"The latest creature to emerge from Rob’s closet is a cross between Chewbacca from Star Wars and Harry Potter. Rob names him “Potterwookiee” (“Hairy” for short) and soon Rob finds himself treading water as he tries to figure out how to care for his mixed-up friend. Great laughs and great books help Rob along the way."

Reception
Being the second book in a series, Potterwookiee already had a built-in fan-based upon release. As of October 9, 2012, the title had received 14 reviews at Amazon.com, with no reviews under four stars out of five and was number 27,025 in overall sales of books on the site. Potterwookiee received critical praise from both Publisher's Weekly and Kirkus Reviews.