Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam: The Robber Ghost

Nothing is more exciting than a new book about Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam! In The Robber Ghost, these robber dogs turned prize-winning chefs are heading for a posh hotel to do the catering for a Hallowe'en party. Greeted with the news that a ghost thief is on the loose, they promised to investigate once preparations for the party have been completed. However, when a robbery takes place, the courageous canines leap into action . . . 

The Robber Ghost is the perfect story for sharing at Hallowe'en, but is sure to become a go-to favourite all year round! Tracey's brilliant, bouncy rhyming text and Steven's delightful, detailed illustrations always combine to create the best stories - and this is no exception! The text trips off the tongue, making the book a joy to read aloud and a real winner at story times. Children familiar with Shifty and Sam will delight in the reappearance of arch villain Kitty Le Claw and those who haven't met her will enjoy reading more in The Cat Burglar and Train Trouble.

As usual, the illustrations are packed with details, making them a joy to linger over. As in the other Shifty and Sam books, the friendly spider still puts in an appearance on every page and I know how children love to follow him, creating their own stories about what he is up to! His determination to be part of the action in this story results in his getting a face full of cake, but doesn't prevent him from enjoying hanging around at the party! Clues about Kitty's presence are also scattered through the story and children might notice something suspicious about a suit of armour!

There are so many ways in which this book could be used to inspire creativity - perhaps being the basis for a whole Hallowe'en party! The illustrations offer plenty of ideas for culinary treats - cake pops, cookies, punch with eyeballs and so on - decorations and costumes! Children might enjoy making bunting, but could make their own spider - a black pompom with pipe cleaner legs or a simple black paper stuffed body with zig-zag folded paper legs - to attach to a witch's (or baker's!) hat or to hang around as decorations. A picture of Kitty could be used to create a 'pin the mask on Kitty' game and the fabulous cut-through picture of the hotel could, with a little imagination, be used for a snakes and ladders style game board. The possibilities are endless . . . 

Picture book / Reviewed by Sue Wilsher, teacher

Suggested Reading Age 3+

It's Halloween and Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam have a job to bake for a Halloween Party at a posh hotel but when they arrive, they find out that all of the guests are being robbed by a ghost!

Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam: The Robber Ghost is a fun picture book; the story is written in rhyme and is really easy to follow. It flows well and uses nice language that still has a natural pattern. The illustrations are excellent; they're detailed and engaging and really make the story more fun than spooky!

This is a fun story that I think children will really enjoy, it has a theme of Halloween without being too scary. It's a charming book and the fact that the characters are all animals makes it one with a more universal appeal.

Picture book / Reviewed by Lizi Backhouse, teacher

Suggested Reading Age 5+