Ready Steady Ghost!

Author Elizabeth Baguley and Illustrator Marion Lindsay

Bertie is not your typical ghost, he is very small and afraid of creepy forests and spooky castles. He wants to be good at haunting so he sets out on his first journey into the big forest in the search of a safe and cosy place to haunt. But the dark forest is filled with unexpected guests: a howling wolf, a hissing snake, and a roaring dragon that Bertie has to hide from. Will Bertie ever find a safe place where he can enjoy haunting?

The text in this story is filled with fun repetition that small children will enjoy. “Shiver me Shake me…”

Only a few, mostly dark colours are used in the illustrations highlighting the ghostly theme. However, these illustrations are not frightening and neither is the text which makes the book very suitable for the younger and easily-spooked.

Children will relate to the feeling of being small and frightened of the dark. The ending of the book has a positive message for its readers, even small children can overcome their fear and find a place in the world to feel secure.The book is especially nice to read around Halloween but it can also be enjoyed all year around. Are you ready to shiver with Bertie?