Halloween may only be for one night of the year but it is the perfect time to curl up on the sofa or in bed on that dark atmospheric night with a story that gives just the right touch of spookiness… without the scares. Ghosts Can’t Play Hockey, by Ben Jackson & Sam Lawrence, is a delightful picture book that combines the whimsy of a friendly ghost with the thrill of a Halloween-themed tale. Young readers will giggle at the antics of Bruce, a friendly ghost who doesn’t dream of haunting houses and scaring people but of shooting pucks and skating on ice. This non-scary story invites children to embrace the playful spirit of Halloween (in more ways than one) while cheering on a determined little spectre who refuses to let tradition, or a few solid walls, get in his way.
Bruce is a ghost unlike any other you have ever met (if you have met one of course, we are not all that lucky). His ghostly parents expect him to do ghostly things and practice scaring people, but he can’t seem to do it – even after practicing in front of the mirror. Little Bruce has his sights set on something entirely different – playing ice hockey. Night after night, he sneaks into the hockey arena to watch the flesh and blood mortal kids glide across the ice. He yearns to join their games, but his transparent form and eerie aura always send players dashing away in fear. Ghosts can’t play hockey!
With Halloween approaching, you know that night – the one night of the year when all the ghosts, goblins, monsters and vampires roam the streets freely, Bruce sees his chance and hatches a very clever plan. As everybody is dressing up, he’ll don a hockey costume, blend in with the other masked children and finally discover what it feels like to shoot, pass and score on the ice. But can a ghost truly trade haunting for hockey without giving himself away?
In this tale of perseverance and ingenuity, Bruce discovers that sometimes following your own path means rewriting the rules of what a ghost can, or can’t, do.
Overall, Ghosts Can’t Play Hockey is a fun and non-scary tale of determination and believing in yourself, all wrapped up in a delightful ghost story. A fun read for any time of the year, not just 31 October!
This picture book for children is a story of a ghost that wants to do something different than what his parents believe he should do (spooking and scaring). It is a story about following your own path and dreams. Bruce may be a ghost, but he is a delight and there are no scares to frighten young readers. This is a charming tale of determination and resilience – if you want to achieve your dreams, never give up – with perseverance and hard work hard you could achieve your dreams and make the impossible possible. This is a story that not only delights young page turners but delivers the message that nothing is impossible with hard work, belief and purpose.
Ghosts Can’t Play Hockey is an excellent non-scary ghost story featuring a loveable and endearing character that just wants to follow his dreams. The underlying message of creativity, determination, having belief and never giving up trying to achieve your goals and aspirations is fantastic – a great message for everybody, not just the children.
The story is fun, interesting and easy to read and the illustrations by Tanya Zeinalova are fantastic. Most children’s picture books feature bright, vivid and colourful images as dark illustrations I find make the story gloomier than it should be, this book features lots more darker illustrations but the ghostly theme makes them work well. The bright and colourful images stand out brilliantly on the black background and do an excellent job of helping kids visualise what is happening and Bruce’s predicament and determination.
Ghosts Can’t Play Hockey is a fun children’s picture book, suitable for children aged 4-8, with a great lighthearted story with heart and an excellent message of never give up on your dreams – hard work and determination will get you where you need to be.
Rating: 5/5
RRP: £8.99 (Paperback) / £3.19 (Kindle)
For more information, visit www.benandsamauthors.com. Available to buy from Amazon here.
