Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam: Up, Up and Away!

In these three stories, firm doggy friends Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam are at work as professional bakers and part-time detectives. In Up, Up and Away, the two friends are taking part in the Rocky Road Race Day. Their shiny Bakemobile is running so smoothly along the bumpy roads that they are set to win the race. But then luck goes against them – or could it be that their annoying next-door neighbour is cheating?  In To Catch a Thief, they assume the roles of doorman and chamber maid at a posh hotel in order to trap whoever is stealing valuables from the guests. The Mystery Parcel shows them at odds with one another as each lays claim to the amazing dragon costume wrapped inside. In all three stories, cakes, sweets and all manner of culinary gadgets play a crucial role.

Capturing the ups and downs of friendship, the stories abound in slapstick humour and cheerfulness. The friends are considerate and loving, their actions generous and altruistic enough to overcome selfishness and quarrelsome moments. The stories are divided into short chapters to facilitate young readers yet the vocabulary and sentence constructions are at times quite difficult. The joyous illustrations in blue and black are fresh and exuberant, set as they often are on a lighter blue background.