Gus the Ghost is the main character in a series of 8 children's books written from 1967-1989. Gus Was a Real Dumb Ghost is the 7th book in the series. I have to admit it is my least favorite. The story is cute and I did enjoy it. But.....this book has a different illustrator than the prior six books. And I don't like the artwork. Nope.....it's just not Gus. I don't like the art at all.

The basics: Gus wants to write his memoirs. He types up his story and sends it to a publisher, who promptly sends it back with a note saying he can't spell. Gus decides to go to school so he can learn to spell (especially the word ghost because that's what he is!). He has a bit of a hard time until he learns the ropes and starts doing his homework. Cute story! (But why the horrible art work? Grumble, grumble)

I think that if the art was going to change that drastically instead of making this another Gus book, they should have made it about another ghost. Then the change in appearance wouldn't be a big deal. But in a Gus book, Gus needs to look like Gus! I did find another edition of this book where the cover art looks more like the original books...and the title is changed to Gus Goes to School (which is a lot better than Gus Was a Real Dumb Ghost). This edition just fell flat for me..... ( )