New Unpublished Title: ROBIN AND THE SNACK HEIST by Matthew Graeme
Synopsis
Jack and the Beanstalk if he had his priorities straight.
Robin Jack, the smallest and most adventurous of all thieves/girls, refuses to stay in bed. To get back on her mum’s good side, she must steal snacks to share with her. All without getting caught by her dad, obviously. Robin is on a mission to achieve her goal despite any and all ramifications.
A series of try-fail cycles leads Robin into constant danger of being caught whilst on her mission to steal the perfect snack. Robin cannot fathom why it is so hard for an expert thief to do such a simple thing yet is unperturbed, naively reattempting heist after heist. It all started with “magic” jelly beans, leading into old party bag lollies, melted chocolate coins and finally a very difficult to reach and precarious jar of cookies. All whilst dodging the ever present yet rather exhausted dad. Robin, surprisingly yet inevitably, comes undone by the sounding of the oven alarm alerting her giant of a dad to both the freshly baked bread and recently broken cookie jar.
This story is a loose parody of “Jack and the Beanstalk” that follows the same beats as the classic fairy tale. However, in better form than the classic hero and most master thieves, Robin actually apologises for the damage she causes to her “giant”.
Market Position Statement
Robin and the Snack Heist is a comedy/contemporary fiction story. Robin, the tiny heroine, is determined to steal a snack from the kitchen. Preferably without getting caught by her dad. This book is aimed at children aged 4-7 who do not like going to bed on time.
Robin and the Snack Heist follows the beats of Jack and the Beanstalk, dresses it down into its bare components, and replaces the character, setting and plot to appeal to a modern yet eternal audience. Robin is inspired by irreverent characters such as Wombat (Diary of a Wombat; Jackie French) and Hairy McClary (Hairy McClary and Friends; Dame Lynley Dodd). However, this story grounds Robin’s naughty nature in reality. Rather than shying away from it by having non-human characters, Robin’s actions have consequences that affect real people on both sides of the conflict. The choice to make her human also ensures she is relatable to children and provides a strong sense of wish fulfilment.
The loose connection to Jack and the Beanstalk, coupled with comedic prose, creates a reliable story structure suitable for young readers whilst being removed enough to remain unique.
Page 1
In a giant house on a country road, played Robin Jack. The smallest of the Jack family and quite possibly the smallest girl of her age, ever.
Page 2
Being very small gave Robin a very large sense of adventure. Unfortunately, Robin also felt like she could do anything she wanted.
Page 3
So when her mum asked her to pack away her toys, Robin didn’t feel like doing so. In fact, it came to her attention that it had been a very long time since she helped herself to the jelly beans in the kitchen.
Page 4
‘Robin! Get down from there!’ her mother yelled. ‘Dad said I could have magic beans,’ she lied. ‘Magic beans? Just get ready for bed, now please! How ridiculous.’
Created by Matthew Graeme, 2026