Frank and Bert

by Chris Naylor-Ballesteros, Chris Naylor-Ballesteros (Illustrator)

Overview

A hilarious new picture book from author of The Suitcase, Chris Naylor-Ballesteros!

Frank and Bert are the best of friends and they LOVE playing hide-and-seek. But Bert the bear isn't quite as good at hiding as he thinks he is . . . and Frank ALWAYS wins! Every. Single. Time.

But when it's Bert's turn to hide, and Frank has to decide between winning again OR making his friend happy, Frank learns that friendship is always the true winner. This interactive and entertaining story about friendship is guaranteed to get children giggling!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798887770000
Publisher:	Nosy Crow
Publication date:	05/02/2023
Series:	Frank and Bert Series , #1
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	155,520
Product dimensions:	10.70(w) x 10.80(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	3 - 5 Years

About the Author

Chris is originally from Bradford, UK and studied illustration and graphic design at Bradford College of Art. In 2000 he moved to France where, among other things, he was an English teacher before working in newspaper layout and design.

When his children were small he realized he loved the picture books he read to them, sometimes even more than his children did — the Picture Book Bug had truly bitten.

Chris has since written and illustrated several books and is currently thinking about the next one, probably with a cup of tea in hand at home near Limoges, France.

Editorial Reviews

"An uplifting and eye-catching tale in which being a good friend trumps winning every time."—Kirkus

Engaging characters, kind friends, a game of hide-and-seek, and some playful fourth wall-breaking make for an excellent read-aloud; this is highly recommended.—School Library Journal

A fun, interactive read, with jolly colored-pencil illustrations, plot twists, and a clear message about friendship.—Connie Fletcher, Booklist

From the Publisher

06/30/2023

PreS-Gr 2—A fox called Frank introduces himself and his best friend, a bear called Bert. They love to play hide-and-seek—but Bert is terrible at hiding. Frank counts to 100 to give Bert more time, but as the numbers trail across the pages, Bert's bright pink scarf comes unraveled, leaving an easy trail for Frank to follow. Frank realizes that "even though I love winning, I love my best friend more!" and pretends to give up, making Bert the happy winner. When it's Frank's turn to hide, he's full of confidence, but readers will notice that Bert is holding a dangling piece of yarn from Frank's blue hat, which begins to unravel as he runs off; on the final page, Bert is winking directly at readers. Bert is brown, shaped like an elongated gumdrop, with scribbly fur; Frank has pointy ears, a bushy tail, and straight orange and cream fur (he also holds his knitting needles correctly on the title page). Hot pink endpapers match the color and texture of Bert's scarf. Naylor-Ballesteros takes a familiar game and gently subverts expectations, bringing readers in on the joke, and showing an example of a friend choosing kindness over victory. VERDICT Engaging characters, kind friends, a game of hide-and-seek, and some playful fourth wall-breaking make for an excellent read-aloud; this is highly recommended.—Jenny Arch

School Library Journal

2023-02-25
Who is a better friend, Bert or Frank?

Bert, a huge, lumbering bear, and Frank the fox are BFFs who love to play hide-and-seek, but Bert is terrible at it. His idea of a killer hiding spot? The top of a tree with absolutely no foliage. Bert never wins, but he wants to—at least once—and argues that counting to 10 doesn’t give him enough time. Frank agrees to count to 100, and Bert races over hills and across a body of water and into a cave. Surely, Frank won’t find him now. But, unbeknownst to Bert, his scarf caught on a tree limb and unraveled, leaving a clear trail of his journey that Frank follows. But just before Frank reaches out to yank Bert’s tail, Frank realizes how sad Bert will be if he is found. Instead, Frank shouts, “I GIVE UP!” and Bert is the happiest bear in the world. Back home, ever the friend, Frank reknits Bert’s scarf. This sweet friendship tale brims with both humor and heart. Illustrations, perfect for storytime, consist of large textured blocks of rich colors highlighted against a white background; Bert’s bright pink scarf and Frank’s blue hat pop beautifully. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

An uplifting and eye-catching tale in which being a good friend trumps winning every time. (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews