Frank and Bert: The One Where Bert Plays Football

Frank is teaching Bert all about football. Sometimes things go wrong, but Bert has a new ball and the two best friends are ready to play. When Frank spots Barbara, the best football player ever, he is delighted that she agrees to have a game with him, forgetting all about poor old Bert. But as Frank finds himself in a spot of trouble, it is his best friend Bert who is there to save him!

The latest in this lovely series about best friends, Frank and Bert, ‘The One Where Bert Plays Football’ is every bit as heartwarming and endearing as the others. Frank and Bert are very different characters, but this enhances their friendship, proving the old adage ‘opposites attract’. Good natured and loveable, Bert often obviously needs help with things and Frank is always there to support him; however, the stories show that Bert brings much to the friendship as well.

Children often experience difficulties negotiating friendships and managing to include others who might appear to be jeopardising a close relationship or taking someone away from them. In this story, Frank is dazzled by Barbara’s footie skills, flattered that she should want to play with him and so neglects his best buddie. But when the going gets tough, it is Bert who is there for Frank, proving his loyalty once again. The story offers plenty to discuss and offers opportunities for role play and drama activities to explore the feelings of the different characters and how they acted.

Although Bert is not a natural football player, Frank helps him to develop skills which play to his strengths and allow him to feel success. The illustrations are full of gentle humour and celebrate the wonderful friendship Frank and Bert share through the whole range of emotions they experience through its ups and downs. Each book in this series is an absolute joy and I hope there are many more to come!

Frank and Bert: The One Where Bert Plays Football

Chris Naylor- Ballesteros

Nosy Crow ISBN: 978-1805134923

You can read my review of ‘Frank and Bert’ here, The One Where Bert Learns to Ride a Bike’ here and ‘The One With the Missing Biscuits’ here.

When the Storm Came

Little Frog and his family live by the river and play on its bank, but they stay away from the old tree stump where the Big Scary Thing lives. One day, however, a very big storm suddenly arrives and Little Frog falls right into the tree stump where he comes face to face with Big Scary Thing…and realises that it might not be quite so scary after all. When the storm blows them all into the water, Little Frog is safe and happy, but the Big Scary Thing and some little scary things are in trouble so all the frogs work together to save the day!

In ‘When the Storm Came’, Chris Naylor-Ballesteros has come up trumps yet again with another wonderful story. Seemingly simple, there is so much to explore and enjoy, making it a wonderful book to share at home, at school- everywhere!

‘Big Scary Thing’ personifies all those unknown entities which, because they are unknown, unfamiliar or simply different, swell to nightmare status without really deserving it. Once faced with this particular Big Scary Thing, Little Frog initially misreads its actions and assumes he is going to be eaten, but he soon realises that the action was protective and that the Big Scary Thing was just as scared of the storm as he was and was only seeking to look after and comfort Little Frog along with the little scary things. The story offers a wonderful starting point for encouraging children (and adults!) to get to know others before judging them and to consider other viewpoints. Re-telling the story from the Big Scary Thing’s perspective offers a wonderful writing opportunity- perhaps creating a play script and acting the story out using glove puppets, or hot-seating the characters and using role play/ freeze-framing to explore their feelings.

Little Frog needs the support of his family to help Big Scary Thing. Big Scary Thing – although big and scary- needs the help of the frogs. We all need help from time to time and we should all be ready and willing to offer support when needed. With its fabulous illustrations and big-hearted story, ‘When the Storm Came’ is sure to be a winner with adults and children alike!

When the Storm Came

Chris Naylor-Ballesteros

Andersen     ISBN: 978-1839132575

You can read my review of Frank and Bert here, Frank and Bert: The One Where Bert Learns to Ride a Bike here and Frank and Bert: The One with the Missing Biscuits here

Frank and Bert: The One with the Missing Biscuits

Frank and Bert are best friends who love going on picnics together. However, picnics are not without possible perils- rain, wasps and even scary squirrels- but Frank is convinced that today’s picnic is going to be perfect, particularly as Bert has a big box with a surprise in it! When Bert falls asleep, Frank can’t resist taking a peek inside the box and sees that Frank has made his favourite biscuits. Confident Bert won’t mind if he tries one, Frank eats first one, then two…until he realises every last biscuit has gone. How will he explain this to Bert?

I am the biggest Frank and Bert fan! Full of humour and heart, the ‘Frank and Bert’ stories explore the joys of friendship- and the foibles we all share! In this story, Frank is faced with the dilemma of explaining the missing biscuits to Bert (something my husband often has to do!)- should he tell the truth or concoct an elaborate story involving ten scary squirrels? Their friendship is so strong that Frank can’t bear to continue the lie and admits what he has done. Bert’s instant response is to forgive and the story offers plenty to discuss and think about. These adorable characters are so easy to identify with and the ending is just perfect- classic Frank and Bert- making the book sure to become a firm favourite.

The illustrations are as wonderful as ever! There is so much for children to ‘read’ in the pictures as Frank and Bert experience a whole range of emotions, but my favourite spread by far is the one of the two friends sharing a hug as Bert forgives Frank! Children might enjoy creating glove or finger puppets of these lovely characters, enabling them to act out this story- and to create their own.

Frank and Bert are the perfect double act and I hope there are many more stories about them to come.

Frank and Bert: The One with the Missing Biscuits

Chris Naylor- Ballesteros

Nosy Crow ISBN: 978-1805130673

Published 14th March

Originally reviewed for Reading Zone

You can read my reviews of ‘Frank and Bert’ here and Frank and Bert: The One Where Bert Learns to Ride a Bike’ here.

Frank and Bert: The One Where Bert Learns to Ride a Bike

Frank and his best friend, Bert, like to go on bike rides, but they have a big problem- Bert is not very good at riding a bike. However, he decides he will be just fine so even tho Frank is not so sure, they set off on their ride. Predictably, things do not go well, but with teamwork, perseverance, patience and friendship all’s well in the end!

From first reading ‘I Want to Eat this Ant’, Chris Naylor-Ballesteros has ranked high in my favourite picture book creators. There is something very special about the tales he tells and his illustrations are simply delightful. This is the second book about Frank and Bert and I hope ‘The One Where…’ indicates that there will be many more!

Learning to do anything new can be challenging and it is particularly daunting when you have a friend (or friends) who are already good at the thing. Frank tries to help Bert overcome his lack of confidence and offers his support, staying behind Bert all the time as he rides. However, once Frank feels Bert is coping, he decides to let go and Bert falls off the bike. Feeling Frank has betrayed his trust, Bert decides to never try again, but their friendship is stronger than this and Frank has another idea which… (you need to read it to find out what happens!) The story is perfect for encouraging discussions about how we can support one another and how important it is to listen to how others are feeling. Although the bigger of the two friends, it is Bert who is unsure in this situation, offering the opportunity to talk about how we shouldn’t make assumptions about who might need support and reinforce the message that we should all be able to learn things at our own pace.

The illustrations are gorgeous- and full of humorous touches! Frank and Bert have wonderfully expressive faces and the story is told from Frank’s point of view so the reader feels as if he is chatting directly to them and being involved in the story. These stories are perfect for little ones who will want to share them again and again!

Frank and Bert: The One Where Bert Learns to Ride a Bike

Chris Naylor-Ballesteros

Nosy Crow ISBN: 978-1839948503

You can read my review of ‘Frank and Bert’ here.

Frank and Bert

Meet Frank and Bert. These two pals LOVE to play hide-and-seek, but, although he thinks he is, Bert is not very good at hiding. This means that Frank wins every single game they play…until it occurs to him that maybe winning is not what’s important…maybe being a good friend is the most important thing of all.

Ever since discovering a copy of ‘I Want to Eat this Ant’ whilst on holiday one year, I have loved the work of Chris Naylor-Ballesteros. Many people know his fabulous book, ‘The Suitcase’, but each of his books is full of warmth, wisdom, humour - and incredible illustrations. ‘Frank and Bert’ is his latest gem!

There is so much to adore about this story. Frank the fox loves to win and when playing hide and seek with Bert, he does this a lot! Bert’s hiding skills leave a lot to be desired- even when Frank agrees to count to one hundred. But delighted as he is to win, Frank pauses to consider his friend’s feelings and put Bert’s happiness over his (Frank’s) competitive nature. The story offers the perfect starting point for discussing these feelings and encouraging empathy with others.

The pictures are full of humour! Children will giggle at Bert’s attempts at hiding and really enjoy the little twist at the end which shows that perhaps Bert is not as clueless as he first appears! His bright pink scarf suits him perfectly and it’s wonderful to see Frank knitting for his friend. Their expressions are just wonderful, adding to their personalities!

Children will love joining in with the counting and enjoy sharing this story again and again. I hope there are more stories about this adorable pair!

Frank and Bert Chris Naylor-Ballesteros

Nosy Crow ISBN: 978-1788008419