Bertie

Whether you are 4 years old - or 44 - Bertie the Bear will bring a smile to your face. The book is intended as a series of stories to be read to children aged 4-5, as well by older children, up to the age of 8 or even 9, who can already read for themselves. Bertie is a bear who thinks he is a dog. He is now taking his friend Lennie with him to an annual family reunion in Lapland, after completing a successful mission on behalf of Husky dogs to gain support for their efforts to stop the melting of polar ice. One of his hopes is that he will also be able to prove to Lennie that he is a dog. Shortly after the start of their journey, Bertie's rash decision to leave the ship in the middle of the sea puts them at risk of becoming castaways. Fortunately, they are rescued; but they still face a new and urgent task of finding the means to pay for the rest of their journey. It is thanks to Bertie's friend, Lennie, who in fact is a dog, that they are able to undertake a variety of jobs, with the intention of earning enough to travel on. However, Bertie somehow always manages to mess things up, and it is only thanks to Lennie's great ingenuity, and a fortuitous - and often hilarious - combination of circumstances, that they eventually reach their destination. Once there, not only does Lennie discover why Bertie thinks he is a dog, but also witnesses Bertie's dream fulfilled, as he is awarded the Top Dog Prize. Though the book is essentially a humorous, light-hearted tale of the two friends' adventures as they struggle to reach their goal, it also highlights important things about friendship, and in particular about acceptance and loyalty. In addition, it touches on an important and topical environmental issue. Enchanting pencil illustrations, finely drawn in exquisite detail, bring the characters and the situations to life, and will be enjoyed both by children, as well as provide amusement to adults reading to a child. Each of the chapters can also form a good-night story on its own. Below is a selection of comments from a preview of the book, made by readers: "Your Story is really really REALLY good. I read it over and over again. My little sister loves it as well!!!" S. R., UK. "SUPERB!" "Charming and innocent. Thank you for a little pure sparkle in our Lives." L. V., UK. "Thank you again. My kids LOVE the stories, and I enjoy reading them too as they are funny for adults: ). " Y. T, Canada. "I am now sure of going home telling my children fascinating stories to last them till they sleep in the night". R. G. C, USA. "I'm a teacher and I would like to read your book to my pupils in class." N. A, South Africa. "Do you draw the illustrations yourself, too? They're absolutely brilliant." S. F, Malta "Really good concept, and an inspirational idea illustrating the value of perseverance in the face of difficulties, which children can learn from." P. K, New Zealand "I've read chapters to my kindergarten class, and projected images of the fun illustrations on the wall screen. They just love it." A. R. Australia