Frank and Bert

Naylor-Ballesteros, whose 2020 book about the experience of being a refugee, The Suitcase, centers on kindness, returns to this value here, showcasing it in a game of hide-and-seek. Crucial to the plot are a knitted scarf and a knitted hat. Fox, the narrator and knitter, tells us that he and his best friend, Bear, love to play hide-and-seek, but Bear is terrible at hiding. Flashback to examples of Bear's too-obvious hiding places. Bear claims Fox doesn't give him enough time, so Fox counts to 100. The unwary Bear snags his scarf on a tree at the start, so as Fox counts for seven pages, we see Bear leaving a long, looping trail of pink yarn over hills, down dales, through a stream, and up a mountain. Too easy! Fox finds Bear with his backside sticking out of a cave and shouts "I give up!" so Bear can, finally, win. A fun, interactive read, with jolly colored-pencil illustrations, plot twists, and a clear message about friendship.

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) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.