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

This is such a lovely duo!

A book about friendship and perseverance, beautiful pictures and written with humour too.

I bought the first one, this will be on my list too!

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for gifting me this arc in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

This very cute, funny storybook for children rewards close attention to the pictures, which get funnier the closer you look. It's a simple tale of Frank and Bert, two bike-riding friends in need of a little extra stability. Especially Bert, who is something of a disaster on wheels. Adults may find their antics chuckle-worthy as well. What I really liked was the book gets across a couple of points about helping friends out and trying to be careful, but the book keeps a pretty light touch and doesn't get overly moralistic about teaching lessons. The points are there, and they're amusingly embedded in a sweet, funny package.

I requested this one based on the absolutely gorgeous cover illustration and can say I was not disappointed!

The illustrations are consistently gorgeous and the simple story flows really well. They have made me want to get my colouring pens out.

Yes, it is aimed at 3+ year olds, but if we add another 20, it’s still pretty apt.

I’d recommend this one to anyone with small children or if you fancy buying a copy to donate to someone else or a bookshop, that would be just as lovely.

A sweet, gentle book about friends supporting each other through the wobbles of learning a new skill. Bert and Fred are delightful characters and their struggles are relatable for anyone who has tried to learn, or teach, bike riding. Fun for sharing with ages 3+.

Aw I just loved this book. I had a smile on my face the whole time while reading it. The characters are so likeable and it is such a simple and heartwarming story about friendship, loyalty and bravery. A wonderful gift to buy for a child!

A wonderful about friendship, perseverance and trust.
Bert wants to learn to ride a bike but he stumbles and falls but with his best friends help he sticks to it until he can finally ride a bike.

A perfect book for children to learn that no matter what if you stick with something and believe in yourself you can do anything.

The really cute illustrations also really add to the story and are super sweet

Frank and Bert’s friendship is everything! I first met these best friends when they were playing hide-and-seek. Bert wasn’t brilliant at it but he sure was enthusiastic.

In this new adventure, Frank and Bert trade in their scarves for bike helmets. Bert wants to be as good at bike riding as Frank but he “wibble-wobbles all over the place.”

This series is teamwork, perseverance and friendship goals. In this story, it becomes clear how important it is to have each other’s backs. A friend who is supportive and encouraging can give us the confidence we need to keep trying.

I absolutely love the illustrations in this series. All of the animals are very expressive, which adds to the humour of Bert’s oops moments. Bert’s wobbly tire tracks brought to mind the windy path his scarf’s loose thread weaved through the first book.

Some details are consistent in both books. Frank wears blue. Bert wears pink. The hills and trees are the same. This familiarity allowed me to focus more on what the characters were doing and feeling throughout this book.

Be on the lookout for the character who’s fishing. Handy hint: see if you notice anything relevant to the first time you see them when they show up later in the story.

I’ve read this book three times already and plan to buy a copy when it’s released. Naturally I had reread the first book and am delighted to report that I loved it just as much as I did when I first met Frank and Bert.

I need Frank and Bert to keep sharing their adventures with me. I adore these friends!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Nosy Crow for the opportunity to fall in love with this picture book.

Frank and Bert really are quite the gorgeous couple, aren't they?

In this latest adventure Bert is trying to ride a bike. It's tricky. Very tricky. Luckily he has his best friend Frank to help him try and try again. A sweet and gently story about perseverance.

Fun and cute picture book about friendship and being there for each other. It's perfect for an active reading session with children because it will make them participate!

Both a reassuring 'learning to ride' story and a lesson in friendship.

Frank the fox tells us all about his friend's Bert's slight wobble with bikes. It's more than a slight wobble actually - he can't help but fall off or run into things, so it's a good thing they both wear helmets! Bert doesn't give up however but it's up to Frank to keep him motivated in the face of repeated setbacks.

Frank acts as parents as well as friend here, but in the end readers can see Bert making sure Frank isn't taking all the strain, that he sees progress, gains confidence, and can even help his friend in return.

Young ones will learn from this good lessons about bike riding not being something you can just excel out without practice, that you might fall off but you can get better if you try, and that your friends and family will support you as you keep at it.

Quite like the detailed fur on the animals, lines and curvy colours, with white backgrounds that don't take too much attention from the action. Not too wordy for a 3 year old, and a great reminder to return to for all those youngsters taking their first... pedals.

For ages 3-6.

With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.

I read this to my children and they loved the book. From an adult perspective it was also very well written and I couldn't get enough of it. I couldn't stop chuckling at certain points within the book.

I really loved how the book made a few points about looking out for friends and attempting to be cautious, but it did it in a very light-hearted manner and avoided being unduly didactic. The points are present, and they are amusingly concealed under a delightfully humorous wrapper.

Publishing on the 12th January 2023 Frank and Bert take another turn in The One Where Bert Learns to Ride a Bike.

Just like the first book it's cute and quirky and a heart-warming delight. Again, like with the first book, we see pops of neon colour on an otherwise pastel palette telling the tale of this fabulous duo.

Frank and Bert are best of friends, dear friends. Yet Frank lets Bert down in a big way while he's learning to ride a bike. Frank works hard to figure out how to regain Bert's trust. However, the pair still find themselves in bike riding peril. Although, their friendship and trust in each other shines through to save the day.

We loved the cycle helmets that the pair wore. Our favourite spread is with the chicks wearing their little bobble hats while another animals has an unfortunate incident with his tail when Bert wibble-wobbles over it!

The moral is clear and one that is so important for our children to learn. Together, and with trust in each other, we can achieve our goals. I hope everyone gets to have a friend like Frank or Bert in their lifetime.

As amazingly adorable as the first book! 😍

Frank and Bert, best friends extraordinaire, are back. This time, Bert is struggling to ride his bicycle without going all wobbly, and Frank is doing his best to help his big friend perfect his technique. Needless to say, the going is quite tough, and also quite comic.

I used to read plenty of kiddie books but decided to take a small break as the content started feeling repetitive. However, when I saw this title on NetGalley, I jumped at it simply on looking at the cover. How I loved these two cuties in the first book ‘Frank and Bert’! I had read it almost exactly a year ago and still remember how much I had laughed at the ending. The duo doesn’t disappoint this time around.

The book delivers strong points on friendship, trust, self-confidence, and practice. None of these morals are rammed into the reader but come out through the humorous events on page. Then again, even if it didn’t have a single thought-worthy lesson, I would still have recommended it simply to enjoy the story for its own sake. It’s hilarious and yet relatable.

The illustrations are as cute as you can see on the cover. I simply love the detailing on each sketch, right down to the “fur” on Frank’s and Bert’s bodies. The drawings are simple yet eye-catching.

The language would be perfect for beginner readers as the words are easy for their age group. (3-6 years.)
Recommended with all my heart.

5 joyful stars.

My thanks to Nosy Crow and NetGalley for the DRC of “Frank and Bert: The One Where Bert Learns to Ride a Bike”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Another lovely story in the Frank and Bert series. The charming friendship between Frank and Bert is both familiar and engaging. In this story, children will certainly identify with Bert’s challenge as he tries to master learning to ride a bike. Frank’s gentle encouragement and patient efforts to help his friend have just the right level of humour and will no doubt resonate with many parents as they read the story aloud. Chris Naylor-Ballesteros writes narrative which is a joy to read aloud and readers will enjoy experimenting with the voices of Frank and Bert using the emphasis cleverly provided by the variations in text size. The cozy knitted endpapers hug the story together too.

From the author of The Suitcase comes the second in the series of Frank and Bert. Their first picture book, Frank and Bert, saw the duo playing a rather hapless and hilarious game of 'Hide and Seek', whereas this time, Bert is learning to ride a bike...

Bert is learning to ride a bike but, dear me, he's not very good at it. Frank offers to help but when he lets go, Bert is cross. Soon Frank comes up with a solution but it's not long before he's the one who needs help. Can Bert save the day and get them down the hill?

Totally relatable to the activities children enjoy doing with their friends or their parents, this is a fun but heartwarming tale of two friends supporting each other and having each other's backs when things get tough. Learning to ride a bike is hard, especially when there are plenty of obstacles in the way, but if your best friend is right behind you, then what can go wrong?

This was a hit with all three of my children but especially with my eldest daughter. Having special needs means learning to ride a bike has been a huge challenge for her - one she has recently achieved with some special adaptations. The repetitive language, simple dialogue and entertaining pictures made the story accessible to her and the humorous ending made her laugh out loud and request the story on repeat. Certainly, while I read the story over and over, I saw her perseverance and determination echoed in Bert, while Frank is the championing friend that everyone needs.

We're really hoping that there will be more titles in this series. Frank and Bert are a totally endearing duo and we look forward to them tackling other tricky rites of passage in a warm and entertaining way.

I love these books, I think I would buy them for myself if I didn’t have my nieces. The artwork is beautiful, the story although simple and funny tells children some very important lessons about friendships and helping people, being careful, a joy to read and reread again and again

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy in return for an honest opinion

Frank and Bert: The One Where Bert Learns To Ride a Bike takes a humorous and heartwarming look at a major milestone in a child’s life – learning to ride a bike. I love the supportive relationship between the two characters as they help each other overcome their difficulties on a long bike ride.

Bert isn't very good at cycling – he wibbles and wobbles all over the place. Frank tries to help by holding onto Bert’s bike while he rides but there’s trouble when he lets go. So Frank puts a seat for Bert on the back of his bike. It’s tough cycling with a big bear on the back and when they get to the top of a hill Frank is too tired to cycle any more. But how are they going to get home? Bert has an idea...

Frank tells the story of their experiences in short, easy to read sentences and lots of onomatopoeia but much of the action is also shown in the gorgeous illustrations. The vibrant colours of the characters stand out against the pastel colours of the landscape and the clean cream background. We love the illustration of Frank and Bert on their bikes and the ducks in their woolly hats make us laugh!

A great first picture book :)