Review Detail

FRANK AND BERT: THE ONE WHERE BERT LEARNS TO RIDE A BIKE is an engaging picture book about friendship and learning a new skill. The story is told from the perspective of Frank, who enjoys playing with his friend Bert. They like to ride bikes together, except for the problem where Bert does not quite know how to ride a bike. In the process, he sometimes makes a mess of things. Frank tries to help him, but he is not quite sure how.

When Bert asks him to stay behind him, Frank sees that he is starting to get the hang of it and moves - but then Bert slips up and gets upset. Frank makes it up to him by coming up with a new idea where Bert will just ride. However, the hill is much steeper than he thought and he is too tired to go back down it. Bert feels he is up to the challenge - as long as Frank is there riding on the seat behind him. Indeed, with his good friend there, Bert does it! At the end, Frank is one who has a small snafu when he keeps looking behind to check on Bert instead of looking ahead, much to the reader's delight.

What I loved: This is a sweet story about friendship and the challenge in learning something new. It does not come easily, but encouragement and support from good friends can go a long way. The story feels quite conversational, told entirely from Frank's perspective with his insights and thoughts along the way. This really pulls the reader in and makes for a fun read.

Illustrations are simple but capture the two friends and their emotions well. As a small thing, I appreciated that they always wear helmets while on the bikes. The images also tell part of the story with a recurring raccoon character (unnamed) who always seems to be involved in the bicycle-related snafus. Children who love exploring the images will appreciate the untold story throughout when they see that character.

The font is large and clear throughout, making it easy to read aloud. The pages can be lengthy in places, which may make this work better for older picture book readers. As a bonus, the book includes a QR code for an audiobook that allows children to read independently (including a sound for where to turn the page). This reading was also fantastic and adds to the experience.

Final verdict: FRANK AND BERT: THE ONE WHERE BERT LEARNS TO RIDE A BIKE is a delightful picture book about friendship and learning new skills that will charm older picture book readers.