- Picture Books
- Ages 3–6
- Comedy
Frank and Bert
Book 1 of 5 in Frank and BertView the full series
A hilarious, warm-hearted picture book about a fox and a bear playing hide-and-seek, in which Frank quietly decides that keeping his best friend happy matters more than winning the game.
- Best for3–6
- FormatPicture
- Length32 pp
- Read aloud~6 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Conversational
- Repetitive
- Comedic
Tone
- Funny
- Warm
- Heartwarming
- Silly
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Frank the fox and Bert the bear are the very best of friends, and they love to play hide-and-seek. There's just one problem: Bert is terrible at hiding, so Frank always wins. When Bert grumbles that he never gets enough time, Frank agrees to count all the way to one hundred. But Bert snags his long woolly scarf on a branch as he dashes off, unravelling a bright trail of yarn that leads Frank straight to his hiding place. Just as Frank is about to find him, he realises how crushed Bert will be, and shouts "I GIVE UP!" so his friend can be the happiest bear in the world. Chris Naylor-Ballesteros pairs bold, funny artwork with a deadpan, read-aloud-perfect text and a knowing final wink to the reader. A joyful, laugh-out-loud story with a big heart about kindness, friendship and the idea that being a good friend beats winning every time.
“Frank and Bert are the best of friends. And they LOVE to play hide-and-seek.”
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
Best as a shared read-aloud from about 2 or 3, when the visual comedy and repetition land hardest. Early readers of 5 to 7 can tackle the simple text themselves. Not a heavy or scary book at any age.
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- 5
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- 13
- Best fit · 3–6
- Read aloud · 2–6
- Independent · 5–7
Prose load
Light
Visual support
Very high
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Excellent
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Bedtime
- Reading together
- Gift-buying
- Reluctant readers
Nothing in the book is likely to concern most parents. Safe to recommend without preview.
Bedtime suitability
4 / 5 · Bedtime-friendly
Sensitive-child
5 / 5 · Good fit
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- Friendship
- Read aloud
- Funny picture books
- Fox and bear
- Kindness
Avoid if
- Wants action adventure
Particularly good for children who are…
- Making friends
In the classroom
How it works in school.
A quick EYFS/PSHE read-aloud for talking about friendship, kindness, and putting a friend's feelings first. The comic-strip clarity of the pictures makes it easy for a whole class to follow.
A book children love that happens to support school — never a stand-in for the texts a class is taught with.
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
The comedy is right at a small child's level: Bert is hopeless at hiding, his scarf gives him away every time, and Frank's decision to shout "I GIVE UP!" so Bert can be happiest is deeply satisfying. The final wink to the reader always gets a giggle.
- Friendship and belonging
- Trickery and cleverness
Why parents love it
A deadpan, beautifully paced read-aloud with genuinely funny artwork and a warm point to make about friendship and generosity. Short, punchy and endlessly re-readable, with a sly final gag aimed squarely at the grown-up.
- Shared humour
- Quick to read
- Bedtime appropriate
In the series
Frank and Bert.
5 books · open the series →
About the author & illustrator
Chris Naylor-Ballesteros.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
If you liked this, try…
Lateral matches. Same shelf, different texture.
Where to go next…
Escalation reads — a step up in scale, silliness, or stakes.
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