[.ca] Bartholomew Bear: Five Toddler Tales (ISBN 0763619418)

Ba Books:
All of my children have enjoyed these books. They are simple to read, wonderful illustrations and deal with everyday topics. The illustrations inspired my toddlers to "read" the books themselves creating their own stories. My toddlers also learned some great immitations with tonal changes.

A Honey of a Deal!:
"There are days when Bartholomew is naughty, and other days when he is very, very good." And so begins a collection of tales of a little bear with a big name. His antics will seem familiar to anyone whose life has been touched by a toddler. Big gentle George tells Bartholomew to do something. Ba says "Nah!" and dawdles until the big voice of George commands: "EAT YOUR DINNER!" or "GO TO BED!" Bartholomew is not a bratty bear - he always complies in the end. Virginia Miller enhances her spare text with illustrations outlined in wide pencil and colored with soft, earth-toned markers. We started out reading the book On Your Potty! When we found this volume of five tales, my daughter's favorite became Be Gentle! And now she wants to hear the entire book every night! Why buy each title separately? Five-in-one is a "honey" of a deal. As George would say: "BUY THIS BOOK!"

"NAH!":
The first thing you notice about this book is the illustrations. Bartholomew, or "Ba", as his daddy George calls him, is a sweet little bear that only ever says "nah" in verying degrees of intensity depending on the situation. George gently guides and teaches him about using the toilet in "On Your Potty!", struggles (like most parents of toddlers) to get Ba to finish a meal in "Eat Your Dinner"; Ba has a new black kitty, but keeps scaring it, so George has to teach Ba proper kitty etiquette in "Be Gentle!". Ba refuses to go to sleep ("NAH!", he says)in "Go to Bed!", and my favorite is "I Love You Just the Way You Are"- Ba is having a particularly bad day, and nothing makes him happy. "His legs were to stumpy", writes Miller, "and his belly to plumpy". Once you have one of these precious books, you'll want the whole set. Save yourself some shopping time and just get this boxed set. Trust me- you'll end up buying them all anyway!