Be Gentle!

Bartholomew is a lovable small bear who sometimes can't quite manage to be good - just like a lot of toddlers. One day he's given a kitten to look after. Poor kitty! Bartholomew's in the mood for rough and tumble and playing loudly, and the kitten doesn't like it. Bartholomew doesn't care - until disaster strikes!

This is nearly a wonderful book. The pictures are clear and uncluttered, and work well with the text. Somehow the artist manages to make Bartholomew seem very bearish and very like a naughty little boy all at the same time. However, I did think the story preached a bit in a couple of places - a great shame, really, because otherwise it's a delight.