8 Jun 2021

BARTY BARTON THE BEAR THAT WAS LOVED TOO MUCH.

 One of several bloggers who over seven days will be participating in this Blog Tour (the full list of which can be found in the Schedule at the bottom of the post). Today {the 2nd day of the Tour) its my pleasure to be sharing my thoughts on  ... 

BARTY BARTON THE BEAR THAT WAS LOVED TOO MUCH by SUE WICKSTEAD.

Target Age: Children 5-8 years

Genre:  Picture Story Book

Publication Date: November 2020

Estimated Page Count - 40

Standalone Book

Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Barty-Barton-Bear-that-loved/dp/1916392318

What happens when we outgrow our teddy bears?Should we let them go? 

Thomas loved his teddy bear, but over the years, Barty had become tatty and old. 

However, Barty was no ordinary teddy bear, and he wasn't about to give up on being loved. {Synopsis}

Barty Barton was a special teddy bear {First Sentence, Page 5}

 "Oh dear," said Barty. "My stuffing feels heavy and full of water. I'm not fluffy and new, but lumpy and bumpy."

"You'll be fine once you're dried out," said the other toys. "Look! We are."

"Perhaps you should lie out in the sunshine for a while," Hunny Bear said kindly.

But the sunshine didn't help much.

"I think you need to go into intensive drying cupboard care," suggested Snowdon Bear.

"You might need a few squashy check-ups to make you feel better and to ease your joints," said Becky Bear. {Memorable Moment, Page 24}

MY THOUGHTS ... Hands up all those who have ever loved a teddy bear ... ✋

Hands up all those who have ever loved a teddy bear too much ... ✋

Marketed at children aged 5 to 8 years old but, lets face it, will be equally loved by everyone from the littlest of little ones who will enjoy the gorgeous illustrations right up to the oldest of adults who will delight in both the gorgeous illustrations and the sweet story.

His nose bent to one side, his paws needing repairing;  the childhood teddy bear of Thomas who, now grown-up is about to become a daddy himself, what will happen to Barty? 

Barty Barton is the truly charming story of a once beloved teddy bear and friends who, with the arrival of a new baby in the family, may well be loved too much all over again but that's only after they have been washed, squashed, and, in the case of Barty, re-stuffed and given a new red bow.

ABOUT SUE WICKSTEAD ... Sue Wickstead is a teacher and an author and writes children’s picture books with a bus theme. She has also written a photographic history book about the real bus, which is where her story writing began.

Sue once worked with a playbus charity based in Crawley. This led her to write the photographic history book about the project. The ‘Bewbush Playbus’ book was published in 2012.

Sue then began to write a fictional tale about the bus. ‘Jay-Jay the Supersonic Bus’, his number plate JJK261 gave him his name and has now been followed by more picture books (ten to date) which all indeed have a bus connection as well as links to her teaching journey.

Gloria is the most recent bus book and is based on the summer play-schemes which operated during the school holidays providing a safe place to play and to meet other children. (published 2020)

‘Barty Barton; the bear that was loved too much’ was also published in 2020. Barty was written for both her son and grandson.

Some of Sue’s books have been entered and shortlisted in ‘The Wishing Shelf Book Awards’, her book ‘A Spooky Tale’ was a silver medal winner in 2019. It is a story written with her class in school and is aimed at the younger reader. 

FOLLOW SUE WICKSTEAD ... ~ Website ~ FaceBook ~ Instagram ~ Twitter

TOUR SCHEDULE ... ~ 7th June: Morelli’s Reads ~ donnasbookblog ~ My Bookish Bliss ~ 8th June: Felicity Grace Terry ~ Gina Rae Mitchell ~ Mama Bear's book hour ~ 9th June: Splashes Into Books ~ Mum’s Book Blast ~ Mum_and_me_reads ~ 10th June: Jane Hunt Writer ~ Cat and Mouse Reading ~ karenandherbooks ~ 11th June: Dash Fan Book Reviews ~ Jessica's Reading Room ~ @lost_in_her_bookland ~ 12th June: Rachel Bustin ~ Buntthebookworm ~ Readingbooks_itsafamilything ~ 13th June: Book Reviews by Satabdi ~ @asreadbydanielle ~ School_librarian_loves_books ~ 

6 comments:

Kelly said...

My hand is raised.

This sounds like a delightful little story.

nightwingsraven said...

Felicity,
I have a soft spot for teddy
bears. And this sounds like a
lovely and delightful story.
And the illustration which you
shared with us is truly gorgeous.
Raven

Shooting Stars Mag said...

Aw, this sounds absolutely adorable. And oh yes, I definitely had a bear that was loved a little much. But he's still around!

-Lauren
www.shootingstarsmag.net

Erica Metcalf said...

This sounds SO cute!!

Yvonne @ Fiction Books Reviews said...

What a lovely little story and one we can all relate to, I'm sure :)

It was only a couple of weeks ago, when we got together with my sister-in-law and her husband for the first time since the original lockdown, that she was asking my husband if her remembered a teddy they had shared as children. She then produced this rather misshapen, floppy teddy, which was dirty, had only one glass eye, with one arm hanging off and the other stitched on in an un-matching wool and by a very childish hand. She had recently dug him out of a packing crate and is thinking of restoring him as a project!

Luckily 'Barty Barton' seems to have fared a little better over the years :)

JayJay Bus said...

It was lovley to read your review and just as lovley to see the comments left on the blog.
A tatty old bear shows that is has been well loved and I'm sure we will all have our hands up.
my own old bear (MacMac) in the story has a loose glass ey and is full of straw. Her nose has been kissed so many times an her grumble doesn't work anymore but ... i still give her a cuddle!
Someting special about a teddy bear hug.