Synopses & Reviews
How do birds learn how to sing? What brings summer after spring? What turns the leaves from green to brown and sends them floating gently down?
In thirteen engaging couplets, Marcus Pfister opens children’s eyes to the wondrous mysteries all around them.
Review
Young children will see themselves in Bertie's actions and reactions to his father's requests. Parents will recognize the stalling tactics of the very young. There is plenty of humor and a great deal of warmth in the illustrations. Father and son delight in one another's company
While it is doubtless best as a bedtime read, it is also a good choice for a preschool story hour about bedtime or daddies. Reviewer: Sharon Salluzzo Childrens Literature
Synopsis
Bertie and his friends are determined to make his birthday party the best ever. Pfister's sweet story and charming illustrations make this a party readers won't want to miss. Full color.
Synopsis
This is Marcus Pfister’s 50th book for children! From Penguin Pete to Hopper the bunny to Bertie the young hippo to the international celebrity Rainbow Fish, his characters have charmed children and their caregivers the world around. For Marcus, “a good book acts as a bridge between a child and an adult, sparking lots of questions, and expanding the imagination of the child.” Marcus Pfister lives in Berne, Switzerland.
Synopsis
Bertie, a young hippopotamus, wants to drink coffee, read the newspaper, use a credit card, and more, just like Daddy, who appeases the eager hippo with age-appropriate options such as making a newspaper hat. At story's end, the tables turn when Daddy wants to play like Bertie.
About the Author
Booklist Reviews Bertie At Bedtime:
Bertie and his father may be hippos, but this story of getting a child fed and ready for bed is universal and
familiar. At first, young Bertie doesn't want to eat supper because he is busy playing. Dad says he will
play with Bertie after supper and toothbrushing, and he keeps his promise—chasing Bertie, giving him a
fun bath, and playing hide-and-seek. After three books (including classics such as Good Night, Hippo) and
a quick succession of bedtime dances, at least one hippo is ready for bed: Dad. Pfister's hippos are an
irresistible pair, full of sweetness and life. Although Pfister uses a single floral pattern for wallpaper,
flooring, furniture, and clothes, he keeps the art from becoming boring by running the pattern through
vivid and appealing shades of purple, blue, green, pink, and orange. The book's last spread is a charmer: as
Dad lies curled up on a bundle of blankets and pillows, Bertie cuddles up close. "Good night, Daddy," he
says. "Tomorrow we can play some more."