Bernard Makes a Splash

by Lisa Stickley (Illustrator)

Overview

A heartwarming story from textile designer and illustrator Lisa Stickley

Bernard has been the manager of the local swimming pool for a long time, and practices his diving at night when no one else is around. When his pool holds a contest for high-diving hounds from around the world, he hopes that he can work up enough courage to compete. This lovely story from the author of The Wobbly Waitressis a heartwarming tale about trying new things, even when we might need some help to find the courage to do them.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781849766609
Publisher:	Tate Publishing
Publication date:	04/07/2020
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.45(d)
Age Range:	3 - 18 Years

About the Author

Lisa Stickley is an English textile designer, author, and illustrator. She trained at Central Saint Martins and the Royal College of Art. Her previous books include The Wobbly Waitress.

Editorial Reviews

2020-01-21
In this British import, the canine manager of a swimming pool enters a diving contest and overcomes his fear of the high diving board.

Bernard is a basset hound who manages the pool by day and secretly practices diving by himself at night. When elite dog divers gather for the pool’s annual competition, Bernard somehow signs up to participate. When it is his turn to dive, however, Bernard is too nervous to even try to participate in the first round. He has another chance in the second heat and finds encouragement from his new friend, a female German wirehaired pointer and accomplished diver named Perrie Piccalilli. Bernard completes his dive with somersaults, spirals, and spins, and he receives a special gold-star award for his efforts. The humorous, rhyming text is uneven in quality, with some lines spot-on in dramatic cadence and a few word pairs that break the rhythm or stretch for meaning and/or rhyme. The divers are a diverse cast of canines, including many breeds and both males and females. The audience for the competition includes other kinds of animals and people of many races. Mixed-media illustrations with collage elements have a loose, impressionistic effect and include endearing expressions on Bernard’s anxious face. An enticing cover shows Bernard diving into the pool; a hand-scrawled title in what looks like black crayon attracts with its naïve charm.

Bernard’s conquest of his inner fear stands out as a quiet triumph. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews