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Bertolt
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80 pages, Hardcover
First published February 1, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 128 reviews
January 11, 2018
I decided to read all seven of the books Maria Popova (on twitter) says were the loveliest picture books of 2017:
https://www.brainpickings.org/2017/12...
This is the fifth of seven, Bertolt—funny that as a literary type guy, I would think it might be about Bertolt Brecht (wrong!). It is a book about an imaginative (which is not to say imaginary, though this is fiction) boy whose best friend is an old (at least 172-years-old!) oak tree named Bertolt. It’s a book about a solitary kid, and his imagination (obviously), the construction of a relationship, and then, more surprisingly, it’s about loss and grief, but I won’t ruin that surprise for you with any specifics.
Goldstyn did the story with subtly (which here means the opposite of LOUD and bold primary) colored and drawn illustrations to match the gently whimsical and reflective themes.
Just at the point I thought it was going on too long for its subject and theme, it suddenly and to my relief STOPPED talking altogether (became silent or wordless) all the way to the end, letting the images speak even more profoundly, which I found both simple and a little bit astonishing (in how the boy speaks to/recovers from/honors his loss).
https://www.brainpickings.org/2017/12...
This is the fifth of seven, Bertolt—funny that as a literary type guy, I would think it might be about Bertolt Brecht (wrong!). It is a book about an imaginative (which is not to say imaginary, though this is fiction) boy whose best friend is an old (at least 172-years-old!) oak tree named Bertolt. It’s a book about a solitary kid, and his imagination (obviously), the construction of a relationship, and then, more surprisingly, it’s about loss and grief, but I won’t ruin that surprise for you with any specifics.
Goldstyn did the story with subtly (which here means the opposite of LOUD and bold primary) colored and drawn illustrations to match the gently whimsical and reflective themes.
Just at the point I thought it was going on too long for its subject and theme, it suddenly and to my relief STOPPED talking altogether (became silent or wordless) all the way to the end, letting the images speak even more profoundly, which I found both simple and a little bit astonishing (in how the boy speaks to/recovers from/honors his loss).
December 26, 2024
بهنظرم سایت ایران کتاب خیلی کامل معرفی کرده کتاب درخت دستکشی رو.
پس من متن خودش رو میذارم:
تنهایی انسان معضل بزرگی است که در حوزه ادبیات جهان باعث آفرینش آثار بیبدیل شده است. اکنون با گسترش پدیده #تکفرزندی این معضل به دوره سنی کودک هم راه یافته و والدین و کودکان را وادار میکند تا راهحلهای جایگزینی برای آن پیدا کنند. کتاب #درخت_دستکشی ضمن به رسمیت شمردن تنهایی کودک قهرمان داستان، راهحلهای خلاقی را ارائه میدهد و میخواهد این نکته را آموزش دهد که غیر از آدمها برای پرکردن تنهایی میتوان به موجودات و اشیای دیگر هم فکر کرد. هرچند به طور ضمنی به آموزش مفهوم مرگ و از دست دادن هم میپردازد، اما خلاقیت برای برخورد با این پدیده سخت و سوگواری را هم بیان میکند. نقاشیها و تصویرگریهای این داستان با خطوط ساده و تکنیک مدادرنگی خودش میتواند الهامبخش کودکان و نوجوانان برای نقاشیکردن باشد.
پس من متن خودش رو میذارم:
تنهایی انسان معضل بزرگی است که در حوزه ادبیات جهان باعث آفرینش آثار بیبدیل شده است. اکنون با گسترش پدیده #تکفرزندی این معضل به دوره سنی کودک هم راه یافته و والدین و کودکان را وادار میکند تا راهحلهای جایگزینی برای آن پیدا کنند. کتاب #درخت_دستکشی ضمن به رسمیت شمردن تنهایی کودک قهرمان داستان، راهحلهای خلاقی را ارائه میدهد و میخواهد این نکته را آموزش دهد که غیر از آدمها برای پرکردن تنهایی میتوان به موجودات و اشیای دیگر هم فکر کرد. هرچند به طور ضمنی به آموزش مفهوم مرگ و از دست دادن هم میپردازد، اما خلاقیت برای برخورد با این پدیده سخت و سوگواری را هم بیان میکند. نقاشیها و تصویرگریهای این داستان با خطوط ساده و تکنیک مدادرنگی خودش میتواند الهامبخش کودکان و نوجوانان برای نقاشیکردن باشد.
January 7, 2018
I'm slowly making my way through The 7 Loveliest Children’s Books of 2017 as selected by brainpickings. You can see the list here: https://www.brainpickings.org/2017/12...
This is the second picture book on the list that I've read and it's simply lovely. It's not often that I see stories about kids who like to be alone and enjoy their own company, so this was a delight. This is the story about a little boy and a tree he named Bertolt. The art is sketchy and cute, and I was was amused and touched by the antics of the kid in this story. I loved how the themes of being different, the desire for solitude, and the connection with nature are explored in this little story. This would be a wonderful read aloud story for all the littles in your life.
This is the second picture book on the list that I've read and it's simply lovely. It's not often that I see stories about kids who like to be alone and enjoy their own company, so this was a delight. This is the story about a little boy and a tree he named Bertolt. The art is sketchy and cute, and I was was amused and touched by the antics of the kid in this story. I loved how the themes of being different, the desire for solitude, and the connection with nature are explored in this little story. This would be a wonderful read aloud story for all the littles in your life.
July 9, 2020
Bertolt is an introvert. He revels in his own company and delights in watching the world from afar. Happy in his own imaginations, he opens his thoughts and secrets to one friend alone: Bertolt, who happens to be a stately oak tree. Mocked by his classmates for his little idiosyncrasies, the young boy saunters off, completely unphased, to play within Bertolt’s branches. From within the canopy he watches the world turn – from its people to the plants and animals – it’s all just one wonderful round to him.
Then when Spring arrives and the young boy delights in the thought of playing in Bertolt’s leafy branches again, disaster strikes. His ancient companion bears no leaves this season and it dawns on our young character that the tree’s life has passed. Rather than lose himself to the misery of loss, our young protagonist seeks to memorialise the memories past. Through his fertile imagination he celebrates his relationship with Bertolt in the most magical way – leaving the reader with a tender message of memory and belonging.
Goldstyn’s French-Canadian illustrations reminded me so much of Goscinny’ & Sempe’s Nicholas books. Those fine ink-scratchy illustrations which seems to capture some wonderful moments, from Marie, the lawyer’s daughter canoodling with Kevin, the local biker to Cynthia the goat munching on forbidden corn. Coloured pencils lay low and subtle throughout most of it until they are called on for a blossoming climactic moment.
Bertolt is one of those books which invite rather than tell and I have so much time for these kinds of stories. Written not long after his own mother had died, Goldstyn’s story here is a celebratory rather than melancholic. Much like Matt James’ The Funeral, he taps into a view that perhaps we could only expect from a child who had been invited to see the world his own way.
Then when Spring arrives and the young boy delights in the thought of playing in Bertolt’s leafy branches again, disaster strikes. His ancient companion bears no leaves this season and it dawns on our young character that the tree’s life has passed. Rather than lose himself to the misery of loss, our young protagonist seeks to memorialise the memories past. Through his fertile imagination he celebrates his relationship with Bertolt in the most magical way – leaving the reader with a tender message of memory and belonging.
Goldstyn’s French-Canadian illustrations reminded me so much of Goscinny’ & Sempe’s Nicholas books. Those fine ink-scratchy illustrations which seems to capture some wonderful moments, from Marie, the lawyer’s daughter canoodling with Kevin, the local biker to Cynthia the goat munching on forbidden corn. Coloured pencils lay low and subtle throughout most of it until they are called on for a blossoming climactic moment.
Bertolt is one of those books which invite rather than tell and I have so much time for these kinds of stories. Written not long after his own mother had died, Goldstyn’s story here is a celebratory rather than melancholic. Much like Matt James’ The Funeral, he taps into a view that perhaps we could only expect from a child who had been invited to see the world his own way.
June 24, 2019
Çok güzeldi. Çocukluğumda çıktığım zeyrin ağaçlarına götürdü beni. Ağaçda uyumak nasıldır bilir mi şimdinin çocukları bilmiyorum ama beni o uykulara götürdü. Kısacık ama çok güzel bir kitap.
June 7, 2017
C-yute.
August 10, 2017
Huh. That was the exact thing I said when I realized the last page was indeed the last page. I had to check, make sure. Huh.
I loved the idea of a hero in a children's book who embraces--loves!--living a daily solitary existence. I appreciated the talent of the wispy, potentially expressive line art, even though it did nothing for me personally. I loved the idea of watching the world, of matching value for the life of nature--a tree--to the life of things more commonly valued--people, pets.
But it just didn't do much for me. It was flat. And somewhat mundane in wording. Nothing really outstandingly beautiful, no stop-and-think phrases.
I loved the idea of a hero in a children's book who embraces--loves!--living a daily solitary existence. I appreciated the talent of the wispy, potentially expressive line art, even though it did nothing for me personally. I loved the idea of watching the world, of matching value for the life of nature--a tree--to the life of things more commonly valued--people, pets.
But it just didn't do much for me. It was flat. And somewhat mundane in wording. Nothing really outstandingly beautiful, no stop-and-think phrases.
November 4, 2020
This is a really lovely little book about a quiet but imaginative boy who has a best friend called Bertolt. Bertolt happens to be a tree and the child tenderly cares for it throughout the story watching it transform throughout the seasons. A story that really unpicks friendship, kindness and loss.
June 11, 2017
Not very often does a book manage to pull off being charming. This book was sweet, smart, funny and charmed me into loving not only the book as a whole, but also into wishing that the main character was a serialized cartoon and could have more adventures. A book I read in a sitting and handed directly to my eleven-year-old.
April 9, 2019
A big NO to the illustration of a cat run over by a car - a big, a huge NO. Besides that nightmare of a page, I don't think this is very strong. The pros: a boy that's quite a loner but doesn't mind it; celebrating a tree friend when said tree dies with colorful gloves. The cons: squeezing the colorful gloves early in the narrative in the most by-the-numbers fashion; but, mostly, the boy simply didn't come alive for me. There's no grief here, just slight exasperation, the soul-crushing connection to the tree is missing. Frankly, the cat illustration threw me off completely.
April 21, 2023
What does it say that I can't remember this book? Maybe not much. It has been nearly a year, after all. So, why am I bothering to write this, you might ask. Because for once I want a complete record right here on GoodReads of a year's worth of reading. That's my goal on this last night of 2018.
September 7, 2017
What a sweet tale about a kid who plays alone, and likes it that way. Brilliant book for the loners who might not know it's okay to play alone. It's also a poignant story about loss, and how we cope. Awesome book.
February 7, 2018
This surprised me. The illustrations are really great. The story is sweet. Kindness. Individuality. Loss. So much all wrapped into one.
June 2, 2018
My kids LOVE this book. It's been read at least twice a day since we picked it up from the library. It's about a little boy who describes himself as a loner. People aren't always nice to those who are different, but he doesn't mind. He has fun by himself. There's a wordless page showing what he does alone (Rowan asks every time how he plays chess by himself lol). But his favorite thing to do is climb his tree Bertolt. His favorite time of year is spring, when the leaves become a maze. When the boy realizes that Bertolt has died, he comes up with a solution to save him from becoming toothpicks. I found it weird that the last few pages didn't come with any words, but my kids loved these pages, filling them in for us and cheering for the boy. We talked about whether or not the boy's plan would work long term.
I really liked the message that you should embrace your differences despite what others think or say. It also dealt with dealing with the death of something you love.
My kids are going to be very sad when we have to return this to the library.
I really liked the message that you should embrace your differences despite what others think or say. It also dealt with dealing with the death of something you love.
My kids are going to be very sad when we have to return this to the library.
December 31, 2018
A quiet boy loves spending time alone in nature, especially within the branches of a giant oak tree that functions as the boy's best friend. The heartwarming ending picks up an important theme and symbol from the beginning, strengthening the story's structure.
The subdued palette of the folksy drawings complements the story's themes. The boy's acorn hat deepens his characterization.
This book fills an important niche for kids who are introverts, loners, and/or nature lovers. And kids who aren't can take away the important messages of being your own person regardless of what others think and the power of solitary contemplation.
The subdued palette of the folksy drawings complements the story's themes. The boy's acorn hat deepens his characterization.
This book fills an important niche for kids who are introverts, loners, and/or nature lovers. And kids who aren't can take away the important messages of being your own person regardless of what others think and the power of solitary contemplation.
October 21, 2020
This is the story about a little boy and a tree called Bertolt. The boy is very happy by himself, watching the world go by from the old oak tree. A very poignant story about feeling different. A very gentle book.
August 18, 2017
Quirky and (literally) colorful. Breezes by tough problems with calm defiant buoyancy.
April 30, 2017
Told in the voice of a young boy who is different from the others around him. He doesn’t mind wearing different colored gloves after he can’t find his lost one. He enjoys being alone most of the time, unlike the others in his town. His favorite place to be alone is in a huge oak tree that is named Bertolt. The boy spends his days up in Bertolt’s branches, weathering storms together, making friends with the animals and birds that live in the tree. The boy looks forward to spring when Bertolt’s leaves will return and become a splendid green shelter again. But when the other trees burst into flower and leaf, Bertolt doesn’t. Eventually, the boy must admit that Bertolt is dead, but what does one do when a tree dies? The boy figures out exactly the right thing.
This is a story of an introverted child who doesn’t mind being on his own one bit. As a fellow introvert, I love seeing the depiction of a child who isn’t longing to be included but instead finds real pleasure in his time spent alone. It’s a story of independence and imagination, showing that quiet time alone can lead to creative solutions even when you have lost something you love. The book is touching, warm and celebratory.
The illustrations are lovely with the huge sweeping oak tree filling the page, the branches thick and strong, the leaves aglow with green and light. The fine-lined images capture the boy almost dwarfed by the space around him and yet eagerly also a vital part of the scene. His acorn cap speaks to his connection to nature and set him apart from the people around him as well.
A lovely look at introversion, imagination and the power of being different and embracing it. Appropriate for ages 5-7.
This is a story of an introverted child who doesn’t mind being on his own one bit. As a fellow introvert, I love seeing the depiction of a child who isn’t longing to be included but instead finds real pleasure in his time spent alone. It’s a story of independence and imagination, showing that quiet time alone can lead to creative solutions even when you have lost something you love. The book is touching, warm and celebratory.
The illustrations are lovely with the huge sweeping oak tree filling the page, the branches thick and strong, the leaves aglow with green and light. The fine-lined images capture the boy almost dwarfed by the space around him and yet eagerly also a vital part of the scene. His acorn cap speaks to his connection to nature and set him apart from the people around him as well.
A lovely look at introversion, imagination and the power of being different and embracing it. Appropriate for ages 5-7.
June 30, 2018
A little boy who enjoys doing things alone tells readers about his favorite spot, an old tree he's dubbed Bertolt, and all the fun he has there. When Bertolt fails to produce leaves one spring, the boy must come up with a plan to save his friend.
A cute story about a boy's love for a tree hang out/adventure spot. It's a bittersweet tale. The boy comes up with a cute and creative way to save his friend but the realist will wonder how long it will last. (The realist was also probably screaming at him that he's going to die when the boy talked about hanging out in Bertolt during storms.) If you want a slightly nicer version of the giving tree, this might be the picture book for you.
Notes on content: 3 darns at the beginning (often a considered a bad word for little kids, so know your audience before picking this us). The boy sees two teens kissing from his tree.
A cute story about a boy's love for a tree hang out/adventure spot. It's a bittersweet tale. The boy comes up with a cute and creative way to save his friend but the realist will wonder how long it will last. (The realist was also probably screaming at him that he's going to die when the boy talked about hanging out in Bertolt during storms.) If you want a slightly nicer version of the giving tree, this might be the picture book for you.
Notes on content: 3 darns at the beginning (often a considered a bad word for little kids, so know your audience before picking this us). The boy sees two teens kissing from his tree.
September 28, 2017
Some real winners in the village. (Maybe their behavior inspired the boy to become a thief at the end?) Also, do his parents know that he is hanging out in a tree during storms? I know this book is supposed to be a quiet philosophical inspirational thing, but it made me cranky.
Finally, note to the proofreaders: the font changes on the page that says "I know what to do when a cat or a bird dies. But what should I do for Bertolt?"
Finally, note to the proofreaders: the font changes on the page that says "I know what to do when a cat or a bird dies. But what should I do for Bertolt?"
December 29, 2017
Although it probably won't work as a group read aloud due to the small size and tiny details in the illustrations, but, for those youngsters who are loners, yeah!!!!
Too many times we make introverts think there is something wrong with them and that they, "need to play with others." This book will encourage even extroverts to try some time alone, enjoying nature!
Too many times we make introverts think there is something wrong with them and that they, "need to play with others." This book will encourage even extroverts to try some time alone, enjoying nature!
December 6, 2020
Des illustrations sensibles et pleine de poésie accompagnent une belle et improbable histoire d’amitié entre un petit garçon et un vieux chêne prénommé Bertolt. Le récit aborde en douceur les difficiles thèmes de la mort, de la différence et de la solitude tout en faisant la part belle au pouvoir de l’imagination et de l’amitié. Une petite perle à faire découvrir aux enfants comme aux adultes.
August 9, 2015
Ça y est, je suis émue. Un livre magnifique.
June 10, 2017
A cute story about a boy who likes to be on his own and the tree he loves to climb. Beautiful, simply yet effectively coloured illustrations. Charming
July 16, 2017
A quiet story to share with introverts in your classroom. Lovely, soft illustrations.
Would pair well with Wishtree or Sequoia.
Would pair well with Wishtree or Sequoia.
January 2, 2018
Best described by the book jacket "a story about loss, sorrow, and acceptance... and how through play and observation we come to know ourselves."
December 11, 2018
Çizimleriyle yine can evimden vuruldum. Konusu da harika tavsiye edilir :)
Read
December 15, 2018ayallaa.
Read
September 4, 2020🤍🤍🤍
January 30, 2021
Un album jeunesse qui aborde des thèmes importants d’une manière si douce et sensible. Les illustrations sont également magnifiques.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 128 reviews