Peaceful Bartholomew Bear leads a quiet life watching the sun go down and contemplating the calm around him. But then the Bug turns up. The Bug has no time for contemplation. A creature in a hurry, he thirsts for the bright lights and leads Bear away from the peaceful hills to the vibrant city. Here Bear and Bug party under the city lights happy with life, happy with each other’s company. As dawn breaks, the fast living Bug disappears – gone forever – and Bartholomew returns home to renew his peaceful life but now able to treasure other happy memories too. A life-affirming story gloriously illustrated in Neal Layton’s irresistible, scratchy style. (3+)
A charming and quirky story about an unlikely friendship, by the award winning Neal Layton: 'Bartholomew and the Bug' teaches even the youngest child to 'seize the day'.
Neal was born in Chichester in 1971. He wanted to be an astronomer, but then decided that he would become an artist instead. So in 1990 he took a Foundation course in Art and Design at Northbrook College of Art and Design, he then went on to do a BA in Graphic Design at the University of Northumbria at Newcastle. Neal graduated with special commendations for his course work and final project. In 1995 he studied for an Illustration MA at Central Saint Martin’s College of Art and Design, where he gained a Distinction. He has illustrated a number of books for Bloomsbury: Wicked Poems, Howler, Zartog’s Remote, Nothing Scares Us, Rover and The Photo, of which he is also the author.
