About the Book
A rhyming children’s book about a stuttering prince who is thrust on the throne and becomes one of the best kings of the 20th Century!
Bertie: The Best Stuttering King brings the story of King George VI, stuttering Bertie, to life for children in a rhyming tale.
It’s history, Dr. Seuss style!
Schools are moving away from fictional fairy tales on their bookshelves. They want history and non-fiction, but on a child’s level of understanding.
Bertie: The Best Stuttering King introduces young readers to King Bertie, his struggles with knock knees, stuttering, and bullying, and highlights how he became the best king of 20th Century England!
A SNEAK PEEK
Here is what you will find inside…
Games in the garden-oh, the clatter! Oh, the squeak!
How can Bertie hide? How can he speak?
Edward just chortles and then starts to sing:
“Poor Bertie, poor Bertie, you’ll never be king!”
Several days later, a dull doc comes to court
With a stuttering cure he’s keen to report.
To Bertie he orders: “Pry open your jaws.
Stuff in these marbles like gobs of wet gauze!”
Far across town, a wily wizard scans stars,
Peering past Saturn and Jupiter and Mars.
He studies the stars – then he thinks for a spell –
And a terrible omen he chimes like a bell.
“Bertie, I’m leaving. I bid you goodbye.
I don’t want to be king. I’m not going to lie.
As king, I’m afraid, I’m in terrible shape.
All I want to do now is make my escape!”
What Others Are Saying
Are you a parent or caregiver of a child who stutters interested in empowering children’s books related to stuttering? Or maybe you’re an educator or speech therapist looking to add to your library?
Check out Susan Webb’s latest passion project, “Bertie: The Best Stuttering King.” This book explores the story of King George VI and his inspiring story of leading a country as a person who stutters.
We love a good stuttering success story, and we’re sure the children in your life will, too.
This is a charming book telling the story of George VI in rhyme which makes it very readable for children. It brings some history to life, and hopefully will get children interested in the British royalty. The book is beautifully set out and the illustrations are delightful and very colourful.
The interesting title and charming illustrations immediately engaged my 7-year-old granddaughter who wanted to read the book. She is learning to read so I helped her, and it was fun to read the story because of the rhyming prose. What a clever way to teach children about such an incredible and courageous king, the father of Queen Elizabeth II. But the real heart of the story lies in explaining his stuttering and providing understanding and compassion for it, as well as compassion and understanding for all sorts of differences in people. A beautiful clever book – I look forward to more books from the author! I also discovered the author’s website which is filled with remarkable additional content.
This book tells the story of King George VI (The Queen’s dad) & follows his journey from childhood to adulthood & shows what he went through as a child with a stutter. The illustrations are beautiful & accompany the story brilliantly. Children will not only get a history lesson but also hope. Great for any royal fans of any age.
Highly recommended and enjoyed. It’s quirky, informative and fun. It’s written in a rhyming format which was great and best to read out loud. The illustrations bring the story to life and we enjoyed finding out more about King George VI. It took about three nights of bedtime reads to complete which adds to its charm. And as a Royal fan, it’s brilliant to keep the story of Albert alive and kicking. I will now be passing this on to my sisters so they can read the story of Bertie with their little ones, too.
“Bertie: The Best Stuttering King” mixes whimsy and history in a wonderful children’s tale. Susan M. Webb tells the true story of the lives of Princes Edward and Bertie, and in doing so, inspires us all to overcome self-doubt and stand tall in the face of adversity. I highly recommend this book for children of all ages.
My kids and I enjoyed reading about Bertie’s life, his struggles as a child prince to overcome his knock knees and stuttering, and to eventually become King George VI of England. It showed them that no matter the obstacles placed before us in life, we can maintain a positive attitude and work to overcome them, and even go on to do great things like Bertie did. Highly recommend this book for kids and families!
Listen to my podcast with Author Susan Webb at: Bedtime History for Kids Podcast: King George VI
Kids and adults alike will love this easy-to-read book … tying in history and life lessons about we all struggle but can overcome.
A touching historical story that inspires courageous choices and selfless service.
The book is beautiful; the illustrations are gorgeous. I love it!
This is a fun book for families. The illustrations are beautiful and the story is lyrical. It’s a great addition to our homeschool.
WHY SHOULD YOU READ THIS BOOK?
Let us count the reasons…
- A perfect memento for children to honor Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee and 70 years on the throne! It captures the struggles and triumphs of her father, Bertie (better known as King George VI), who smoothed her path to the throne.
- Written in rhyme Dr. Seuss style, this book helps children easily absorb and remember the hidden history lesson.
- Techniques such as rhyming and tongue twisting stanzas help young stutterers, a technique used by Lionel Logue, the real king’s speech therapist.
- Captivating illustrations feature true-to-life renditions of the adult king and his family members, allowing children to “see” the actual people.
- The only children’s book on the market regarding this forgotten king!
- Impactful lessons about SEL (Social-Emotional Learning) skills
- An introductory history lesson for young readers. After Bertie: The Best Stuttering King, try reading about Queen Elizabeth I, King Henry VIII, or King George III and how he lost the American colonies.
- Why read about princesses kissing frogs when you can read about a stuttering prince rising to power and winning a war (and eventually putting his little princess on the throne)?
A TEACHING TOOL
An engaging teaching tool for teachers, homeschooling parents, librarians, counselors, daycare providers, and speech therapists alike!
HOW A BRITISH KING IMPACTED AMERICA
Bertie: The Best Stuttering King is a captivating history lesson for young readers and a great introduction to European history.
- If Bertie had not become king and Edward had stayed on the throne, what do you think would have happened to England, Europe, and the wider world? (Note: Did you know there were documented communications between Edward and Hitler?)
- Do you think Bertie was the “second best” king, behind his brother, King Edward? Why or why not?
- Was Edward right for leaving the throne – and his country – for love?
- Should Wallis Simpson be thanked for luring Edward off the throne or vilified?
- What are the commonalities between Bertie and Edward, and England’s current princes, William and Harry?
- Should royal persons leave their country (i.e., Edward moving to France; Harry moving to America)?
- These questions are sure to start a conversation about other real-life monarchs and their historical impacts.
- How did “mad” King George III lose the American colonies?
- Why did King Henry VIII change the religious landscape of England (do you believe it was over a woman?) and how did his decision impact the world?
SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING
Teachers and counselors will find “Bertie: The Best Stuttering King” a useful tool to start a discussion about SEL (Social-Emotional Learning) skills:
- self-awareness
- self-management
- social awareness
- responsible decision making
- relationship skills