posted on 15 Aug 2019

Gently, Bentley by Caragh Buxton

I wish I had a pound coin for every time I heard my mom or dad try and temper my childhood over-enthusiasm and innate clumsiness with the words ‘Gently, Bentley!’. I was always an oversized child who grew up to be an oversized man and my entirely (I hope) good-natured galumphing around was simply a lack of self-awareness rather than any sort of stroppy malicious disregard for other people and their property.

The term ‘Gently, Bentley’ was originally a catch-phrase from a late 1940s British radio comedy programme that entered the  language as common usage for a rather mild warning not to be too rumbustious but in Caragh Buxton’s delightful picture book for younger readers, Bentley becomes a 5 year-old rhino in a red-hooped tea-shirt. As you might expect given what I’ve already said, I warmed to this version of Bentley immediately. In fact, I was soon reminded of another favourite of mine, Bill In A China Shop  by Katie McAllaster Weaver, another character, like Bentley who can’t quite stop himself from causing mayhem.

Bentley hasn’t got a bad bone in his body but he also doesn’t seem to have an off-switch and everything he does is turned up to maximum enthusiasm. It seems that it doesn’t matter whether he’s playing with friends, helping his mom with the washing, eating his breakfast or spending a day at school, Bentley’s enthusiasm will tip over into some kind of minor accident or mini-disaster.

This is all well and good if his scrapes don’t actually hurt anyone but how is he going to cope with the delicate new baby in the family? What if he’s left alone with such a small, vulnerable child?

Well, I’ll leave you to find that out for yourselves.

Caragh Buxton’s story doesn’t need a lot of words and so there’s lots of space in this generously proportioned book for her simple but expressive drawings of Bentley’s life at home and in school. Younger children will certainly recognise themselves in the young rhino’s behaviour and I can see this being a real favourite for reading aloud.

 

Terry Potter

August 2019

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