Frank and Bean by Jamie Michalak, illustrated
by Bob Kolar, 42 pages. EARLY READER. Candlewick, 2019. $16.
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) – ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Frank goes camping and likes everything quiet so he can
write. Bean goes camping too, parking right next to Frank, and likes things
loud. He talks loudly and plays instruments loudly. He is also curious,
friendly, a bit hard-of-hearing, and in search of words for his tunes. After
miscommunications, sharing jelly donuts, and trying to get to sleep, Frank
shares some of his words from his secret notebook with Bean, resulting in a
musical partnership.
I don’t know if
making Frank a hotdog and Bean a baked bean in the illustrations add anything
to the story. I don't think kids these days necessarily know what frank and
beans are, but the message is solid. Even though these characters are opposites
in many ways, they become better when they work together. Additionally, Bean’s
hard-of-hearing leads to some funny misunderstandings that young readers will
delight in “getting.”
P.K. Foster, MLS, elementary school teacher-librarian
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