• Age: 3 to 7
• Grade: p to 2
• Reading age: 3 to 7

Franklin gets a great idea when he hears that Fox and his dad are spending the day doing “special stuff.” “Coolio!” he says. “I'm going to have a Day with Dad today, too!” His dad, Mr. Turtle, thinks this is a splendid idea, but first they have to get to the store to replace their broken rain barrel. Once at the store, they help Mr. Mole hang a sign, and on the way home, Mr. Groundhog needs help fixing the hole in his roof. Franklin starts to get worried. When will they ever get on with their fun day together? Eventually, Franklin realizes this is their fun day together! He has learned an important lesson about time spent with his dad: “It doesn't matter what we do, as long as we're together.”

The stories in this series resonate with young children because Franklin and his animal friends consistently face problems and difficulties much like those in children's own day-to-day lives. And Franklin always finds a solution that is easy to understand, realistic and fair. With characters that are well-known to young children through the successful, 3D-animated television show Franklin and Friends, this bright and vivid book would make a wonderful read-aloud for storytime. It offers an excellent opportunity for a tie-in with a character education class about adaptability, kindness or teamwork.

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Themes of family and community combine to make this Franklin story especially endearing. Franklin's father is an excellent role model, selflessly helping all his neighbours with their problems. Franklin learns that this is part of what makes his dad so special.—CM Magazine