The Ladybug Reads...: Review - Franklin and the Thunderstorm

Thursday, March 28, 2019

Review - Franklin and the Thunderstorm

Franklin and the Thunderstorm (Franklin the Turtle)
by Paulette Bourgeois
illustrated by Brenda Clark
Date: 1997
Publisher: Kids Can Press
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

In this Franklin Classic Storybook, Franklin is afraid of thunderstorms. When a storm approaches while he is playing at Fox’s house, a flash of lightning sends Franklin into his shell. He refuses to come out—even for snacks—until his friends make him laugh with their tall tales about what causes storms. And when Beaver explains what really causes thunder and lightning, Franklin begins to feel much safer.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This is a cute story about Franklin the turtle and his fear of storms. I could sure relate; I hated thunderstorms when I was little. I'm not sure if this book would've really helped me or not. Most of the things Franklin's friends tell him are things I was told... and it didn't really assuage the fear. But the book is done well, and it might be beneficial to other readers.

Storms make Franklin very nervous. When he goes to play at his friend Fox's house, there's a storm brewing. The kids all play outside until the storm gets close, and then Fox has them all go up in the treehouse. I was glad to see that his mother took safety seriously and got them to all come inside before the tree was struck by lightning!

Inside, everyone can hear and see the thunder and lightning. The lights go out. Franklin gets so scared, he hides inside his shell. (Well, what else would a turtle do?) While they're waiting for the storm to pass, the kids share their theories on what causes thunder and lightning. The general consensus seems to be cloud giants. But then Beaver tells them that Mr. Owl (presumably their teacher) says thunder and lightning are caused by electricity jumping from clouds to the ground. The explanation is fairly good, although he left out that lightning can travel from the ground to the clouds, and from cloud to cloud, as well. Still, for a children's picture book, Beaver gives an easy-to-understand scientific explanation.

I really like the pictures here. The animals and their habitats are so detailed and fun to look at. I like the fact that the characters aren't made so cartoonish that they look unrealistic. Fox and Hawk are especially well done.

Overall, this is a strong children's picture book that explains a phenomenon that lots of kids might find scary, showing them that it's okay to be afraid... even when there's really nothing to be afraid of (except maybe being in a treehouse during a lightning storm).

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