Frank and Lucky Get Schooled
By Jan Carr,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Playful intro to academic subjects via curious boy and pup.
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What's the Story?
In FRANK AND LUCKY GET SCHOOLED, Frank was having an unlucky day when he went to the animal shelter and "got Lucky." Boy and dog bond quickly and explore the world around them: "Both of them were just pups. They had a lot to learn." Lucky investigates in a dog-like way ("Can I catch it? Can I eat it?") as Frank poses more scholarly questions -- for instance, one involving percentage and fractions ("How much of the bed is Lucky's, and how much is Frank's?"). Perkins relates the questions directly to academic fields of study, pointing out the relationships to math, botany, entomology, chemistry, astronomy, taxonomy, geometry, geography, history, art, and foreign language, but "the whole wide world with Lucky was the subject Frank liked best."
Is It Any Good?
This playful and ambitious picture book is a warm friendship story of a boy and his frisky rescue pup as well as a celebration of learning and a friendly introduction to serious academic subjects. As Frank and Lucky roam the meadow and woods that border their house, they search the night sky for stars (astronomy), pick burrs from Lucky's fur (botany), make friends with quacking ducks and a Spanish-speaking neighbor (foreign language), and share the limited space of a bed (math, fractions). The two wander and wonder, asking questions about the world around them, and as Frank and Lucky Get Schooled, so does the reader.
Written and illustrated by Newbery winner Lynn Rae Perkins, the book's exquisitely crafted. The lively, free-roaming structure mirrors Frank and Lucky's own wide-ranging adventures, and there's plenty of sly humor and clever text in this masterful tribute to the world and its wonders.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about all the subjects covered in Frank and Lucky Get Schooled. Did you know the names of any of them before this story? Do you understand what they mean now?
What are the differences between the way Frank experiences the world and how Lucky does? How are their questions different?
What questions do you have about the world? How can you investigate them?
Book Details
- Author: Lynne Rae Perkins
- Illustrator: Lynne Rae Perkins
- Genre: Picture Book
- Topics: Cats, Dogs, and Mice , Friendship , Great Boy Role Models , Science and Nature
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Greenwillow Books
- Publication date: June 14, 2016
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 4 - 8
- Number of pages: 32
- Available on: Hardback
- Last updated: July 13, 2017
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