Parents' Guide to

Franny's Feet

By Emily Ashby, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 3+

Girl's magical travels teach about other cultures.

TV PBS Kids , Kids Central Educational 2006
Franny's Feet Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

  • Franny's Feet TV Show: Scene #1
  • Franny's Feet TV Show: Scene #2
  • Franny's Feet TV Show: Scene #3
  • Franny's Feet TV Show: Scene #4

Community Reviews

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age 10+

Based on 4 parent reviews

Lake L.
Lake L. Adult
March 8, 2023
age 18+

Disturbing and Grotesque

Many years ago an assistant of mine recommended me to show an episode to my class to teach them "Social Skills", and I did just that. Before the Theme Song even finished a student already began crying because the characters looked "Scary Scary". The actual episode was much worse. The little girl, Franny, lived alone in a tiny wooden house with an Old Man who made shoes and made her try them on which sent her on an Adventure somewhere. We didn't get far with the episode though, as soon the other students began Screaming or Covering their eyes and told me to turn it off, and I did. This show has several major issues. First off the main character has an unhealthy obsession with shoes and feet. Second, and this is the Elephant in the room, The animation and art style is too Nasty and Grotesque, like it looks more like something in an Adult Program. Even Ren & Stimpy was tamer than this. Don't waste your time with this Garbage, as it only exists to Scare Children.

This title has:

Too much violence
Lebron12James3
Lebron12James3 Parent
January 18, 2022
age 18+

horrible parenting do not let your kids see this

I am a proud father of 4 boys. And 1 of my boys was crying and still is. A other 1 of my boys was crying and still is. My 3rd boy was crying and still is and the last son was crying and still is.
See all 4 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In FRANNY'S FEET, 5-year-old Franny Fantootsie (voiced by Phoebe McAuley) slips on customers' shoes in her grandfather's repair shop and finds herself far from home on new adventures with new friends. Franny's destinations are determined by the types of shoes she dons: When a customer brings in his vacation sandals to be fixed, Franny ends up in Jamaica, dancing to the music of steel drums. Moccasins transport her to a powwow where she learns about the Native American culture. And a pair of zoris takes her to a Japanese tea ceremony. Franny often finds ways to help the new friends she meets solve problems, and the show even incorporates people with disabilities and draws thoughtful attention to them.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4 ):
Kids say (12 ):

This show offers kids wonderful storytelling and encourages cultural awareness, emotional expression, recycling, and experiencing new things. As Franny would say, Franny's Feet is a "fran-tastic" choice for kid TV.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the places Franny visits in Franny's Feet. How are the people different from Franny? What does Franny find she has in common with them? Where have you encountered people who looked or spoke differently from you?

  • Parents can also talk about sharing feelings with friends. What kinds of things make your friends sad? How do you help them feel better?

  • How does Franny demonstrate empathy on Franny's Feet? Why is this an important character strength?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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