Cover Image: Frank and Bean

Frank and Bean

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Member Reviews

“The words are already inside you. But you are too loud to hear them.”
Frank is accustomed to flying solo. The grouchy little hotdog explores nature, jotting down words in his secret notebook and shushing the animals that disrupt his silent appreciation of the forest. To Frank’s surprise, his lifestyle changes when he meets Bean, who turns up the volume with his one-man band. The loud little bean drives Frank crazy, but he can’t seem to shake him. Bean eventually ropes Frank into his mission of finding words to write a song for his musical act. After Bean convinces Frank to step out of his comfort zone, will Frank find the courage to open himself up and share the contents of his secret notebook with his newfound friend?

I was hooked by the fun food-based title, but the detailed illustrations are what stand out in this picture book. The art style is welcoming, and the colors set the lively tone of the story. The dynamic facial expressions of the characters help construct their personalities. Bean’s bus has a cute sign that reads “BEAN the MUSICAL FRUIT,” a fun play on beans as “the magical fruit.” I adored Frank’s notebook labeled with an “F” and Bean’s hat featuring a “B.” The grumpy/sunshine dynamic of the central characters, which was reminiscent of Shrek and Donkey, allowed them to complement each other while finding common ground. Since Frank is so guarded, personal information is revealed to the readers at the same time as Bean, which encourages curiosity. I also found Frank’s fear of rejection and embarrassment when showing his creative side relatable. However, I found the written portion of the book underwhelming. The dialogue is a little clunky and unnatural, which is especially disappointing in a dialogue-based story. I was also confused about why the main characters were personified food because there are several scenes in the book that revolve around eating. Furthermore, despite the emphasis on onomatopoeia, the foods that they eat don’t make noise when eaten. The author could have substituted louder foods to make the scenes more effective. Overall though, I appreciated the message that you can always find friends if you are willing to listen, try new things, and reveal the personality that makes you unique.

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I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is so fun. What a neat and unique idea. An early chapter book that young readers will enjoy.

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Frank likes the simple quite things in life. Bean does not. Bean likes music, and all things loud. Can they learn to compromise? This was a fun story about two friends who like very different things, but find a way to get along regardless. The illustrations were beautiful, and such a delight to look at. This is sure to be a big hit amongst the children!

A huge thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I greatly appreciate it!

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This is a fun little tale, featuring the characters of Frank and Bean and how they work to try understanding why they are each different from one another. It provides a good lesson for young children as to why everyone is different and that we should be mindful and respectful of that fact. Thank you to Netgalley for the free arc which I have read and reviewed of my own accord.

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I loved the colorful Illustrations which will draw a lot of kids to this book but the story did not seem to flow very well. Very awkward at times.

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Cute, easy reader about a hot dog and a bean who become friends. It is humorous, with cute pictures.

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This is a great book for early and emerging readers. Early elementary school classrooms should definitely put this in their classroom libraries. Students will love the bean related humor & simple sentences/chapters that can build a reader's confidence.

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This is a super cute book! I love kid books that have lots of awesome illustrations in them and this one definitely does a good job of telling the story as well as having wonderful pictures. I would definitely recommend it for everyone, not just kids.

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Before I read a book to or with my grandchildren, I always read it first. I read this one and was not impressed, but wanted to see what my grandson thought. Well, he thought it was great. He was also able to read bits himself, so it was a truly shared experience.

Frank and Bean is a short, illustrated chapter book for kids about a couple of foods that are often eaten together, but with personalities that are as different as night and day. Frank likes peace and quiet so he can write in his secret notebook (this is like my grandson). Bean is LOUD and messy. When Bean parks his van near Frank's campsite, Frank has to deal with it. Of course as they are trying to work together, they realize they can help each other. My grandson thought a hotdog and a bean were silly enough, but he also enjoyed the illustrations. They complement the story and add picture clues for the beginning reader. The story is simple enough and the idea that a young reader is reading a chapter book that is also funny, is a bonus. I recommend this one to families with emergent/beginning readers, school and classroom libraries.

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This story was really strange. One of the pages towards the end was touching, but it wasn’t the best story I’ve read. It was quite strange and the beginning two chapters were kind of awkward in wording and positioning. It didn’t feel smooth to me. I’m not sure it would capture and maintain a child’s attention either.

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This book was really cute despite the formatting not working correctly for me. I think it would be a great "learning to read" book for young readers. The illustrations were adorable!

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CUTE! This would be a perfect book to take camping, or to read around a fire in the summer. I liked the play on frank and beans, the food, and think the setting plays perfectly to that theme.

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Frank is an introverted hot dog that likes the quiet and writing in his notebook. Bean is a one-bean-band who can't write a song. The two meet, annoy each other, then mutually benefit from their friendship.

I think that beginning readers will enjoy this early chapter book.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ecopy in exchange for an honest review.*

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I received this book from NetGalley and Candlewick Press in exchange for an honest review*

I found this book to be a bit weird for me, it took me some time for me to like it. I enjoyed the humour within the book, I found myself smiling while reading it. The illustrations added to the story - I like to look for little details that can be easily overlooked when looking at the illustrations. This book is perfect for beginner readers; there was lots of repeated words that young children can quickly recognise and exclaim when they see them.

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This was confusing, even for a children's book. The short chapters did nothing to add clarity to the story, and seemed like just an excuse to add more pages. The illustrations were cute, but the story made no sense.

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#FrankAndBean #NetGalley I got this thinking that it would be a cute book to read with my kids. I was not disappointed. They thought it was funny and enjoyed reading about a hot dog and a bean. There were some parts that were a little monotonous, but that's kind of to be expected with early chapter books. Lots of repetition, which, for kids learning to read, is awesome, but for parents can become overwhelming. I would still recommend this book for young readers.

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Super fun Easy Reader title that will appeal to kids of all ages, great for sight words and the illustrations are really fun and often humorous.

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Frank and Bean is a beginner chapter book about a hot dog named Frank. All Frank wants to do is write in his notebook, but he needs peace and quiet in order to concentrate on his writing. Frank FINALLY finds a quiet place to write and has an evening of quiet. However, the next morning Bean shows up with his noisy bus full of noisy instruments. Frank tries to ask Bean to leave, but it is too noisy and Bean doesn't understand what Frank wants. When night comes again, Bean finally settles down enough to notice the scary noises of the woods. He seeks out Frank for comfort and protection. Frank explains the noises to Bean and then finally decides to share some of his secret writing. The two become quick friends and Frank decides that maybe his writing shouldn't be secret after all.

This early chapter book will appeal to young readers with its clean humor and fun illustrations. Although there is talk of Bean being a "magical fruit", the "potty humor" doesn't go any further than that and Bean is a musician. The illustrations are cute and relevant without being overwhelming. I recommend this books for parents, teachers, and librarians that are looking for titles for children that are beginning to transition to chapter books.

I received a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

#FrankAndBean #NetGalley

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This book is rather in the vein of Frog and Toad, though a bit less philosophical. The plot is pretty standard for young readers - the odd couple who discover that their differences make them complementary - but this doesn't detract from the charm.

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This fun book is divided into four chapters and is perfect for a beginning reader. Frank is a quiet introvert who covets his secret notebook. He loves to be alone so he can compose his thoughts and ideas in private. Bean, on the other hand, is a LOUD musician who loves to BLAST his trumpet, BEAT is drums, STRIKE his triangle, RRRROAR on his motorbike and BANG on his gong. What happens when theses total opposites find themselves camping out side-by-side. Oh my!

Frank is annoyed at the audacity of Bean who continually interferes with the quiet, calm, meditative life he desires to pursue. How dare Bean be so unbearably loud when Frank needs alone time to think and write in his sacred notebook with no disruptions.

Although Bean has his instrumental musical skills there is one skill that he is lacking... he cannot adequately compose lyrics to his music. Frank has stockpiled tons of words. He is frightened to share them with anyone so they lay dormant in his secret notebook with no place to go and nobody to hear them. Could the two perhaps help each other out and blend their talents so each would have a creative outlet that is meaningful, not to mention, fulfilling for both of them?

This humourous tale will have kids engaged from the very first page. The illustrations are witty and expressive. They enrich the text greatly. Young and old will fall in love with Frank and Bean and their harmonious friendship. I highly recommend this book.

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