The last of his friends who still needs training wheels for his bicycle, Franklin becomes increasingly discouraged as he continues to fall down, but his mother gently encourages him until he succeeds.
Franklin Rides a Bike FROM THE PUBLISHER At the beginning of spring, Franklin and all his friends have training wheels on their bikes. But soon Franklin is the only one who can't ride without them. Every time he tries he falls down, and he's beginning to get discouraged. His mom finally convinces him to keep with it, and Franklin finally rides on his own. Full-color illustrations.
FROM THE CRITICS Children's Literature - Dr. Judy Rowen Franklin hasn't learned to ride a bicycle, except with the training wheels in place, while his friends are wheeling all over town. After one spill into the flower garden, he gives up. Finally, he realizes that his friends had trouble learning other things that came easily to him, so he works on riding his bicycle a little harder. Franklin is a turtle, and his friends are other anthropomorphic creatures in the colorful illustrations. Thankfully, all of the characters wear their helmets while riding.
Children's Literature - Meredith Kiger Franklin fans will enjoy this tale of Franklin's attempts at accepting a new friend into the neighborhood. Moose looks awfully different and he is big, but Franklin finds out that he isn't much different than Franklin himself. A nice story of accepting those who look different. Franklin is featured in more than a dozen other stories, including Franklin and the Tooth Fairy, Franklin Rides a Bike, and Franklin's School Play.
School Library Journal K-Gr 3--Two books that present slices of life that have significance for children. In Franklin's New Friend, the turtle befriends Moose, who's new in town, even though Franklin is afraid of him because he's so large. In the second title, Franklin feels left out when his friends learn to ride their bikes without training wheels. As he tries to overcome his fear of falling, he realizes that other activities, such as swimming, are easy for him. Finally, he decides to put pads on his knees and elbows, and he learns to ride. In both titles, the writing flows smoothly, while the bright, cheery watercolor illustrations match the books' sunny outlooks. The only drawback, especially in the first title, is the ease with which resolutions are reached. Franklin overcomes his uneasiness around Moose to become his friend all in one morning. While this may be unrealistic, the author does present a positive picture of accepting others regardless of physical differences.--Martha Topol, Traverse Area District Library, Traverse City, MI
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