Franklin the Turtle and Beaver both want to be the summer caretaker for Gordon, their club's pet gecko. So, to determine who would make the best ?gecko-sitter, ? their friends decide to hold a competition of some special ?Gecko Games? to test their skills and knowledge. They both try their hardest, and it's a close challenge, but in the end Franklin wins two out of three games. Franklin is so excited he'll be taking Gordon home! That is, until he notices Beaver's reaction. Beaver looks so sad and disappointed, and Franklin doesn't ?feel like a winner at all.? Is there any way Franklin and Beaver can both come out ahead?

Part of the picture book series based on the 3D-animated television show Franklin and Friends, this book offers children a model for dealing with an uncomfortable situation. Here, after thinking about the fact that he already has a pet at home while Beaver doesn't, Franklin realizes the job is more important to Beaver than to him, so he gives it to Beaver. This is a wonderful reminder of something many children instinctively know --- giving really can be better than receiving. It works beautifully for a character education lesson on compassion, caring or kindness. The idea of choosing who would be the most qualified gecko-sitter for the job instead of merely picking a favorite friend also offers a terrific lesson on fairness.

 

There are 24 pages in this book. This book was published 2013 by Kids Can Press .

Stephanie Innes is the great-granddaughter of Lawrence Browning Rogers. She lives in Tucson, Arizona, where she is the medical reporter for the Arizona Daily Star, as well as an adjunct instructor of journalism at the University of Arizona. Writer and editor Harry Endrulat is the coauthor of A Bear in War, which was an honour book for both the OLA Silver Birch Express Award and the Children's Literature Round-tables of Canada Information Book Award, as well as its sequel, Bear on the Homefront. Among others, he has also written numerous books for the Max & Ruby series and The Adventures of Franklin and Friends collection. Harry lives with his family in Southern Ontario. Brian Deines is a fine artist and the award-winning illustrator of over 20 children's books, including A Bear in War, Bear on the Homefront, The Road to Afghanistan, and On a Snowy Night. Dragonfly Kites, part of a trilogy written by Tomson Highway, was shortlisted for the Governor General's Award for illustration and the Ruth & Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Award. A graduate of the Alberta College of Art, Brian lives in Toronto, Ontario with his wife and daughter.