Franklin the Turtle and his sister, Harriet, are thrilled when Aunt T shows up to babysit with a telescope. They can't wait to do some stargazing! Unfortunately, the sky is too cloudy, and Franklin is disappointed to hear they won't be able to use the telescope after all. Luckily, Aunt T has a great idea for a new plan. Sure, they aren't able to look at the real night sky, but with some ingenuity and plenty of imagination, they can create their own version of outer space --- inside!
Based on the 3D-animated TV series Franklin and Friends, this tie-in picture book highlights a very common experience for young children --- being disappointed when highly anticipated plans don't work out. Here, children are reminded that it's always possible to find another alternative, and a lot of fun, if you just know where to look and keep an open mind. This entertaining, brightly colored book with its familiar characters would be a big success as a read-aloud in a preschool or kindergarten classroom. It offers an excellent starting point for a lesson about being creative in any number of ways --- painting and drawing, making up new games to play or even copying the idea of crafting a unique solar system as it's done in the book. As with all Franklin books, this one also ties in beautifully with character education lessons, this time on adaptability, teamwork, optimism or patience.

 

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.