Frankie Armadillo's house is too crowded. He's sick and tired of pushing, swatting, and coughing his brothers' body parts out of his way as he tries to sleep. So Frankie goes in search of the perfect home, not realizing that the perfect home is much closer than he thinks.
I'm familiar with the young adult books of Beverly Stowe McClure. I've read several of them — some contemporary, others historical. This is her first children's picture book. When she asked me to review it, I hopped at the chance.
McClure's ability to create characters I care about is what has always drawn me to her work. Could she accomplish that with a children's book?
Yes!
In Frankie's Perfect Home young readers are treated to a delightful story that tackles the issue of the grass looking much greener on the other side of the hill. Frankie doesn't like his home, so he leaves in search of something better — the perfect place to lay his head. Going from place to place, he finds there are problems with each potential new home: too muddy, too smelly, or too scary. In the end, he finds the perfect place, but it's too lonesome and quiet. That is, until his mother and brothers move on in.
This is a great book for any time of day, but I think it would be really fun at bedtime. The colorful artwork provided by Alexander Morris has rounded edges, which is a smart match to complement the rounded text used throughout. Morris does a fine job of capturing the essence of the story with his illustrations.
Frankie's Perfect Home is another fantastic title from Beverly Stowe McClure. I hope we'll see her writing more books for this market soon.
Article comments
1 - Beverly
What a wonderful review. Thank you, Cheryl. Writing for the younger reader is a lot different than writing for teens, and I've been a bit anxious to see how Frankie's story was accepted. You've reviewed so many books and I'm so happy you like my little armadillo. Frankie says "Thank you" too.
2 - Cheryl Malandrinos
You're welcome, Bev. Thanks for thinking of me to review this one. I can't wait to see what else you have up your sleeve.