Franklins Flying Bookshop

Franklin the dragon loves stories and loves reading stories to people too, but everyone is too scared to even talk to him. One day, he meets a girl named Luna who, rather than being afraid, is fascinated to meet Franklin, having recently read all about dragons in one of her books. They instantly become friends and talk nonstop about what they’ve read: books about roller-skating, King Arthur, spiders, and how to do kung fu. Together they hatch a plan to share their love of books with others by opening a bookshop—a flying bookshop, that is—right on Franklin’s back!

Franklin, a well-read and peace-loving dragon, and Luna, a young girl with an independent spirit and an insatiable love of reading, make fantastic role models for young children. Franklin’s Flying Bookshop brings the magic of classic fairy tales into the twenty-first century through exquisite illustrations, and will enchant children as well as anyone who loves books.

Franklin the dragon loves stories and wants to share them by reading out loud.Franklin reads every day, from King Arthur to baking, spiders to ballet, and everything in between. He even reads at nighttime, by the light of 1,000 fireflies. He is eager to share the stories with the nearby villagers, a diverse population, but they are terrified by his size and run away. That is, all except for one redheaded young white girl who loves both dragons and reading. Franklin has found a kindred spirit. Luna and he come up with a plan to share all the stories they've read. With the help of the mice and bats from Franklin's cave, they build a small, lopsided bookshop atop Franklin's back, and off they fly to the village. Before long, the curious villagers climb up to look at the books. Luna passes out cake while Franklin tells stories and everyone listens. The illustrations have a rustic, folksy feel and sport chalky textures. Franklin often expands beyond the frame, emphasizing his size. Small details in the art and text plump up the story: apron-wearing mice use a mixer to stir a bowl of batter; gi-clad bats practice kung fu. Unfortunately, it's all a little too quirky to cohere, the notion of a flying, dragon-back bookshop just a little too precious and inorganic to the story. Overall, there isn't a lot of spark in this dragon bookmobile. (Picture book. 5-8)