Francine Francine the Beach Party Queen!

Francine Francine the Beach Party Queen!

By Audrey Colman Frog, Ltd. (2003) ISBN: 158394074X

Francine is a spunky dog that lives with her owners, the Crabapple family. Francine, a fun dog, feels like she doesn’t fit in with her boring family. She complains about her owners don’t let her play, run around, and basically just be a dog. Francine, fed up with the Crabapple’s lack of acceptance, runs away. She meets new dog friends and she eventually wanders into the “Dance Fools Studio.” There, she is able to dance and express herself without fear of being judged.

Quantitative: Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level--3.6; Flesch-Kincaid Easy--86.4

Qualitative:  Francine’s story is an excellent selection for the younger grades. Francine Francine the Beach Party Queen! could be shared with students as young as kindergarten. However, when examining the story’s message, students that are around 3rd grade would be able to connect with the themes of the book with greater ease. To tell Francine’s story, Colman uses a basic rhyme scheme that makes reading fun and lyrical for both the teacher and the students.

Content Area: English; Health--Prejudice; Health-Self-Esteem; Physical Education--Dance; Art

Common Core Standards: RL3.1-4

Curriculum Suggestions: This book allows teachers and students to learn about their own identity and individuality. Since the book  promotes self-expression, teachers could have students work artistically to express themselves while developing and strengthening self-esteem.

Additional/Digital Content:

• Exploring Dance: Movement, Space, & Poetry-- https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/elementary-school-dance-curriculum

• Encouraging Self Expression Through Art--http://www.pbs.org/parents/education/music-arts/encouraging-self-expression-through-art/

Personal Thoughts: One element of the book that bothers me is that Francine runs away from her family. Yes, she is a dog, but I feel that having her run away doesn’t show young readers the value of communicating one’s feelings, especially when it relates to one’s identity. As a reader, I would have preferred that Francine somehow made it back to the Crabapples to share what she learned from running away and meeting others that love her and accept for who she is. This type of encounter is not uncommon for students, especially as they enter junior high and high school, to have with their parents.

*Meets the “Reading for Pleasure Picture Book” requirement