Customer Reviews

A Bargain for Frances (I Can Read)

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Despite its unlikely-looking cover, this is perhaps the finest I Can Read Book ever written. I had no idea it was a treasure when one of the kids grabbed it off the shelf at the local library. Written by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Lillian Hoban, it hilariously tells the story of a sweet and trusting little racoon who keeps getting the short end of the stick from a certain playmate.

When that playmate swindles her out of her savings, Frances doesn't go home and lick her wounds. No sir. She devises an ingenious plan to set matters straight and re-establishes the friendship on a more equitably basis.

Moms, if people tend to take advantage of your child (or someone else you know), this is a must-have book. Frances' resolution of the problem still thrills and inspires me every time I read it.

THIS BOOK IS MY ALL TIME FAVORITE! IT IS SO NICE TO SEE IT STILL IN PRINT. IF YOU HAVEN'T SHARED IT WITH YOUR DAUGHTER (S), GET A COPY AND DO SO. MY TIMELESS CLASSIC IS 34 YEARS OLD AND IT IS STILL AS HUMOROUS NOW AS IT WAS THEN. MY MOTHER AND SISTER AND I STILL FONDLY REFER TO ICE CREAM AS q-p-m.

I like this book, because it's written for a young child to read herself . My kids are able to read this one by the time they are 7, which is nice. It has a lot of pages, lots of story to it - which is hard to find in books that are written at the young reader's level.

What really surprised me about this book is that it addresses what happens when one has a friend that isn't very nice, and it really went into the situation in detail. The heroine of the story didn't become a martyr, and neither did she just turn her back on her friend altogether.

When my daughter first read this book, she'd had some bad experiences with a friend - who is remarkably like Thelma, Frances's friend. I thought it was a nice tool for us - we discussed how sometimes a friend might not be very nice, and what the options are in dealing with this type of situation.

This is a very good early reader for girls and a nice story for any girl who has a friend they really can't trust. (Although I don't believe every similar real-life situation is handled so simply!)

I can't help but notice all the reviews that say Frances is for girls. Boys enjoy this smart and spunky little badger, too! Her quirks and problems, as well as her creative solutions and her wise parents, are universally delightful for all children.

This series is charming and sweet without being too saccharine, and this is my personal favorite of the bunch. As far as the infamous $3 tea set ... if you can suspend disbelief enough to believe in talking badgers, it's only a stone's throw from there.

I remember my mom reading this to my sister and I when we were young. It's so cute. I love the illustrations being in black and white, and the ambiguity of Frances' species. It's a great story about envy over another person's things and about cheating your friends. I've kept the image of the little tea set in my mind for almost 30 years. I'm so glad I found this book again and hope your kids find it as special as I do. The other Frances books are a treasure as well. -M. Farrell

This is an excellent book. I read it when I was little and I related well with Frances. Recently when I found a china tea set (with pictures in blue) I remembered this book and bought the china tea set for my niece and then bought the book to accompany it. Perfect gift I was told by the mother.

The subject of this Frances book is the relationship between Frances and her friend Thelma, who is always, one way or another, taking advantage of Frances. In this instance, Thelma slyly and by outright lying convinces Frances to buy a plastic teaset, only so that Thelma can buy a "real china" teaset. Ironically, yet true-to-life, it is Frances' much younger but much savvier sister who points out Thelma's lies.

The story could have ended there, with Frances learning a lesson. Instead, the author has Frances fight back by tricking Thelma. That's when Thelma says she will have to be careful whenever she plays with Frances, but Frances points out that "being careful is not as much fun as being friends." A good story for children and adults to enjoy and to discuss.

Bedtime For Frances was my son's favorite book for ages, mine was Bargain For Frances when I was a little girl. As an adult, I went out and purchased my own blue willow tea set, partly inspired by the book, even though I couldn't remember the name of it. Finally one day I found my copy from childhood in my parents' house, and read it to my son who was fascinated, I'm sure, by the appearance of a new Frances book. I was thrilled he recognized the blue willow as being the tea cups we drank out of when we have tea together at night! So again, as some other people have already said, not just for girls, though Frances is a girl- Bedtime For Frances remains one of my son's favorite bedtime books, for sure, and he likes Bargain For Frances as well. I think it does a good job illustrating how friends can often be tricky.

I am 32, and my Mom saved many of my books from when I was a child. My 4 1/2 year old daughter chose this one day at story time and must have really liked it. She makes me read it to her every day, it's been about 3 months now. She has the entire book memorized and "reads" along with me.