FRANKIE AND FRIENDS

A cub reporter launches an investigation.

A visit to the news station where her journalist mother works proves inspiring for young Frankie. Back home, she tells her cat, Nina Simone, and her toys (who walk and talk, though no one else appears to notice) about her day, and they all decide that there’s a particularly pressing issue that requires some investigating: Why do socks have a habit of going missing in the laundry? And what happened to Frankie’s polka-dot sock? The Frankie & Friends newsroom is on the case! Defining key terms such as sources, inform, and review, Platt makes abstract ideas concrete and accessible to a chapter-book audience. Running commentary from Frankie’s precocious toys adds humor and flair: King Tut and Queen Cleopatra gently bicker with each other but are eager to help Frankie; Robert the Robot weighs in with helpful definitions; Dan the Teddy Bear is enthusiastic, if prone to falling asleep. Frankie’s family is just as loving and supportive; in the book’s opening scene, Frankie and her older sister, Raven, turn sorting laundry into a friendly competition marked by good sportsmanship, while Mama encourages Frankie to pursue her passion for the news. Marley’s clean, colorful artwork sets a warm tone, reflecting the order and focus of journalistic work and visually reinforcing definitions. Frankie and her family present Black.

A cheery primer for would-be reporters.