A Baby Sister for Frances

This is such a wonderful book for a child who is expecting a new sibling. I just love the part where she runs away to underneath the kitchen table and packs provisions. It's great how the parents pretend like they don't know she's under there and talk about how much they miss her. All of the Frances books seem to find a way to address some type of issue that is universal to small children.

Does anyone actually like the illustrations in this series?
Anyway, it's fun to read them now, and empathize more with the parents than the children. Moms often want to 'run away' and have snacks under the table, esp. when daughters whine about having a banana instead of raisins on their oatmeal.

A BABY SISTER FOR FRANCES is one of several children's picture books in the Frances series written by Russell Hoban. In this story, Frances must learn how to adapt to life with a new baby sister, Gloria. One day, Frances decides to run away because "things are not very good around [home] anymore". That night, she packs her back with her favorite toys and some chocolate cookies and runs away, making a new home for herself under the kitchen table. While under the table, she hears her mother and father talking about how much they miss her and how important it is for Gloria to have a big sister like Francis. After a while, she decides it is time to go home. This is a charming story that addresses an issue many young children face when a new show more member is added to the family; I think it helps kids understand that even when there is a new baby, that doesn't mean they are loved any less. I really liked the way the parents handled their child's decision to run away to the kitchen, I thought it was really cute. I also liked the illustrations because they were colorful and added detail to the text. This would be a cute story to read out loud in the classroom. show less

Media: Colored Pencils
This is a delightful story of how Frances feels after the birth of her younger sibling. Many children feel the same way that Frances feels in this book after the addition of a new sibling. It is a good story to help teach children that even when a change occurs in the family, they are not loved any less. This is a very relate-able story.

Frances's new baby sister seems to have everyone's attention. No one has time for Frances, until one day she decides to do something about it. "Well," said Frances, "things are not very good around here anymore. No clothes to wear. No raisins for the oatmeal. I think maybe I'll run away." And she does, but not too far away. Just far enough so she can still hear her parents say how much she is missed.

This is childrens' book classic. Told from the point of view of a badger, Frances is jealous of her new baby sister, Gloria. Gloria seems to be distracting enough that mama badger is forgetting to do the laundry and shop for groceries. As a result, Frances feels neglected and needs to be noticed. Accepting a new sibling can be hard on anyone, even badgers!

The Francis books are tender and sweetly drawn. They were all my daughter's favorites. Francis is not such a goody two-shoes that children can't identify. She struggles with the same issues they do. In this book it is the addition of a sibling.