A Birthday for Frances

I love Frances. I love when kids come to my house and clamor for more Frances books. I love still having a few in reserve. I love reading them to people. I love reading them to myself. I am barmy for Frances.

But this Frances book has the best line in maybe the whole series, and one I quote on approximately 364 days each year: "That is how it is, Alice," said Frances. "Your birthday is always the one that is not now."
And usually when I quote it, I give your Chompo bar a little exploratory squeeze and wonder if maybe you aren't too little for a WHOLE Chompo bar of your own.

Frances has a difficult time when her little sister Gloria's birthday arrives, and all the attention and presents go to her. Frances isn't sure whether to give Gloria her present or keep it for herself, but ultimately her better angels win out.

I would not have liked this when I was a child. I don't know if I would have liked it when my boys were little as it seems to actually introduce the idea of selfishness and rivalry... my first two were three years apart and usually got along just fine, didn't need this lesson.

I do like the idea of *not* keeping the wish a secret, because it's a special kind of wish that is good, not self-centered, and more likely to come true if articulated. I think the best wishes are all like that, and even the 'gimme' ones are more likely to come true if other people know about them, so I think most wishes *should* be spoken aloud.

I can definitely see the appeal for some people.

But besides not being able tell one badger from the other, and the show more inconsistent use of clothing, I just don't particularly care for the art, either. show less

A sweet Frances story about her coming to terms with being generous on her sister's birthday. Frances is sort of unabashedly selfish, as I think most kids are, and it's hard for her to give up her allowance to buy her sister a present. Then she almost demands part of the present for herself! But she overcomes her more venal nature and her generous spirit triumphs. Cute.

This Frances book helps children figure out the confusing ritual of gift-giving. Children are innately selfish (and it's SO not their fault) and have a difficult time understanding why we adults would have them pick out a shiny new toy or a delicious candy bar only to wrap it up and GIVE it away to someone else! And so, through Frances's discovery, we get to see how giving can be fun too. This is a great book to give as an un-birthday gift (you know, the gift you give to the other sibling so they don't feel left out).

I enjoyed the book “A Birthday For Frances” by Russell Hoban. I believe that the characters, the illustrations and the writing contribute to this. Frances is the main character. In the main story she has an imaginary friend and discusses what it is like to have a little sister you have to share with. I believe that Frances’ character development is extremely important because it allows the reader to understand how she feels as the big sister. Additionally, I enjoyed the illustrations. I liked that that the characters were shown as bears in this story, even though it never specifies that in the text. Lastly, the format of the song “Happy Birthday” is used throughout the story to show how Frances is feeling. I think that this is show more a cool, creative way to incorporate a familiar song into a book and keep the plot going. The message of this book is that it is good to accept apologies and share with your siblings. This is when Gloria wishes that Frances would stop being mad about losing the stand toys, and when Frances gives Gloria the Chompo Bar. show less

Birthdays can be HARD when you're not the birthday child. Frances realistically is upset that her baby sister gets cake and presents and SHE DOES NOT. So she eats her sister's present. Whoops.

There's a moral in here, though a bit of an inexpressible one, and there's a lot of realism. What more can you ask for?