Frank and Bean

PreS-Gr 1–Drawing inspiration from the vastly different personalities of her two children, Michalak has created an easy reader story of two anthropomorphic foods with almost nothing in common who become unlikely friends. Frank is a hot dog who wears glasses and a headlight helmet, likes to eat oatmeal, and writes in his secret notebook. Bean is a rather large bean who loves doughnuts, drums, and anything loud. The quiet of Frank’s camping trip is shattered when Bean arrives in a bus loaded with musical instruments. Although Frank is initially put off by Bean’s rapid-fire questions and limitless restless energy that is channeled into making music, the two foods come together when Frank helps Bean overcome his loneliness and fear of the forest at night. Their friendship deepens when Frank bravely shares one of his poems with Bean. The poem works perfectly with the new song Bean has composed. At the end of the book, the two new friends decide to create a band called the Chili Dogs. Frank’s dialogue is matter-of-fact and informative, while Bean’s excitement and limited attention span are shown conveyed through capital letters, bold type, and numerous exclamation points. Kolar’s digital art is clean and pleasing, and the book contains four short chapters.