Review Detail

This book is available in paperback and on Kindle. I read and reviewed the Kindle version.

This children's book, by Emmy Swain, is about John, a young boy who has to move to a smaller house in a new, unknown area with his mother, after her loses her job and has to take a lesser paid one. John is scared, and feels isolated and alone. One day, he meets a small dog, who stops him from crossing a busy main road near his house to get to the beach. This dog is very friendly, his name is Franklin Bean...and he can talk. Franklin's human family couldn't look after him any longer, so now Franklin is homeless. John feels an immediate bond with the smart little dog and convinces his mum to give him a home. So now the two friends are together, and set out to explore John's new world....

Franklin does not talk in front of adults, but being a wise dog, he advises and steers John on the right path at all times, helping him to make friends, and teaching him to listen to his mother about his healthy eating and the right thing to do. The talking dog helps John to make some new friends, and they tentatively begin their new life together, with John's mum enrolling him at school....

Meantime a mysterious superhero called Pancho Frijoles, swoops into the small town and saves some fishermen from a ferocious storm, and then a little girl, Brianna, after she wanders off. John and his friends are in awe of this enigma and want to know more, all his little dog says is 'cool frijoles.'

Franklin Bean and Pancho are never seen together, could Franklin Bean BE Pancho?

Or is it Kirby, Franklin's little dog friend?

This is a delightful children's book and it is the first in a series of Franklin Bean books to be self-published by this author. I thoroughly enjoyed this tale and the charming illustrations and feel that the characters will appeal to children of a range of ages, with the exciting magical undertones and the issues of change, new life and 'fitting in' being woven into the story. One to look out for in the future....