Book Review - Being Frank (Talking with Kids about Thoughtfulness and Honesty)

My 10 year old son and I just read a delightful new children’s book, titled “Being Frank”.  It was written by Donna Earnhardt and illustrated by Andrea Castellani.  It is about a little boy who shares his opinions SO honestly that it hurts feelings and relationships. 

The book has a great message for adults training children with a knack for being a bit too frank.  This was a BIG struggle for my daughter at age 4.  I vividly (and with horror) remember her loudly sharing in front of the waiter “Mommy, he’s really fat.”, and in front of a woman at the pool, “Mommy, she’s not modest.”.  And my 7-year old son told me last month, “You’re not good at telling jokes mom, you’re not very funny.  You should just stick to talking.”  All true, but definitely not shared with grace!

 

Earnhardt offers a lovely and humorous way to talk with young children about being respectful and thoughtful while also being honest.  She shares great examples of the good and bad ways to express your honest opinions.

 

Daniel, age 10, says, “I like the book.  It teaches you how to tell the truth, and it’s really funny.”

 

This is a good resource for counselors to use in class.  It’s good for parents and grandparents to read to children ages 4-8, and possibly even with middle school children.  The website also has creative activity downloads to further enhance the lessons.