Being Frank

Frank follows the motto, "Honesty is the best policy." He tells the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Frank never lies to his schoolmates, he always tells the truth to adults, and he's always honest with police officers. The balancing act of finding tact, that fine line between telling the truth and telling too much truth, is the main theme of this story, and it's very funny-although not necessarily to his friend Dotti whose freckles remind Frank of the Big Dipper, or to the teacher who hears that her breath smells like onions, or to the principal who is told that his toupee looks like a weasel. No one is quite as impressed with Frank's honesty as he thinks they should be. He is sweet and straightforward, and, well, very frank, but with everyone annoyed at him, Frank is now honestly unhappy. He decides to visit his confidante and pal, Grandpa Ernest, who has a history of frankness himself. With a few lessons from Grandpa, Frank begins to understand that the truth is important, but so is not being hurtful. With amusing characters and expressive artwork, this story tells the powerful message of finding the good in everything-a lesson that sends compassion and understanding to take the place of rudeness in the complex concept of truth. Taking lessons from his grandfather, a young boy named Frank learns that honesty is the best policy but that it's best served with more sugar and less pepper. Frank is proud of his honesty but finds he is upsetting the people around him, and after a visit to Grandpa Ernest, Frank learns the value of both being honest and considering other people's feelings. Frank struggles to learn the art of being tactful when he observes that his friend has freckles resembling the Big Dipper, his teacher has breath that smells like onions, and his principal's toupee looks like a weasel