Hamish's Picture Book 1/8

Franklin Rides a Bike

Written by Paulette Bourgeois and illustrated by Brenda Clark, Franklin Rides a Bike, is a story about a little turtle named Franklin who is learning to ride a push bike without training wheels. The story is written using a third person narration, and reveals to the reader Franklin's point of view about how he is struggling to learn how to ride his bike. The author creates Franklin's point of view by comparing his abilities to his friends. He first feels sad that all of his friends have grasped how to ride a bike without training wheels, and then is left out from their activities because he can't go and join them on their bike rides with still his training wheels attached. 

This picture book follows a narrative structure, and provides the reader with the complication quite early on in the story. The resolution comes about when Franklin realises from the help of his mother that persistence is the key to succeeding at riding his bike without training wheels. He then recalls when each of his friends had difficulty mastering the monkey bars, learning to swim and play baseball. These events his friends went through makes Franklin realise that in order for him to master riding a bike, he needs to keep practicing. The book finishes with Franklin still fully unable to ride his bike, however, the author leaves the reader with the notation that practice makes perfect, and eventually you will have success.

This text would be a good narrative to use to demonstrate to students that perseverance and persistence is important when striving to achieve an objective, like for example, riding a push bike.