FRANKLIN FIBS Paulette Bourgeois. Illustrated by Brenda Clark. Toronto, ON: Kids Can Press, 1991. 32pp., cloth, $10.95. ISBN 1-55074-038-5. CIP. Subject Headings: Turtles-Juvenile fiction. Truthfulness and falsehood-Fiction. Preschool-grade 2 / Ages 3-7 Reviewed by Constance Hall. Volume 19 Number 3 1991 May Franklin is back! Parents and children will delight in being able to share another story by Paulette Bourgeois about this little turtle. This time Franklin gets himself in a dilemma when he tells his friends he can swallow seventy-six flies in the blink of an eye. Each of his friends, Bear, Hawk and Beaver, demonstrates his or her own accomplishments, but Franklin forgets what he really can do and tells a lie. Now he must prove what he says is true. He develops a unique solution to his problem. Brenda Clark's illustrations of the forest and pond, the fur and the feathers show attention to detail in pretty earth colours. Although shades of browns, greens and yellows are dominant, she adds special touches to each picture when, for example, she contrasts Franklin's turtle green with a bright orange scarf or adds an orange and blue fish to the green pond. Another visual highlight is the expression on the faces of the animals as they listen to each other. The picture of Bear's face with his eyes closed in laughter, or the loving looks Franklin's parents give him add a great deal of charm to this book. The first book in the series Franklin in the Dark ¹ is a story about coping with fear. In Hurry Up, Franklin ² Franklin must deal with helping others as he tries not to be late to a birthday party and in this third book, Paulette Bourgeois deals with lying to one's friends. The reason Franklin told the fib in the first place is understandable and it is a good starting point to talk to a child about trust, friendship and honesty. Constance Hall, Hamilton, ON. ¹ Reviewed vol. XV/2 March 1987, p.77. ² Reviewed vol. XVII/5 September 1989, p. 216.