Franklin's Baby Sister by Paulette Bourgeois
A gentle new sibling story for preschoolers, better for restless waiting than for jealousy.
The short version
- Families expecting a second child
- Children ages 3 to 8 who already like Franklin
- Early readers around grade 2 practicing independent reading
- Teachers covering patience, family or spring
- Your child is struggling with jealousy after the baby arrives
- You want a factual explanation of pregnancy or birth
- Your child finds quiet, slow paced stories dull
What owners like
- Useful for preparing an older child for a new baby in the family
- Warm, appealing illustrations
- Handles the long wait for a baby in a way young children can relate to
- A familiar character many children already know from the series
Common complaints
- Some adults find the pacing slow or the story predictable
- A few readers point out that the turtle family's story does not match how real turtles have young, which can prompt questions
Based on Goodreads reader discussion, the Kids Can Press product page and the TeachingBooks listing.
Research scores
Scored from the maker's specs and what owners report. Drew's own notes and photos will refine these.
Ownership
- Dec 2024
First bought.
Drew's hands-on notes for this product are on the way. Long-term updates will be added to this timeline.
What it does
A 32 page Franklin the Turtle picture book about waiting for a new baby sister to arrive in spring.
- Franklin learns he will become a big brother in the spring and has to wait
- Story built around patience, family and the change of seasons
- Short read aloud text of roughly 750 words
- Brenda Clark illustrations matching the rest of the Franklin series
- Free teaching resources such as story maps and vocabulary organizers listed on TeachingBooks
A gentle, well established pick for families expecting a second child, with a young reader in the preschool to grade 2 range. It leans on patience and waiting rather than on jealousy or conflict, so it suits a child who is excited but restless more than one who is upset about a new sibling.
How it compares
Specs
- Author
- Paulette Bourgeois
- Illustrator
- Brenda Clark
- Publisher
- Kids Can Press
- First published
- 2000
- Series
- Franklin Classic Storybooks
- Pages
- 32
- Formats sold by the publisher
- Paperback and ebook
- ISBN
- 1550747940 (9781550747942)
- Reading level
- Lexile 520L, ATOS 2.7, guided reading level K
- Grade range
- PreK to grade 2
- Award
- 2001 Our Choice Award, Canadian Children's Book Centre
Questions
What age is Franklin's Baby Sister for?
It is listed for preschool through grade 2, roughly ages 3 to 8.
What is the reading level of Franklin's Baby Sister?
It is rated Lexile 520L, ATOS 2.7 and guided reading level K.
Is Franklin's Baby Sister still in print?
Yes. Kids Can Press currently sells it in paperback and as an ebook.
Who wrote and illustrated Franklin's Baby Sister?
Paulette Bourgeois wrote it and Brenda Clark illustrated it, the same team behind the original Franklin books.
Sources
- Kids Can Press: Franklin's Baby Sister
- AbeBooks: Franklin's Baby Sister, 9781550747942
- Goodreads: Franklin's Baby Sister
- TeachingBooks: Franklin's Baby Sister
Researched 2026-10-01. We bought this product; our page is built from the maker's details and what owners report across reviews and forums. We never copy Amazon customer reviews.