Meet Frank

by Mavis Lui

Overview

A funny, cute, endearing exploration of skin color for young children.

Meet Frank is a picture book about our unique and beautiful qualities. Frank is a curious little alien who comes from a planet where everyone looks the same: same box shape, same green color. Convinced there must be something more, Frank explores the universe and lands on Earth, where he befriends three little Earthlings who all look very different. By celebrating their unique qualities, they help Frank answer his questions about how humans come in a kaleidoscope of colors. Inspired, he returns to his home planet, determined to help his fellow beings identify and explore their differences too.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781958394007
Publisher:	Tilbury House Publishers
Publication date:	03/14/2023
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.40(w) x 10.40(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Mavis Lui is a daughter of Chinese immigrants who grew up in Canada encountering racism and xenophobia. During her practicum to become an elementary school teacher, she sought to create self-portraits with her students but was unable to find crayon colors for the beautiful skin tones of her diverse students. Ten years later, a mother of two young children and a kindergarten teacher in East Vancouver, she believes the path to social harmony winds through early education and searches constantly for picture books that represent the diversity of her students. She has spent ten years creating Meet Frank to encourage children, families, and teachers to explore skin tone and find themselves in the kaleidoscope of color.

Editorial Reviews

2023-01-25
Frank, who hails from a planet where everyone looks alike, embarks on a visit to Earth.

On planet Xob, all of the inhabitants are green, rectangular bipeds with eye stalks. That’s where Frank is from, and he “feels lost in this sea of sameness.” In search of something different, Frank hops in his spaceship and hurtles to “a mysterious planet with strange creatures.” Donning a silly disguise, Frank decides to investigate by questioning a group of children: “WHY DON’T YOU ALL LOOK THE SAME?!” Brown-skinned, dark-haired Asha, light-skinned, dark-haired May, and light-skinned, blond-haired Otis answer by appreciating their individual features, including their hair and skin color. This prompts the box-shaped creature from Xob to notice “all sorts of shapes and colors” of other humans nearby; author/illustrator Lui’s playful mixed-media images depict people who vary in terms of skin tone, one person using a wheelchair, and one person with a wide body and skinny legs. Delighted by Earth’s diversity, Frank returns to planet Xob keen on spotting (and appreciating) difference—even in a seemingly homogenous place. Though difference is mainly described in terms of racial characteristics, and the message is a tad ham-fisted, Lui’s imaginative illustrations, full of geometric shapes, make this an engaging picture book for young readers. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

This story isn’t exactly out of this world, but little ones will be charmed by the protagonist’s journey. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews