With worldwide sales of 65 million copies, Franklin the Turtle is the single most successful franchise in the history of Canadian publishing. This amiable young turtle made his first appearance in 1986, when Toronto-based Kids Can Press published Franklin in the Dark, written by Paulette Bourgeois and illustrated by Brenda Clark. In this debut adventure, Franklin's friends help him face his fear of the dark. Readers immediately connected with the protagonist: in its first year in print, the book sold more than 10,000 copies in Canada alone—it was released in the U.S. the following year—and spawned a series that now encompasses more than 100 titles in a variety of formats. The Franklin the Turtle books have been published in 30 languages and have inspired two television series, three feature films, and a wide array of merchandise. Franklin fans will welcome his return this fall in two new additions to the Franklin and Friends series of TV tie-ins, Franklin and The Case of the New Friend and Franklin and the Radio.
Not surprisingly, Franklin can count booksellers, librarians, and educators among his most ardent supporters. Bourgeois and Clark's deft portrayals of the chipper young turtle navigating familiar childhood milestones (such as braving the first day of school and welcoming a new sibling) make the series a popular choice for story times. Several longtime fans shared their experiences introducing Franklin to their customers or students.
Phyllis Simon, co-owner of Vancouver Kidsbooks since 1983, attributed Franklin's success in the market—and in her store—to multiple aspects of the series. One is the timing of the series' debut in 1986, when, she explained, "the Canadian book publishing industry was in its younger years, and the concept of the series was unique on the Canadian scene. Booksellers and teachers are big champions of books by Canadian authors and literature, and Canadian children, too, immediately took Franklin to heart."
Franklin's personality and experiences also fuel the success of the series, Simon added. "His character is very appealing, and he is very much in sync with the concerns of preschoolers and toddlers. Kids connect strongly with Franklin's character, issues, and feelings." The bookseller, whose store has hosted Bourgeois and Clark, also cites the "charm and enthusiasm" of Franklin's creators as another strong selling point, noting, "They are both great presenters and communicators, and are able to imprint their characters very strongly on the minds of children."
Franklin's in-person charisma also garners kudos. Over the years, Kids Can's Franklin costumes have visited countless stores, schools, and libraries, and have scored hits with kids and adults alike. Simon, who has welcomed the costumed character—pictured here with young fans in Toronto—to her store on various occasions ("We find willing high school victims and hope they're still breathing after the event!"), observed that Franklin always receives a warm welcome from young customers: "This is a character that really endears himself to kids, and to see him larger than life is so exciting for them.
One bookseller who has experienced that affection firsthand is Becky Anderson, owner of Anderson's Bookshops in Naperville, Ill., who has donned the Franklin costume numerous times, for in-store events and town parades. "When you see kids come up and give you hugs and high-fives, there is no doubt that this is someone they love—and believe is real," she said. "It's a joy for me as well as for them. We've carried the series in its different reincarnations for years and years, and I know parents and educators will always be asking for it."
Chiming in as a former elementary teacher and current teacher librarian at York House School in Vancouver is Sheilagh Martin, who has a long history with Franklin. During her many years of teaching, she discovered that the books inspired valuable dialogue. "These are great stories about social responsibility," she observed. "After reading them with my students, we'd have wonderful discussions about the problems Franklin was dealing with, and how he went about solving them."
Martin has also created Franklin-themed activities to extend the series' reach in her classroom. These include playing Franklin bingo, sorting Franklin's animal friends by categories, and watching the Franklin films and comparing them to the books in order to "encourage higher thinking and essentially introduce kids to a kind of literary criticism," Martin explained. She also kept on hand two book-filled Franklin backpacks that her students could sign out overnight, and she encouraged them to keep a list of all the Franklin stories they read.
Among the key reasons Martin cited for Franklin's "staying power" are the universality of his childhood problems, his resourcefulness in solving them, and his awareness of the need to ask adults for help. Perhaps most importantly, she said, "Franklin knows how to be nice to others. This is something that all readers—children and adults—can learn from. And it's a message that this series delivers beautifully."
