Eric Wight's Frankie Pickle books provide a bridge between picture books and graphic novels (or novels); the pages are illustrated and often burst into full comic-panel form, since Frankie spends a lot of his time day-dreaming his life in that media. In the Cybils Early Chapter Book Finalist Frankie Pickle and the Pine Run 3000 this provides the boost to the plot, since the day-dreaming causes problems when real life moves on without him, leaving Frankie the only Pygmy Possum Scout without enough points to advance to the Shrew level.(Possum Scouts seem to be a pastiche of Cub Scouts, hopefully without the homophobia).
Frankie dashes about on his last-ditch effort for points, of course refusing all help and relying on his daydreams for inspiration until he Learns His Lesson. Well, actually, he appealingly seems to learn nothing, but there were lessons there if you wanted to see them. The text and colors charmed me, and both boys enjoyed the book as well. B+
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