School Library Journal Review
PreS --A Disneyesque turtle, rabbit, fox, and otter illustrate this trite story of a turtle who is always late, and who is distracted by his friends while on the way to the home of his friend Bear. The language is unimaginative, the story thin, and the ending predictable--Franklin is on his way to a birthday party for Bear. Woodland yellows and greens predominate, and the background settings are far more pleasing than the animals in the foreground, all of whom lack character or personality. A slow moving tale, distinguished neither by plot nor illustration. --Trev Jones, School Library Journal (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
Franklin is 'slow, even for a turtle' because he is easily distracted by the world around him. On his way to Bear's birthday party, Franklin stops to play leapfrog and take a swim, but manages, in spite of himself, to pick up the even slower snail and arrive just in time. The illustrations are precious, and the story is unimaginative. From HORN BOOK 1990, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.