THE BIG PROTEST

This second installment in the series sees cub reporter Frankie learning about what it means to stand up for what you believe in.

Frankie, a young Black girl, sees her parents and her teenage sister, Raven, watching TV. The screen is filled with protesters, and Raven seems upset. Frankie’s parents explain that “someone was treated unfairly” and that people are protesting to effect change. Mom, a journalist, leaves to report on the protest. Frankie, who plans to follow in her mother’s footsteps, decides to cover the march, too, along with her friends: her cat, Nina Simone, and her toys (including her doll Farrah, her King Tut and Queen Cleopatra action figures, her teddy bear Dan, and Robert the Robert). As they learn more about protests and reporting, Frankie and her friends stage their own march in Frankie’s bedroom, and Frankie finds a way to support Raven, who’s attending the big protest with her friends. Though Platt’s narrative is a bit vague—readers never learn why people are protesting—the text is easy to digest and defines related vocabulary (news ticker, fact-finding, solidarity) in terms young readers will understand. In Frankie, Platt has depicted a curious and smart young protagonist, bolstered by her loving, tightknit family. Full of personality, Frankie’s toys cut endearing figures in Marley’s bright, cartoonish illustrations.

Gently sheds light on protesting, solidarity, and the ins and outs of journalism.