Book Description

Frances, one of children's best-loved characters for over 30 years, now springs to life even more in Bread and Jam for Frances,beautifully reillustrated in sparkling full color by Lillian Hoban. In this memorable story, Frances decides that bread and jam are all she wants to eat, and her understanding parents grant her wish'at breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even snacktime.Can there ever be too much bread and jam?

Reviews (11)

Everyone's favorite badger
In 1964 Russell Hoban wrote, and his wife Lillian illustrated, a charming little book entitled "Bread and Jam For Frances". Already an established character in such books as "Bedtime For Frances" and "A Baby Sister For Frances", this next story observes Frances as she stubbornly believes that she would like to eat only bread and jam, rather than any other food. Her parents oblige her willingly, and Frances comes to learn that a person should expand their tastes once in a while. The book is charming and dated only in the slightest of ways. Yes, Frances only wears skirts and dresses. Yes, Mother is the only one making the meals. But this is such a light happy little tale that these flaws are easily overcome. Lillian Hoban's illustrations are as cute as can be. The story itself is amusing (Frances often singing little songs to the food she dislikes out of earshot of her parents). Sometimes you just want to read your kids something that doesn't involve huge battles, gross out jokes, or didactic morals. If that's you, then allow me to introduce the perfect solution.... a little number I like to call "Bread and Jam For Frances".

A timeless book for all ages
I remember falling in love with "Bread and Jam for Frances" when I was a child and I was eager to see if my 3 year-old daughter would be equally fond of it. It's one of her favorites. We've read this book before bedtime almost every night for the past month.

When fussy eater Frances refuses to try anything new to eat, her mom and dad teach her a loving lesson in how you can have too much of a good thing. My daughter likes pointing out all the different food that's represented in Lillian Hoban's wonderful illustration and she's memorized all of Frances's charming little songs about jam and food. The love, humor and gentle nature of this book make it a good one to pass down from generation to generation.

A Wonderful Book for All Ages
The Frances books are great. Children and adults can share books for once and both enjoy them. Bread and Jam for Frances is about when Frances has become a very picky eater and only likes to eat bread and jam! A great tale for picky eaters.
The illustrations are very nice and colorful, and you have to love the how all the characters are badgers in the book.
If you enjoy this book, try out the other books in the Frances series. ...

a cute classic story about a picky eater!
This is a cute and captivating tale of Frances, the picky eater who only wants to eat bread and jam. Her parents handle her food refusal by indulging her with bread and jam at every meal and snack. She soon tires of it and wants to eat what everyone else is eating: a well-rounded meal.

This is a cute tale with little rhymes that Frances sings to herself with her food musings. The illustrations are adorable, they are not a visual assault as some other children's books have. This book was first published in the 1960s and as with other picture books of that time, has nice long prose, a good length of a story.

Both parents and children who deal with fussy eaters will appreciate this funny tale. It is a classic that is sure to be a favorite!

A Favorite
Bread and Jam for Frances by Russell Hoban, with illustrations done by Lillian Hoban is one of my favorite books. This book teaches a very important lesson to any child who has a favorite food. In the story Frances eats only bread and jam, even though her mother prepares other foods for her. Eventually, Frances' mom stops preparing other foods for Frances and gives her only bread and jam, just as she likes. Frances is happy with this at first, but then grows sick of eating the same food for every meal while her friends and family are able to eat other foods. In the end Frances' mother gives her different foods for her lunch at school and Frances is happy again. I believe this story to be one that any elementary school aged child could relate to. The story tells children of the importance and enjoyment of eating a variety of foods. The pictures and text directly complement each other. The text is needed to tell the complete story, but the pictures enhance the story. Bread and Jam for Frances is a simple story that is easily followed by children. Children can read this story and relate to the realistic situation. This book captures the child's attention and finishes the story within the short attention span of a child. The illustrations of this book contributed to my choosing it as a favorite. Frances' facial expressions in the illustrations help children easily identify her feelings throughout the story. In the beginning Frances is very happy, but as she gets tired of eating bread and jam a frown appears on her face. When Frances becomes very upset that she can only eat bread and jam, she cries. At the end when Frances' mother offers Frances other foods Frances is very happy again. The pictures are very soft and friendly. The colors are engaging and follow the story directly. The style of the illustrator follows the style of the author. Neither the text or the pictures overpower the other; there is a complementary style between the two. I believe this book to be very appealing and appropriate for an elementary age child. ... Read more

Amazon.com

It's bedtime for young Frances--an adorable and irrepressible little badger--and everyone is ready but her. At 7:00 p.m. Frances is wide awake and bursting with youthful excitement. She tries every delay tactic she can muster--from demanding extra hugs and kisses to volleying a series of urgent last-minute questions ("May I sleep with my teddy bear?" "May I have my door open?"). She's almost positive there are spiders, giants, and tigers in her room.

Any parent will quickly identify with this phenomenon--how the last minutes of the day suddenly become the most action-packed. Garth Williams's illustrations complement Russell Hoban's sweet story perfectly, capturing the endless energy and overactive imagination of Frances, and the waning patience of her exhausted parents. Bedtime for Frances is the perfect goodnight story to tell your wide-eyed children. And never fear, like Frances, they too will eventually, contentedly, drift off to sleep. (Ages 4 to 8) ... Read more

Reviews (32)

getting quite a bad rap without much cause.
I'm quite suprised so many people take issue with this book. It was one that I loved as a child, and although I had the sort of fears that children often do, my parents were always really good about reminding me that the things in your room when the lights are off are the same things there when the lights are are on. Perhaps that's the reason this book never inspired the terror in me it seems to present to many reviewers' children.

As for the spanking issue -- I was hardly from an abusive home, but the issue of punishment was something I was always familiar with. I hardly think the book is suggesting that Frances is going to be physically abused by her parents, so much as it's showing fed-up adults convincing their child to just get some sleep.

This book might not be for the terribly young, but it's a pretty cute story about conniving for extra time before bed. I would recommend it to anyone who is up front with their children about things like 'spankings', even if they don't practice them.

A spanking good book
Okay, the title of this review is a joke. The threat of spanking, mentioned by 13 (if I counted correctly) of 31 customer reviews, is offset for the following reasons. 1) The book is a classic--a great old book that has become a multi-generational tradition in many families, including many (like mine) that do not spank their kids. 2) Children live in the real world, and excessive sheltering from it is counterproductive. 3) There are very few books that deal with nighttime fears as effectively as this one (*Where the Wild Things Are* is another). 4) It is aimed at a younger audience than the other Frances books making it a good introduction to the series. 5) Like all the Frances books, it is well written, well illustrated, and quite amusing. Note--Garth Williams illustrated this one; the others were illustrated by Lillian Hoban. 6. It has wonderfully delightful examples of a very young child's (il)logic, for example, "There is a giant in my room, may I watch television?" (or something like that--I don't have the book in front of me).

I am highly amused that, for all the reviews that complain about the spanking threat, NONE of the to date complain about the smoking by Frances' father. I'm sure that MUST say something strange about Amazon's customer reviewers, but I can't figure out what!

Great Book and Kids are Smarter Than You Think!
I was a HUGE Frances fan as a child and this is my duahgter's first one (from Grandma)---My little girl has NEVER been spanked and she was in no way, shape, size or form upset by the spanking aspect. We are a super liberal, open family and to me that includes realizing that certain things were accepted in the past. My daughter's only reaction to the spaking paragraph was that Father Badger "looked like Daddy" when Frances woke him up.

Children are intelligent enough to get it. Relax a bit, people.

good book
Do you ever want to stay up late? Find out what happens in Frances' Bedtime. Frances keeps asking her mom and dad for something like a glass of milk so she can stay up past her bedtime. I think this book is fun and enjoyable because Frances is a lot like me. I like to stay up late too. I learned in this book that you should do what you are told because mom and dad usually know what is best for their kids. See if Frances gets her way.

Not thrilled
I was hoping for a story that would help to paint a lovley picture of bedtime from a child's stand point. This book only succeeded in spelling out some lovely ways that children can make it exasperating for themselves and their parents.

Very disappointing, given that Bread and Jam for Frances is one of our family favorites. ... Read more

Book Description

s her little sister Gloria's birthday approaches, Frances wavers between being generous'and being jealous. ‘[Frances] is every youngster who chafes at being the un-birthday child.

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Reviews (1)

Frances is fabulous
"A rainbow and a happy tree are not for Alice or for me. I will draw three-legged cats and caterpillars with ugly hats." Frances deals with birthday envy and how to be generous when her little sister's birthday rolls around. Another bright and endearing tale about a lovable little badger. She's a model for all of us who aspire to write children's stories. And kids love her too. This is one of my two-year-old's favorite stories. ... Read more

Book Description

When a baby sister arrives, Frances the badger finds a charming way to prove her own importance. ‘A familiar family situation, treated with understanding and humor.’ —E.

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Reviews (6)

sweet book
It's a delightful kid's book. Who cares if the badger drinks from a bottle or eats chocolate sandwiches? If you're going to get technical, I didin't know badgers could talk. Really. that's the problem with America today - nobody has any fun anymore, and creativity has been stifled and replaced by accuracy.
I loved this book and the entire Frances series growing up and love them now.

Badgers Bottlefeed?!
This book was mine when I was a child, and anticipating the birth of my second, I pulled it off the shelf to read to my 3.5-year-old daughter. While the general gist of the story (Frances "runs away" under the dining room table because she's not getting attended to enough since her baby sister arrived) is not terribly offensive, there are a few "little" details that have led me to get rid of this particular story. First of all, there are a couple images (including the cover illustration) of the baby sister being bottle-fed. This is fascinating, since I thought badgers were MAMMALS! Also, Frances packs herself some chocolate sandwich cookies for nourishment when she runs away. My daughter isn't allowed to eat this kind of junk food. Last, other than bottle-feeding the baby, she is never shown being held by the new parents, and it is mentioned that the parents can hear her crying in the other room. In other words, this is NOT a book for attachment parents who are interested in promoting good nutrition in their kids, even in the subtle details of their bedtime stories.

An adorable story, with the very lovable Frances
This book in the Frances series tells of Frances' trouble with having to share her parents with her new baby sister. In typical Frances style, she makes up songs about what she is doing, and complains loudly about things that she doesn't like. Her decision to run away to under the dining room table was a running joke in our family for months. Now if someone's nose gets bent out of shape we say "are you going to run away to under the dining room table?"

It handles the needs of older siblings and their feelings very nicely and is a great ice breaker to help older kids talk about how a new baby impacts their lives.

New baby sister makes Frances feel left out
Frances's life is in upheaval because of her little sister's arrival. Suddenly she is not the focus of attention and schedules are disrupted, to say the least. So she runs away, to the dining room table!

I love the Frances books, they are sweet and not condescending, a must for any children's library.

A veiw from a teen
A Baby Sister for Frances is a wonderful book for children. Many time when a new child comes into the family another one feels left out. This book portrays the feelings and thoughts of a child in this situation. I think that this book, even on a low level or reading, is a good book for teens. It points out that no matter what your parents say or do they really do love you. I would recomend this book for anyone! ... Read more

Book Description

Frances fans will find their favorite stories about this endearing, irrepressible badger who cleverly avoids her bedtime and stubbornly refuses to eat anything but bread and jam, in this charming audio collection read by actress Glynis Johns.This ALA Notable Children's Recording includes: Bedtime for Frances; A Baby Sister for Frances; Bread and Jam for Frances; andA Birthday for Frances.

Repackage
Running time:45 minutes
Unabridged with music

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Reviews (2)

Wonderful
While teaching preschool for many years, this tape was the start of most naptimes! Now ordering it for my child, I can't wait to see them enjoy it as well... The reading is beautiful and after listening you can't help but hear that voice when reading it yourself.

Funny and entertaining
The stories are narrated by Glynnis Johns, she played the mother in Mary Poppins. My children listened intently and laughed a lot at irrascible Frances. They asked for the stories over and over. ... Read more

Book Description

The irrepressible Frances teaches Albert, the badger next door, about friendship. ‘Full of the humor and homely details of family life that make [the Frances stories] beloved by both children and adults.’ —H.

Children's Books of the Year 1969 (CSA) ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Our favorite Frances book
My family is fairly unanimous that this is our favorite Frances book (with "A Birthday For Frances" the likely runner up.) Frances both stands up to being excluded and learns not to do the same thing herself; her anger at Albert is realistic and her "revenge" funny but not cruel; and everyone resolves their conflicts in a friendly way. The wording of the exchanges between Frances and Albert is exquisitely well done, I think: Hoban expresses such nuances in language that gets through to even small children. And last but not least, Frances's little songs are always hilarious and this book has some of the best ones of all, which my 2-year-old daughter has learned by heart.

Big sister Frances
Frances doesn't think she can be friends with her littlesister, but learns her lesson when the two actually become bestfriends.

Sweet story about not excluding one's little brother andsister, the Frances books are just great.

A delightful book.
My children, ages 4 and 5, enjoyed hearing the Frances stories. She is very funny and a delightful, precocious character.

As a child, the "Frances" books were my absolute favorites.
As a child, the "Frances" books were my absolute favorites. My sister would read them to me when I was too little to read for myself. The humerous stories of home life and the gentle illustrations still evoke feelings of great comfort. Now I am buying the series for the children of friends. Many thanks to the Hobans for all of the fond memories they have given me! ... Read more

Book Description

One day Thelma tricks Frances into buying her old plastic tea set. Thelma says there are no backsies on the bargain. Can Frances come up with a plan that will change her friend's mind?

Outstanding Children's Books of 1970 (NYT) ... Read more

Reviews (11)

"Frances" series is a family favorite!!!
This series is charming and sweet without being too saccharine, and this is my personal favorite of the bunch. As far as the infamous $3 tea set ... if you can suspend disbelief enough to believe in talking badgers, it's only a stone's throw from there.

Finest I Can Read Book Ever
Despite its unlikely-looking cover, this is perhaps the finest I Can Read Book ever written. I had no idea it was a treasure when one of the kids grabbed it off the shelf at the local library. Written by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Lillian Hoban, it hilariously tells the story of a sweet and trusting little racoon who keeps getting the short end of the stick from a certain playmate.

When that playmate swindles her out of her savings, Frances doesn't go home and lick her wounds. No sir. She devises an ingenious plan to set matters straight and re-establishes the friendship on a more equitably basis.

Moms, if people tend to take advantage of your child (or someone else you know), this is a must-have book. Frances' resolution of the problem still thrills and inspires me every time I read it.

Rather enlightening!
I like this book, because it's written for a young child to read herself . My kids are able to read this one by the time they are 7, which is nice. It has a lot of pages, lots of story to it - which is hard to find in books that are written at the young reader's level.

What really surprised me about this book is that it addresses what happens when one has a friend that isn't very nice, and it really went into the situation in detail. The heroine of the story didn't become a martyr, and neither did she just turn her back on her friend altogether.

When my daughter first read this book, she'd had some bad experiences with a friend - who is remarkably like Thelma, Frances's friend. I thought it was a nice tool for us - we discussed how sometimes a friend might not be very nice, and what the options are in dealing with this type of situation.

This is a very good early reader for girls and a nice story for any girl who has a friend they really can't trust. (Although I don't believe every similar real-life situation is handled so simply!)

TIMELESS TREASURE
THIS BOOK IS MY ALL TIME FAVORITE! IT IS SO NICE TO SEE IT STILL IN PRINT. IF YOU HAVEN'T SHARED IT WITH YOUR DAUGHTER (S), GET A COPY AND DO SO. MY TIMELESS CLASSIC IS 34 YEARS OLD AND IT IS STILL AS HUMOROUS NOW AS IT WAS THEN. MY MOTHER AND SISTER AND I STILL FONDLY REFER TO ICE CREAM AS q-p-m.

Tea For Two
I absolutely loved this book as a child! It was a great inspirational start for my love of tea sets! I could not remember the name of this book for years after, so I decided to go to my old elementary school, but to no avail I could not find it. Over the xmas holiday I received my first Blue Willow Tea Set at 29 years old from my boyfriend, whom remembered me telling him of this storybook tale. It brought back memories of my search for this book, so I looked up the age group in Amazon.com and found it in a matter of minutes. Wow, what a relief! Of course, I ordered the book immediately and I can't wait to receive it to complete the story of having my own Blue Print tea set. ... Read more

Book Description

Frances, one of children's best-loved characters for over 30 years, now springs to life even more in Bread and Jam for Frances,beautifully reillustrated in sparkling full color by Lillian Hoban. In this memorable story, Frances decides that bread and jam are all she wants to eat, and her understanding parents grant her wish'at breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even snacktime. Can there ever be too much bread and jam?

Book Description

Famed for her many adventures, Frances made her debut with this title over thirty years ago. In this first Frances book, the little badger adroitly delays her bedtime with requests for kisses and milk, and concerns over tigers and giants and things going bump in the night. Long a favorite for the gentle humor of its familiar going to bed ritual, Bedtime for Frances is at last available with the warmth of full color enriching Garth Williams’s original nuanced and touching art. ‘Here is the coziest, most beguiling bedtime story in many a day.’—Kirkus Reviews (pointer).

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