Frank follows the motto, Honesty is the best policy. He tells the truth,
the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Frank never lies to his
schoolmates, he always tells the truth to adults, and he's always honest
with police officers. The balancing act of finding tact, that fine line
between telling the truth and telling too much truth, is the main theme
of this story, and it's very funny--although not necessarily to his
friend Dotti whose freckles remind Frank of the Big Dipper, or to the
teacher who hears that her breath smells like onions, or to the
principal who is told that his toupee looks like a weasel. No one is
quite as impressed with Frank's honesty as he thinks they should be. He
is sweet and straightforward, and, well, very frank, but with everyone
annoyed at him, Frank is now honestly unhappy. He decides to visit his
confidante and pal, Grandpa Ernest, who has a history of frankness
himself. With a few lessons from Grandpa, Frank begins to understand
that the truth is important, but so is not being hurtful. With amusing
characters and expressive artwork, this story tells the powerful message
of finding the good in everything--a lesson that sends compassion and
understanding to take the place of rudeness in the complex concept of
truth.