Ben Franklin's Big Splash

An iconographic-animated adaptation of the 2014 picture book written by Barb Rosenstock and illustrated by S.D. Schindler, Ben Franklin's Big Splash—narrated by Susie Berneis—looks at a specific event in Franklin's boyhood, when the 11-year-old tried to create a method for people to swim like fish. An avid swimmer himself, Franklin observes the way that fish glide through water with their various fins. Inspired by thoughts of artificial fins for a human's hands and feet, he finds a little bit of success paddling his way down river currents, but is soon exhausted. Undaunted, Franklin channels his early energy as a inventor toward other areas, and young viewers will see how he spent his life solving problems, creating American institutions such as the postal service, and serving as one of the new nation's Founding Fathers. Mixing delightful imagery with an engaging story, this is highly recommended. Aud: K, E, P. (T. Keogh)