Sam is Franklin's favorite stuffed dog. He debuts in "Franklin Wants A Pet."
Sam was the first present ever given to Franklin by his Grandpa Turtle on his mother's side and Grandma Jenny Turtle.
Franklin is often depicted as being rather attached to Sam, though he sometimes tries to hide his attachment, worrying what his friends will think. His worries prove to be unfounded, as his friends all also have their own toys that they like to cuddle, such as Bear's bunny.
Plot[]
In Franklin's Magic Christmas, Franklin is greatly upset when Harriet insists on playing with Sam and then loses him in the snow just before the Turtle family leaves for their family Christmas trip. He spends most of the trip upset with Harriet for losing Sam before finally forgiving her. The two later learn that Bear found Sam shortly after they left for the trip and Franklin is happily reunited with Sam. He tells Harriet that it's okay for her to play with Sam but that he has to have him back before bedtime, that there's only so much sharing a big brother can do. This line originates from the book Franklin and Harriet, on which the conflict of Franklin's Magic Christmas is loosely based, in which the narration ends by stating "There is only so much sharing a big brother can do."
In Franklin and the Turtle Lake Treasure, Franklin once again tries to downplay his attachment to Sam after it is pointed out that Sam's name is similar to that of his cousin Samantha. In Franklin and Friends, Franklin is a bit older and somewhat less dependent on Sam, even sometimes willing to let Harriet sleep with him.
In "Franklin and the Creepy Clock," when reading the story Tobias Turtle and the Mysterious Clock, Franklin imagines the Tobias character as having an actual pet dog which looks like Sam.
Trivia[]
- He seems to have much less prominence in the books and only rarely appears.