On a long-ago, hot summer’s day in Brooklyn, the firemen turn on their hoses in the middle of the street. The neighborhood kids run through the water, and, for a brief time, they are transported to a fresh cool place. But were there a couple of dozen kids, or six kids, or only Molly and the boy? Is Mr. Ferlinghetti’s memory faulty, or is the whole incident a case of poetic license? Frampton’s charming narration perfectly sets the stage for Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s poem, “just the way he wrote it.” Bold, strongly outlined woodcuts in shades of brown, gold and green are filled with joyful movement as the hoses carry the delighted children higher and higher until they nearly sail off the page. An artist’s note provides a brief introduction and homage to Ferlinghetti. A work to savor again and again, finding new delights with each perusal. (Picture book. 5-10)
