An engaging tale that sheds light on the efforts of community helpers.
Dogs get fired up about their jobs.
Children interested in the vital work that firefighters do will be fascinated by this easy-to-understand book that offers a reassuring perspective. Created with paper collage and paint and finished digitally, the illustrations provide insight into the work of four adorable, eager, helmeted Dalmatian puppies named Spot, Zippy, Wink, and Pip as they use their remarkable sensory skills to aid their human partners. Readers will learn how the highly efficient two-legged firefighters and the fire pups help humans and nonhumans alike at the scene of a fire: The firefighters expertly battle a blaze and evacuate human residents, while the pups do equally crucial work bringing family pets to safety. The fire pups receive special training to learn to carry out their tasks and offer friendly cheer to their firehouse partners. Readers will especially appreciate the onomatopoeic sound effects incorporated into the text, representing, among other things, firehouse-bell clangs and blaring sirens. The firefighters are racially diverse. Backmatter offers information on the history of fire dogs and notes that while Dalmatians no longer run along horse-drawn fire brigades as they once did, they “still have a place of honor at the firehouse.”
An engaging tale that sheds light on the efforts of community helpers. (fire safety tips) (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: May 20, 2025
ISBN: 9780316576871
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2025
Serve this superbly designed title to all who relish slightly scary stories.
Kids know vegetables can be scary, but rarely are edible roots out to get someone. In this whimsical mock-horror tale, carrots nearly frighten the whiskers off Jasper Rabbit, an interloper at Crackenhopper Field.
Jasper loves carrots, especially those “free for the taking.” He pulls some in the morning, yanks out a few in the afternoon, and comes again at night to rip out more. Reynolds builds delicious suspense with succinct language that allows understatements to be fully exploited in Brown’s hilarious illustrations. The cartoon pictures, executed in pencil and then digitally colored, are in various shades of gray and serve as a perfectly gloomy backdrop for the vegetables’ eerie orange on each page. “Jasper couldn’t get enough carrots … / … until they started following him.” The plot intensifies as Jasper not only begins to hear the veggies nearby, but also begins to see them everywhere. Initially, young readers will wonder if this is all a product of Jasper’s imagination. Was it a few snarling carrots or just some bathing items peeking out from behind the shower curtain? The ending truly satisfies both readers and the book’s characters alike. And a lesson on greed goes down like honey instead of a forkful of spinach.
Serve this superbly designed title to all who relish slightly scary stories. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 21, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-4424-0297-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 1, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2012
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
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