More than just showcasing letters, this alphabet text introduces a blend of traditional firefighting terms and lesser known and more advanced elements like intersection control devices. Each element introduced, whether traditional or offbeat, syncs up with a representative letter and features a few short but information packed sentences geared to spark reader curiosity and prompt future exploration of the topic. The alphabet is traditionally ordered throughout, with each letter clearly featured in each page’s top left corner. Bold full-page primary color illustrations bring realistic details to various fire equipment, personnel and scenes. Heavy topics, such as the “jaws of life” and the reality of firefighting, are not overwhelming, in part due to the inclusion of a frisky Dalmatian that is partially hidden on each page. Informative and intriguing. (Picture book. 6-9)
Pub Date: March 1, 2007
ISBN: 1-58980-420-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Pelican
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2007
Cheerful, flashy colors herald this book for toddlers from Murphy (Caterpillar’s Wish, p. 454, etc.). The stout pages depict the doings of a young, boldly outlined penguin, who is making a lot of noise. He (or she) bangs pots, jumps a lot, roller skates around the house, and in each instance, a parent penguin asks for quiet, until finally: “Outside, please!” The youngster waltzes down the garden path, where he meets up with his pals, a piglet and a bunny, for some hopping, rolling, and puddle-jumping. When his mother says he can return to the house, he has an idea: He can dance around in a pair of socks to muffle the noise. “Clever you!” says his mother. The simple, recognizable antics along with the flamboyant blue, yellow, and red should catch and hold onlookers, as will the closing page; the little penguin, now settled in his mother’s lap along with the baby, tells the crying child, “Please be quiet!” What goes around, comes around, in this jolly glimpse of a child’s noisy needs. (Picture book. 1-4)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-395-97113-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1999
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Whose Nose? (16pp.; $7.95; Sept.; 0-316-75933-3): “Whose nose?” is the question appearing on the lefthand page, while on the right a nose is on display, with its owner hidden by a flap. Some of the noses, rendered in super-saturated colors, are a snap to identify, e.g., the pig’s snout is an early give-away, which will encourage children. The rhino’s nose, later on, isn’t so easy. The mouse’s nose and dog’s nose share features, so readers will want to really look at the animals. A handsome, participatory, and potentially thought-provoking early natural history. (Picture book. 3-5)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-316-75933-3
Page Count: 16
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1999
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