Available:*
Library | Call Number | Status |
|---|---|---|
Searching... R.H. Stafford Library (Woodbury) | EASY WHI | Searching... Unknown |
Bound With These Titles
On Order
Summary
Summary
Children will want to grab their coats and boots and rush straight to this winsome firefighting tale full of sound words and bright illustrations.
"Weee-ooo! Weee-ooo! Weee-ooo!
Our fi re engines are fast and noisy -- just like the real ones."
From sounding the siren to speeding off in their fire engines (empty boxes will do), from finding the fire to expertly putting it out, the children love playing firefighters with Mrs. Iverson. They are brave and strong, just like real firefighters. And after a hard day of fighting fires, nothing is better than having two real live firefighters come to visit and getting to climb aboard their big, red, shiny fire engine!
Author Notes
Sue Whiting is a former teacher who divides her time between working as a children's book editor and writing books for young people. She lives near Sydney, Australia.
Donna Rawlins is an art teacher and award-winning illustrator who has created many books for children during her long career. She lives in Sydney, Australia.
Reviews (3)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-In Mrs. Iverson's classroom, cardboard boxes are transformed into fire engines that are "fast and noisy-just like the REAL ones." At the sound of the recess bell, three friends lead the way onto the playground with fire hoses crafted out of paper tubes, oxygen masks fashioned out of scarfs, and siren wails of "WEEEE-OOO! WEEE-OOO!" Their teacher joins in the make-believe fun and then invites the fire department for a school visit. The male and female firefighters engage the class with stories about "rescuing people from burning buildings" and then stage a practice drill, emphasizing the Australian fire slogan of "get down low and GO, GO, GO!" Rawlins's acrylic illustrations feature bright, primary colors that stand out against the clean, white backgrounds. The young children are shown exploring the inside of the fire truck alongside their mentors. A great choice for introducing not only fire safety, but also creative play.-Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Rawlins's preschoolers perfectly model the fun children can have when they use their imaginations. Using props they find around the school, Mrs. Iverson and her students pretend that a fire call has just come in. They race to dress and hop aboard their cardboard fire engine, "just like the REAL one." A wall in the midst of being painted red serves as their fire, which they quickly put out. While they are resting from their labors, a real fire truck pays a visit to the school, and two firefighters teach the students all about their jobs and fire safety. Whiting's final lines capture the essence of a preschooler's sense of the myriad possibilities that the future holds: " 'You know, we're firefighters, too,' I tell the firefighters. 'Just not the REAL ones like you. Not yet!' " The acrylic illustrations--vivid colors against appropriately blank-canvas white space--give concrete examples of the ways in which ordinary materials can become playthings. A spark to imaginations, with a little fire safety on the side. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Miss Iverson's class loves to play firehouse. WEEE-OOO! WEEE-OOO! they cry as they race around the playground using large boxes as surrogate fire trucks and long tubes as fire hoses. After this excitement, We flop to the ground tired and dirty. But their adventure is not over yet as a real fire truck with two firefighters aboard shows up to tell the children about fighting fires and rescuing people. Then the children get to climb into the fire truck and look around. Rawlins' colorful illustrations show a lively group of students and their teacher enjoying a day of learning and fun. Since Whiting is Australian, she uses the down under safety slogan to get down low and GO, GO, GO! which may prove confusing to children used to the warning Stop! Drop! And Roll. Otherwise, this book about firefighters will be a popular addition to libraries and preschool classrooms.--Williams, Bina Copyright 2008 Booklist
