FIREHOUSE

A firehouse that sets up in the round, with cutout doors and windows plus push-out firefighters and a ready-to-assemble truck.

The three detachable firefighters (along with the rather stubby truck and assorted equipment) join a large and distinctly diverse crew in simply rendered firehouse scenes that depict training, exercise, going out on a call, and then cleaning up afterward. Along with being a nearly equal mix of male and female (implied by hairstyle), the stylized figures bear skin colors ranging from pink through at least two shades of brown, hair in several different colors and styles, and, in a couple of cases, broad Asian features. The trucks on view don’t look much like real ones, and some topical drift shows up on the last page, in which the supposed “firefighters” are actually a uniformed ambulance crew, patching up a child who has fallen off a bike. Still, everyone in sight is busily at work, and the “Fire Rescue!” scene is dramatic without being scarily so.

An inclusive view of an ever popular career option that’s sturdy enough to survive repeated alarms.