bookshelf

FIREFIGHTERS TO THE RESCUE!

Name: FIREFIGHTERS TO THE RESCUE!
Author: R.W. Alley
ISBN: 9781662670275

From the Breezy Valley at Work series

by R.W. Alley ; illustrated by R.W. Alley ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 3, 2023

Classic in style, rich in information, and sweet in story.

bookshelf

A save-the-day story sprinkled with firefighter facts.

What happens when the Tabby Twins get stuck on an ice cream cone sign during a kitchen fire? Led by cheerful, orderly Chief Piggie, the firefighters of Breezy Valley—a group of anthropomorphic animals—spring into action! At the scene of the emergency, the Tabby Twins argue while stranded on the ice cream cone sign. “You’re breathing my air,” snipes one. “Am NOT!” retorts the other. Their squabble lightens the mood and signals that all will be OK, and sure enough, they are returned to their mother promptly so the crew can fight the flames below. Next, it’s on to fight a meadow fire and then time to unwind at the firehouse…until a late-night siren interrupts again—a firefighter’s job is never done! The illustrations are reminiscent of Richard Scarry’s work. Bustling scenes will keep readers searching for stories within the story. The main narrative, conveyed in blocky black text, can be followed easily, while the use of speech bubbles in the art adds to the fun. Early on, an elaborately labeled illustration of turnout gear is followed by diagrams of pumper and ladder engines and Brush Breaker trucks, making this a true love letter to firefighters and their tools. At the end of the book, Alley encourages readers to go back and spot details hidden in the art. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Classic in style, rich in information, and sweet in story. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Oct. 3, 2023

ISBN: 9781662670275

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Kane Press

Review Posted Online: July 26, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2023

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S HEALTH & DAILY LIVING

- BOOK REVIEW
HOSPITAL HEROES SAVE THE DAY!
by R.W. Alley ; illustrated by R.W. Alley

- BOOK REVIEW
MITCHELL ON THE MOON
by R.W. Alley ; illustrated by R.W. Alley

- BOOK REVIEW
ENZO'S VERY SCARY HALLOWEEN
by Garth Stein ; illustrated by R.W. Alley

bookshelf

ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

bookshelf

Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: June 21, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
ON THE FIRST DAY OF FIRST GRADE
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Sarah Jennings

- BOOK REVIEW
FIVE LITTLE BUNNIES
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

bookshelf

IMANI'S MOON

by JaNay Brown-Wood ; illustrated by Hazel Mitchell ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 14, 2014

While the blend of folklore, fantasy and realism is certainly far-fetched, Imani, with her winning personality, is a child...

bookshelf

Imani endures the insults heaped upon her by the other village children, but she never gives up her dreams.

The Masai girl is tiny compared to the other children, but she is full of imagination and perseverance. Luckily, she has a mother who believes in her and tells her stories that will fuel that imagination. Mama tells her about the moon goddess, Olapa, who wins over the sun god. She tells Imani about Anansi, the trickster spider who vanquishes a larger snake. (Troublingly, the fact that Anansi is a West African figure, not of the Masai, goes unaddressed in both text and author’s note.) Inspired, the tiny girl tries to find new ways to achieve her dream: to touch the moon. One day, after crashing to the ground yet again when her leafy wings fail, she is ready to forget her hopes. That night, she witnesses the adumu, the special warriors’ jumping dance. Imani wakes the next morning, determined to jump to the moon. After jumping all day, she reaches the moon, meets Olapa and receives a special present from the goddess, a small moon rock. Now she becomes the storyteller when she relates her adventure to Mama. The watercolor-and-graphite illustrations have been enhanced digitally, and the night scenes of storytelling and fantasy with their glowing stars and moons have a more powerful impact than the daytime scenes, with their blander colors.

While the blend of folklore, fantasy and realism is certainly far-fetched, Imani, with her winning personality, is a child to be admired. (Picture book. 5-8)