The Firefighters - Hardcover

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.

Starred Review. PreSchool-Grade 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
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