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349th out of 2,250 books
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3,511 voters
The Fire Cat (I Can Read Book-Level 1)
In 1957, Harper published its first I Can Read title, Little Bear, written by Else Holmelund Minarik and illustrated by Maurice Sendak. Large type, simple vocabulary, chapter-like divisions, and decorative pictures made Little Bear perfect for emerging readers
Paperback, 64 pages
Published
September 7th 1983
by HarperCollins
(first published 1960)
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Aug 06, 2008
Abigail
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Early Readers Who Love Cats / Adults Who Like More Philosphical Children's Books
Shelves:
childrens-early-reader,
sweet-youth
Review Temporarily Removed.
This book made me cry as I was reading it in the bookstore. Then I showed it to my therapist and it made him cry. (In all fairness, he's pretty easy. But still.) It's about a cat who turns his life around by doing good works. I'm serious. Listen, just read it, ok?
5 likes
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The Fire Cat is a story about a cat named Pickles that lived in a barrel in a large yard next to a big house. In the house lived a lady named Mrs. Goodkind who had several cats of her own. Pickles was a cat with big paws who wanted to do big things but the only thing he knew how to do was chase other cats that came into his yard. Mrs. Goodking told Pickles that he should not chase those cats and that he needed a good home and she brought him into her home. Although it was nice Pickles wanted to...more
I loved Pickles the fire cat. My mom used to read this book nightly. It brings back such great memories reading with my mom and it was one of my first books I learned to read. Also...#1 firefighters are hot! #2 I wanted to be a veteranarian back then, but then I found out about animal blood, guts and vomit... no thank you.
Many level one readers are awkward for read-alouds but not The Fire Cat! With its engaging text superbly supported by simple but effective illustrations this title works for both early readers and younger children too. Why would a yellow and black spotted cat make trouble and chase other cats? Because he hasn't yet found his life's work! Pickles is a stray who needs to have his prodigious gifts channeled into meaningful activity. Mrs. Goodkind recognizes his potential and arranges for him to be...more
"The Fire Cat," is geared toward readers ages 3-8. It is a sweet story about a cat that does not want to be a house cat. Instead, Pickles wants to work in a fire station and help the fireman save people and other cats. Pickles practices hard to become a fire cat and proves he is worth keeping at the fire station. He becomes one of the fire crew.
Children will be drawn to this story because it involves firemen, a cat, and a warm-hearted story about a cat who use to do bad things, and then later,...more
Children will be drawn to this story because it involves firemen, a cat, and a warm-hearted story about a cat who use to do bad things, and then later,...more
Currently this happens to be my six year old son's favorite book. He loves fire-trucks and cats, so he especially likes this cat who rides on a fire-truck. This book had his interest before he could even read words. He would tell me the story by following the pictures alone.
Although he loves this book, it kinda bothers the feminist within, because there are no fire-women. Where is the adventure for Mrs. Goodkind? Is it so far-fetched that a polka-dotted cat would be honored for bravery before a...more
Although he loves this book, it kinda bothers the feminist within, because there are no fire-women. Where is the adventure for Mrs. Goodkind? Is it so far-fetched that a polka-dotted cat would be honored for bravery before a...more
I absolutely love this story! From the first few words--so simple, yet placed together in such a tender and descriptive way--I was a goner! Nevermind that the illustrations are also so simple, yet so full of character--I want to adopt our spunky spotted cat with the big paws and even bigger dreams. All the characters are great, Mrs. Goodkind and the firemen and The Chief. What a lovely story about the joys of finding one's purpose in the world--and how a lack of fulfillment can make one grumpy a...more
5 likes
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like
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May 06, 2007
TheBookStacks
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Early Readers
Shelves:
reviewedonthebookstacks
Pickles was living in a barrel and he was the bully of the street. One day it begins to rain and his neighbor, Mrs. Goodkind, helps Pickles and has him come and live with her. Well Pickles is not a bad cat, nor is he a good cat. Finally Pickles ends up living with the fireman and learns that good cats succeed and can be given important jobs.
This is good beginner book for children who can read simple sentences and are ready for chapters. The chapters are short and the story continues to keep the...more
This is good beginner book for children who can read simple sentences and are ready for chapters. The chapters are short and the story continues to keep the...more
Pickles is not a bad cat. He is not a good cat. He is a good and bad cat.
How true it is for so many cats I know. Pickles is a yard cat living a somewhat troubled life without purpose. Until he goes to live at the fire station, that is.
Christy gave Emerson's mommy this book in June 2002. What a month that was! Mommy was just finishing her residency and had just taken her board examinations. Who knew that mommy would be reading this book 11 years later to a little boy named Emerson!
Mommy tried...more
How true it is for so many cats I know. Pickles is a yard cat living a somewhat troubled life without purpose. Until he goes to live at the fire station, that is.
Christy gave Emerson's mommy this book in June 2002. What a month that was! Mommy was just finishing her residency and had just taken her board examinations. Who knew that mommy would be reading this book 11 years later to a little boy named Emerson!
Mommy tried...more
I discovered The Fire Cat when my son Christopher was around 3 or 4 yrs. old. Every other week we would walk to the (neighborhood) Park Hill Library to check out books and he absolutely loved this story. It was definitely one of his favorites. Of course Chris was very much into playing fireman. He had a bright red pedal fire truck, a Radio Shack fire hat that lit-up and made this loud siren noise. He would wear his orange winter coat and black winter boots and ride up and down the block in his t...more
I received a copy from a friend to whom I'd mentioned that I adored Esther Averill's cat books as a child. Next year maybe I can score a copy of Jenny and the Cat Club: A Collection of Favorite Stories about Jenny Linsky. Averill's early reader tells the story of Pickles, an aggressive, maculate yellow cat. Given a chance to be a firehouse cat, Pickles realizes that he must become a source of succor.
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I read the Swedish version of this book, "Brand katten". Amazingly I understood a lot of it.
A cute story about an orphan cat who is eventually adopted by a firestation after being rescued from being stuck in a tree. The kitty learns how to be a good fire-cat, including sliding down the firepole and riding in the firetruck. Eventually he is called on to rescue another kitty in the very same tree he was stuck in.
A cute story about an orphan cat who is eventually adopted by a firestation after being rescued from being stuck in a tree. The kitty learns how to be a good fire-cat, including sliding down the firepole and riding in the firetruck. Eventually he is called on to rescue another kitty in the very same tree he was stuck in.
It is a cute story about a homeless cat, Pickles, wanting to do big things in his life with his big paws. One day after chasing a little cat up a big tree he could not get down and fire fighters had to be called. The fire fighter got him out of the tree and he asked the fire chief if Pickles could stay at the firehouse. Pickles did get the opportunity to live at the firehouse and become a firehouse cat. After much practice and hard work Pickles became a good cat fire fighter. Recommend for early...more
My boys liked the length of this book, 63 pages, compared to most others, which are shorter. The illustrations look like a mediocre high-schooler's attempt at perseverance. Poor by most measures. The story has a slow-to-built plot but ends satisfactorily. The name of the cat is "Pickles", which I will work to not pronounce for quite some time due to the book's overuse.
This is the story of Pickles, a big brute of a spotted yellow cat, and how he finds a sense of purpose. I like that the story is told in three parts so that an emergent reader can a) take breaks when needed and b) feel a great sense of accomplishment upon finishing each part. The vocabulary is mostly basic, but with some tougher/more challenging words thrown in for good measure.
The Fire Cat is an excellent early reader with an honest to goodness storyline and a very good one at that! The illust...more
The Fire Cat is an excellent early reader with an honest to goodness storyline and a very good one at that! The illust...more
5 likes
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Mar 22, 2012
GlobeRunner
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Very young, aspiring firefighters...and other kids.
Shelves:
children-s,
in-swedish
I read about "The Fire Cat" here on GoodReads and it felt like the perfect book for my little nephew. I had to read it in Swedish, as the library didn't have the original version. It was just as good as I thought it would be, and now I will order it in English and translate it into Italian for my nephew myself! (He is a 4-year-old aspiring a firefighter).
This one of the first books I ever read. It is a testament to the strength of feline endurance and shows that no matter what goes wrong in your life, you can always turn it around and triumph. And the cat is named Pickles. How can you not like a book about a fire cat named Pickles? Some day I want to be just like Pickles.
Jan 20, 2010
Wastell Mcneil
added it
A lady finds a cat but the cat doesn't want to live with her because the cat wants to do big things. So the firefighter who gets the cat down from the tree offers to take the cat in. The cat who was once a stray is now the fire cat. This can be used to talk about adoption and being the best you can be.
This is one of my favorite children's books that I read over and over again as a beginner. Pickles is an adventurous cat who wants to be a fire cat at the fire station. With hard work, Pickles accomplishes his dreams and does just that. This book is a simple chapter book for young readers.
Audience: easy reader, PK-2, simple text
Appeal: funny, trouble-making cat, colorful pictures
This is one of the books I read as a child. I enjoyed reading it again and remembered my mom and grandma reading it to me a lot. The text is easy to read for struggling readers and has colorful pictures.
Appeal: funny, trouble-making cat, colorful pictures
This is one of the books I read as a child. I enjoyed reading it again and remembered my mom and grandma reading it to me a lot. The text is easy to read for struggling readers and has colorful pictures.
I read this picture book while waiting for my dog to finish her vet appointment. It was okay, the plot had a few holes. (Do not call the fire department for a cat stuck in a tree, please.) However, the morals about redemption and bullying were very good.
So Pickles is a naughty cat, always chasing other cats and generally being mean. He gets stuck up a tree and the firemen rescue him. Pickles decides to turn his life around and be the best fire cat there is.
I don't consider it a level one reader though. It had many words in it which are not phonetic (like climbed and against) or are a little harder than 'easy readers'. It's probably better suited to kids who've been reading a bit first otherwise they'll get frustrated. It took my struggling read...more
I don't consider it a level one reader though. It had many words in it which are not phonetic (like climbed and against) or are a little harder than 'easy readers'. It's probably better suited to kids who've been reading a bit first otherwise they'll get frustrated. It took my struggling read...more
Michelle Knudson (author of Library Lion) mentioned this book and it brought back memories of when I learned to read. I found a copy and reread it. This book is even better than I remember. Good plot arc and character development.
This was one of my old books at my mother's house. I read it as a bedtime story to my nephews and they loved it! It was easy enough that they could read some of the pages, too. Ah, good times with the family!
I walked by and the tiny spine of The Fire Cat jumped out at me the other day! Oh the joy the little yellow cat with black spots brought me.
I remember this is one of the books I owned and read over and over as a child. I would give a shiny nickel to have my old copy again.
I remember this is one of the books I owned and read over and over as a child. I would give a shiny nickel to have my old copy again.
Is there a way to give a book more than 5 stars? Because I love this book more than 5 stars worth. I read it constantly as a child, and it's still fun today. Oh, Pickles. What a good cat you are!
I can't believe thsi book was written by the same author as the other "Jenny" books. It is very disappointing, especially the use of what I consider "bad" words for kids.
Only the best book about a cat that wants to be a firehouse dalmatian, like, EVER. Read this in Petawawa, in the bunk room. Mine had a red cover. Fire cat. You rock.
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Esther Averill (1902-1992) began her career as a storyteller drawing cartoons for her local newspaper. After graduating from Vassar College in 1923, she moved first to New York City and then to Paris, where she founded her own publishing company. The Domino Press introduced American readers to artists from all over the world, including Feodor Rojankovsky, who later won a Caldecott Award. In 1941,...more
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“One day Mrs. Goodkind said,
'Pickles, you are not a bad cat.
You are not a good cat.
You are good and bad.
And bad and good.
You are a mixed-up cat.
What you need is a good home.
Then you will be good.' ”
—
1 person liked it
More quotes…
'Pickles, you are not a bad cat.
You are not a good cat.
You are good and bad.
And bad and good.
You are a mixed-up cat.
What you need is a good home.
Then you will be good.' ”
Jan 04, 2010 01:04pm
Jan 04, 2010 08:20pm