Lib Bk: Fire!said Mrs McGuire Signaturs 1

by harcourt-brace

A modern adaptation of an old nursery rhyme, Fire! Fire! Said Mrs. McGuire combines the whimsical illustrations of Caldecott Award-winning illustrator Richard Egielski with the playful one-liners of Bill Martin. When Mrs. McGuire, a television news anchor, hears about a fire from a reporter flying over the city in a helicopter, a hilarious transfer of information begins. "'Where? Where?'" said Mrs. Bear. 'Downtown!' said Mrs. Brown." The story climaxes as the fire department arrives in a flurry to extinguish a blaze that turns out to be the candles on elderly Mrs. Wear's birthday cake.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Childrens, Storytime, Poetry, Firefighters, Fiction

Perfect Paperback

First published June 1, 1970

Reviews

[Margie]

0.0
**Unbelievably sexist illustrations in this 1996 version illustrated by Richard Egielski! I am so upset that this children's picture book even got published. In addition to the sexist illustrations, it is also very devious in that it leads you to think it is a feminist book in terms of women being police officers, firefighters, etc. However, in the midst of a rescue scene are two pages with illustrations of firemen ogling Mrs. Votter in her skimpy red dress and staring at her breasts while ignoring other fire victims! I am very upset that this book has been around since the 1990s giving girls and boys these appalling sexist images. When are some men going to get the message that sexism in this day and age is politically, morally, spiritually and psychologically incorrect as well as despicable!

Unfortunately there is no choice for negative stars!

**Update, 10/22/2018 and 7/14/2023: When I originally posted this review in 2015, I didn't notice that there had been different illustrators for Bill Martin, Jr.'s book: Ted Schroeder in 1970, Richard Egielski in 1996 and Vladimir Radunsky in 2006. Thanks to another reviewer, I found out that Nathan Jarvis also illustrated this book. My review pertains only to Egielski's illustrations, first published in 1996 and including later reprints.

[Jamie]

This is great for rhyming and showing women who work in different capacities that are usually men's roles and it would be good for emerging readers because of the few words on a page and repetitive text, BUT HERE'S THE CATCH! There is a woman in a strappy red dress with bright blond hair and seemingly large breasts. The firemen are staring at her and spilling water and coffee because they're distracted. WHAT!? Really? This is real?

[Alicia]

There is a picture of a woman in a sleezy dress with three firemen oggling her. They are pouring a glass of water for her from their hose. Really? This is supposed to be a children's book. I was not impressed in any regard. The book abruptly ends and I just didn't get it.

[Jessica]

Sexist and ridiculous. Should never have been published. What a joke to show to young kids!

[Siskiyou-Suzy]

I was intrigued (as were the children -- they love the helicopter on the cover), so I read it to the kids, but I'm not impressed. The rhyming names are often terrible! There are much better names that would rhyme that wouldn't sound so awkward. I think it's cool that it shows women with a variety of jobs, but . . . it's kind of lame. And as others pointed out, there's a strange overly sexualized illustration in the midst of it.

[Nichole]

ETA: When I got my email about this book with other people's reviews in it, I noticed almost everyone mentioned a sexist illustration with firemouses(?) and ogling and pouring water on a woman. My edition does not have that illustration. I went back and checked because I was shocked I would have missed it. Checked twice- this one doesn't have it. (2006 edition??)

Just a simple, fun rhyming book.

[Colleen]

Cute concept, except I found a few pages sexist and inappropriate. For two pages, firefighters forget their job and gawk at a curvaceous blond in a short, tight dress with heals. I just pitched this book.

[Elena Maddox]

Sexist illustrations. Not appropriate for any storytimes.

[Children's Librarian]

Some of the reviews are for a different edition, with illustrations by Richard Egielski, and not by Ted Schroeder, but after reading several different versions of the same story the overall rating for each of them is quite low anyway. There is a version with mice as characters done by Vladimir Radunsky and one more with people illustrated by Nathan Jarvis.

The rhymes chosen are not the best and each version has the exact same text, adapted by Bill Martin but with illustrations by different illustrators. If anything, I would rather see the text changed to flow better as most of the illustrations were good in all 4 editions, apart from those 3 shocking pictures from 1996 done by Egielski. They are better suited for certain men's magazines and not for children's picture book. How this book got published with them in it is a mystery to me.

select rhyming words:

where - Mrs. Bear
downtown - Mrs. Brown
floor - Mrs. Moore
come - Mrs. Plumb
way - Mrs. Lei
see - Mrs. Chi
door - Mrs. Orr
declare - Mrs. Wear
save us - Mrs. McDavis

[Isaac Mitchell]

This book started off with this mouse thinking there was fire near them. They could see through the key whole in the door. The mice were yelling for the other mice to help them. They yelled bring some water to put the fire out. They even yelled to break down the door to get to the fire. But eventually when they opened the door they noticed it was just a candle lit on top of a birthday cake and they were in no harm. I would possibly put this book in my classroom. I thought it was a cute story.

[Carlee Freeman]

This book is great for teaching rhyming words with children! This book goes through all the people getting out of a burning building. Every line of the book rhymes until everyone is all out! Great for beginning readers!

[Katie]

Just a bizarrely illustrated book that I'm kind of glad I read it.
It has it all. Men leering at a woman because she's wearing a dress, a woman screaming in an enormous fur coat, and a woman falling out of a window in only a towel and shower cap.

[Kelsey]

Rhyming words was the only redeeming part of this story. The story was boring and not very positive (everyone’s terrified about a building fire until the “twist” that it’s fire from some birthday candles). The illustrations are terrible and ugly.

[Colorado Buck]

loved this easy to read rhyming fire theme book. it's all a big misunderstanding. the mice do not see a fire but candles on a birthday cake!! fun. and quick.

[Sarah Brooks]

The main reason I didn't like it is because everyone is yelling fire and it's just candles. It shouldn't really be in a kids book cuz if they did that it would get them into a lot of trouble no matter how much it rhymes.

[Sean Harding]

Martin Quest #22
Book Book said some old chook
Read it read it said Old mother weed it
It rhymes it rhymes said old bat Symes
and so it goes well without the old bat bits anyway.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer]

Mrs. McGuire the mouse sees flames through a keyhole and raises the alarm. In rhyming text, other mice come running and react to the alarm. In the end, the fire turns out to be not as dangerous as Mrs. McGuire's panicked alarm led everyone to believe. This might be a good story for use in a discussion of what to do in case of a fire, and what are appropriate reactions when fire is spotted. However, frankly, I don't care for Vladimir Radunsky's chunky, rough illustrations, and I disliked the abrupt ending (seemed like something was missing). Another reviewer pointed out a rather sexist picture in the text--a woman with big breasts in a tight dress with firefighters gawping around her--which I entirely missed, so I'll have to go back and take another look. Anyway, as I said above, it might be useful in a discussion about what to do in case of a fire, but it wouldn't be my first pick.

[Michelle King]

Fire! Fire! said Mrs. McGuire is an interesting book about teamwork. Mrs. McGuire see's a flame through a keyhole and yells fire. All the mice work together to get to the fire. It has realistic view for children to see working together to solve a problem can be beneficial. The book has rhyming words and show the emotions of the mice trying to get to the fire. A vocabulary word would be declare for young children. Learning experience would be have small group and allow the children to work together to solve a problem.

[Parker]

The ending kind of comes with a thud... but other than that this book is interesting in that all the characters are women and aren't stereotypical types - women are driving the fire trucks, busting down doors, etc - so that's a nice change of pace! Other than that aspect though I didn't find this book that special.

[Ashley Wampler]

All of the little mice see fire through a keyhole in their building. They all begin to yell for help. When the door is opened, the "fire" is just a birthday candle from a birthday party! They were worried for no reason at all.

[Casey]

I read this story for a schema lesson in E339. The story was very repetitive, it would be a good text to read with younger students. It is suspenseful and has a happy birthday surprise at the ending, might be a good choice to read on someone's special day or to use with a prediction strategy.

[jenna Hudrlik]

cool illustrations, wish there was a bit more to the story

[Debbie]

All the mice are running from the fire. Or are they? Turns out they are going to a birthday party, and the candles are lit. A see-through keyhole shows what looks like fire.

[oplkids]

With a view through a cut-out keyhole, we can see the mice reacting to the fire in this funny rhyming book. But what is really at the top of the stairs?

[Amanda]

I love the colorful illustrations and the cute turn at the end. Other than the names, I think this could make a good early reader too.

[Bethann]

cute

[Melissa]

Okay. I didn't think much of this book, but my 4 year old nephew giggled and giggled at the ending. A fluke? Who knows.

[Katie Fitzgerald]

Read at Baby/Toddler Lap Time on 8/17/12: http://storytimesecrets.blogspot.com/...

[L.]

A bit basic.

[Lacey Mcmanaway]

This book is great for teaching schema. It also has a lot of repetitive language. It involves some rhyming and well. It is a cute book for showing that things are not always what they seem.