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Firefighters' Handbook
“The writing is clear and specific, and the expansive, colorful acrylic illustrations, including labeled diagrams, are themselves quite informative.” —Horn Book (starred review)
From award-winning author-illustrator Meghan McCarthy comes an entertaining picture book that explores the training and day-to-day life of being a firefighter as they put out fires and saves lives.
Do you have what it takes to be a firefighter?
From attending the Firefighter Academy to training with a team, there are many things you have to accomplish before becoming a firefighter! Learn the tools firefighters use, the kinds of trucks firefighters drive, and the dangerous situations they find themselves in as they put their lives on the line to help others in this charming picture book from the author of The Invention of Bubble Gum.
From award-winning author-illustrator Meghan McCarthy comes an entertaining picture book that explores the training and day-to-day life of being a firefighter as they put out fires and saves lives.
Do you have what it takes to be a firefighter?
From attending the Firefighter Academy to training with a team, there are many things you have to accomplish before becoming a firefighter! Learn the tools firefighters use, the kinds of trucks firefighters drive, and the dangerous situations they find themselves in as they put their lives on the line to help others in this charming picture book from the author of The Invention of Bubble Gum.
48 pages, Hardcover
Published September 17, 2019
About the author
Meghan Mccarthy
34 books72 followersChildren's book author of many wonderful fiction and nonfiction books for young readers, including the below following. Meghan's books have won the IRA-CBC Children's Choice, ALA Notable, Kirkus Reviews Reviewer's Choice, Booklist Best Books, NYPL 100 Best Books, SLJ Best Books, and so on. Blah blah blah, what Meghan really wants to do is drive really fast and jump in really long grass until she gets grass stains. She'd prefer to remain child-like because children don't have to pay bills.
The Wall Street Journal described Meghan’s art as “goofy yet somehow dignified.” Meghan is much the same way. By the age of 40 she plans to wear a boa at all times and on all occasions.
The Wall Street Journal described Meghan’s art as “goofy yet somehow dignified.” Meghan is much the same way. By the age of 40 she plans to wear a boa at all times and on all occasions.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
November 6, 2019
I don’t want to intimidate you fine, upstanding citizens, but I fancy myself a bit of a firefighting picture book expert. I say this because, like millions of other adults, I have a child that liked fire trucks. Now my kid’s love was what I’d call on the moderate side of the equation. He didn’t obsess over them, but rather found them a rather delightful diversion, and why not? Fire trucks and engines are big, red, loud, and save lives. They’re like superheroes in truck form. But as I am a children’s librarian, I am aware of an entirely different part of the spectrum. There are kids out there for whom the term “obsession” runs mild. These are children for whom there are not enough firefighting books in all the world enough to satisfy the void inside them that demands more more MORE MORE MORE!!! I know these children. I know their parents. I know that these parents will literally pull any work of dreck off of the shelves if it has even a tangential relationship to firefighting. To these parents and guardians I bestow a gift. A reward, if you will, for meeting your children’s needs with books rather than just finding the first firetruck-related YouTube video out there and planting them before it. In short, I give you Meghan McCarthy’s The Firefighters’ Handbook. It is everything you have ever wanted in a book of this nature and more. This is the book that your children and, to be frank, you, deserve. Go on. Crack it over. You’re worth it.
So you want to be a firefighter? You’ve come to the right place. But becoming this kind of hero isn’t exactly easy. If you’re truly dedicated then you’re going to need to learn everything there is on how to train, live, and work as a real firefighter. Fortunately this handy dandy guide is here to help you through the process. With this book you’ll learn the tests necessary to pass your firefighting training, the names and definitions of your equipment, what you’ll do on your downtime, how you’ll practice, and you’ll even hear from a real firefighter about the highs and lows that come with the job. When we’re through, kid, you will know absolutely everything there is to know about firefighting in the real world. Think you can handle it? We know you can.
Now when I mentioned the firefighting obsessed children of the world, you probably surmised that I was talking specifically about toddlers and preschoolers. And McCarthy’s book is, quite frankly, for an older set. Not to say a preschooler couldn’t get a lot out of this title, but I wouldn’t call them the original intended audience, necessarily. Obviously any book that mentions auxiliary discharge connections and the requirements of the CPAT (Candidate Physical Ability Test) is aimed at a wider scope of readers than a book that says, “The fire truck goes wee-oooo, wee-ooo!” That said, I want you to give your kids the benefit of the doubt. Yes, this book will be of most use to slightly older children for whom a love of all things firefighting-related never waned. Yet anyone who has ever encountered an obsession in a person, regardless of age, will know that satisfying that need is above all else. So a preschooler with a yen for firefighters is not going to necessarily care that some elements of this book are above him or her. And therein lies the genius of McCarthy’s narrative. Because as in all her books, she can be read by a wide swath of age ranges. The very first sentences in this book read, “Welcome! Soon you will learn everything you need to know to become a firefighter.” There it is. Clear as crystal. No age designation to be found. You want the gig, kid? This book has the goods.
The most obvious predecessor to this book would, of course, be McCarthy’s 2008 title, Astronaut Handbook. As in that book, the author has thrown herself bodily into her research. Unlike Astronaut Handbook, she’s dived much deeper into the subject matter. In an interesting twist, Sources for kids to check out are listed in the Endpapers (they’re all websites) but the Bibliography is housed at the author’s website: Meghan-mccarthy.com. Is it strange that I’ve never seen this before? I can see why it was done, of course. Space is at a premium when you write a work of picture book nonfiction. The limitations of the form deemed that McCarthy would only be allowed to fill 48 pages of this title in total. For the backmatter, she had to make specific choices. Allotted only two pages, she spends one entirely on an interview conducted with real firefighter Bob “Bubba” Parmenter, a retired Fire Department Battalion Chief in Warwick, Rhode Island. This means that the second page had to encompass questions from real children to Chief Parmenter, questions to accompany the memory quiz at the beginning of the book, an answer to the interview questions at the beginning of the book, Acknowledgments, a memorium, Photo Credits, and the aforementioned Sources. Little wonder McCarthy put her Bibliography on her website. Even so, what does it say about the state of the publishing world today that a publisher as great and grand as Simon & Schuster makes its authors house such important information and refuses to duplicate it for the book’s page on the publisher’s website? In the event that the book goes out of print, McCarthy’s website would be the more reliable of the two, but there’s no reason this information couldn’t be duplicated. Just saying.
And speaking of information, one of the things I found I admired most about this book was the fact that it seemed to honestly be a thorough examination of firefighting in the 21st century. Sure, in 50 years or so this title might date, but until then it feels so real. I’d never encountered a book that made such a clear delineation between fire trucks and fire engines (a truck is like a toolbox, an engine carries water of its own). I loved how it showed the tests you would have to pass for the CPAT, making the process of becoming a firefighter seem like a realistic and practical job opportunity rather than some fantasy that only exists in picture books. And then there’s the pole. You know the one I mean. I think there may be a law in America that states that you can’t have a picture book about a firehouse without an image of someone sliding down a pole in there somewhere. Now some folks would condemn the pole on sight, but as McCarthy acknowledges in her backmatter, while newer stations don’t have poles, older ones still do. Glad we covered that one.
When I think of a Meghan McCarthy book, I think of thick paints in glorious colors. I think of large, round, white eyeballs. And for outlines, I think of black, broad ones that direct the eye instantaneously. I’ve been following McCarthy’s work since her first book Aliens Are Coming back in 2006, so I was amazed to find a change in style with this particular title. Here, the artist has honed her work considerably. Though recognizably her, with paints you can almost feel as they pop off the page (the endpapers of hanging firefighter jackets are a prime example of this), this book feels more delicate and detailed than any she’s done before. Consider her view of the interior of a fire engine or ladder truck. The cutaway reveals a level of detail and attention that no doubt young readers will insist their parents read to them, piece by piece, point by point, every time they get to that page. The publication page says the art was just created with acrylics on Stonehenge paper, but look at the precision of her lines on buildings or even the trucks themselves. One two-page spread of the buildings where firefighters go to train made me positively giddy with the perfection of those delicate lines and perspective. And look at those teeny tiny firefighters down below! Whatever acrylics McCarthy is using to render such minutiae, I doff my cap to it and to her.
This all sounds pretty technical, so let me assure you that the book, on top of being an accurate examination of firefighting modernity, is also incredibly fun. Some of this is due in large part to the format. McCarthy’s been in this game long enough to know that you need to break up the continuous spreads with white pages that detail images and actions piece by piece. As in Astronaut Handbook McCarthy will also put in some child stand-ins, to give young readers the sense of they themselves working alongside real firefighters on the scene. Of course, in the interests of safety, she’s had to include such warnings as the asterixed sentence, “WARNING: This child is too little and too young to be on a fire scene! Do not imitate please.” To be honest, that felt like an inclusion from a litigiously wary publisher. If any kid gets an idea from this book that they should run out and grab a hose in the event of a fire, clearly that’s not the book’s fault.
“Most of the time we are called during the worst day of a person’s life.” That’s Chief Parmenter talking there. It’s so strange that a job that fits that description could also be arguably the most popular occupation amongst the toddler and preschooler set. But I think that’s the price you pay with actual honest-to-god heroism. And with nonfiction picture books increasingly aware of the complicated nature of "heroism" in so many other aspects of our lives (most notably our shared history) it comes as a bit of a relief to encounter something as purely noble as the yen to save other people from local, all too common disasters. Now there have been nonfiction books similar to this that illustrate their pages with photographs, but none have been this engaging, this well-written, and this finely honed as what McCarthy’s created here. If there is an art to rendering expository facts with a narrative feel, then Meghan McCarthy is this type of book’s Vincent Van Gogh. Never sacrificing beauty, never skimping on reality, she provides the perfect balance while also managing to come up with books that kids will really really enjoy reading. A treat to eye and ear and a blessing to parents of the firefighting obsessed nationwide. The best at what it aims to be.
For ages 4 and up.
So you want to be a firefighter? You’ve come to the right place. But becoming this kind of hero isn’t exactly easy. If you’re truly dedicated then you’re going to need to learn everything there is on how to train, live, and work as a real firefighter. Fortunately this handy dandy guide is here to help you through the process. With this book you’ll learn the tests necessary to pass your firefighting training, the names and definitions of your equipment, what you’ll do on your downtime, how you’ll practice, and you’ll even hear from a real firefighter about the highs and lows that come with the job. When we’re through, kid, you will know absolutely everything there is to know about firefighting in the real world. Think you can handle it? We know you can.
Now when I mentioned the firefighting obsessed children of the world, you probably surmised that I was talking specifically about toddlers and preschoolers. And McCarthy’s book is, quite frankly, for an older set. Not to say a preschooler couldn’t get a lot out of this title, but I wouldn’t call them the original intended audience, necessarily. Obviously any book that mentions auxiliary discharge connections and the requirements of the CPAT (Candidate Physical Ability Test) is aimed at a wider scope of readers than a book that says, “The fire truck goes wee-oooo, wee-ooo!” That said, I want you to give your kids the benefit of the doubt. Yes, this book will be of most use to slightly older children for whom a love of all things firefighting-related never waned. Yet anyone who has ever encountered an obsession in a person, regardless of age, will know that satisfying that need is above all else. So a preschooler with a yen for firefighters is not going to necessarily care that some elements of this book are above him or her. And therein lies the genius of McCarthy’s narrative. Because as in all her books, she can be read by a wide swath of age ranges. The very first sentences in this book read, “Welcome! Soon you will learn everything you need to know to become a firefighter.” There it is. Clear as crystal. No age designation to be found. You want the gig, kid? This book has the goods.
The most obvious predecessor to this book would, of course, be McCarthy’s 2008 title, Astronaut Handbook. As in that book, the author has thrown herself bodily into her research. Unlike Astronaut Handbook, she’s dived much deeper into the subject matter. In an interesting twist, Sources for kids to check out are listed in the Endpapers (they’re all websites) but the Bibliography is housed at the author’s website: Meghan-mccarthy.com. Is it strange that I’ve never seen this before? I can see why it was done, of course. Space is at a premium when you write a work of picture book nonfiction. The limitations of the form deemed that McCarthy would only be allowed to fill 48 pages of this title in total. For the backmatter, she had to make specific choices. Allotted only two pages, she spends one entirely on an interview conducted with real firefighter Bob “Bubba” Parmenter, a retired Fire Department Battalion Chief in Warwick, Rhode Island. This means that the second page had to encompass questions from real children to Chief Parmenter, questions to accompany the memory quiz at the beginning of the book, an answer to the interview questions at the beginning of the book, Acknowledgments, a memorium, Photo Credits, and the aforementioned Sources. Little wonder McCarthy put her Bibliography on her website. Even so, what does it say about the state of the publishing world today that a publisher as great and grand as Simon & Schuster makes its authors house such important information and refuses to duplicate it for the book’s page on the publisher’s website? In the event that the book goes out of print, McCarthy’s website would be the more reliable of the two, but there’s no reason this information couldn’t be duplicated. Just saying.
And speaking of information, one of the things I found I admired most about this book was the fact that it seemed to honestly be a thorough examination of firefighting in the 21st century. Sure, in 50 years or so this title might date, but until then it feels so real. I’d never encountered a book that made such a clear delineation between fire trucks and fire engines (a truck is like a toolbox, an engine carries water of its own). I loved how it showed the tests you would have to pass for the CPAT, making the process of becoming a firefighter seem like a realistic and practical job opportunity rather than some fantasy that only exists in picture books. And then there’s the pole. You know the one I mean. I think there may be a law in America that states that you can’t have a picture book about a firehouse without an image of someone sliding down a pole in there somewhere. Now some folks would condemn the pole on sight, but as McCarthy acknowledges in her backmatter, while newer stations don’t have poles, older ones still do. Glad we covered that one.
When I think of a Meghan McCarthy book, I think of thick paints in glorious colors. I think of large, round, white eyeballs. And for outlines, I think of black, broad ones that direct the eye instantaneously. I’ve been following McCarthy’s work since her first book Aliens Are Coming back in 2006, so I was amazed to find a change in style with this particular title. Here, the artist has honed her work considerably. Though recognizably her, with paints you can almost feel as they pop off the page (the endpapers of hanging firefighter jackets are a prime example of this), this book feels more delicate and detailed than any she’s done before. Consider her view of the interior of a fire engine or ladder truck. The cutaway reveals a level of detail and attention that no doubt young readers will insist their parents read to them, piece by piece, point by point, every time they get to that page. The publication page says the art was just created with acrylics on Stonehenge paper, but look at the precision of her lines on buildings or even the trucks themselves. One two-page spread of the buildings where firefighters go to train made me positively giddy with the perfection of those delicate lines and perspective. And look at those teeny tiny firefighters down below! Whatever acrylics McCarthy is using to render such minutiae, I doff my cap to it and to her.
This all sounds pretty technical, so let me assure you that the book, on top of being an accurate examination of firefighting modernity, is also incredibly fun. Some of this is due in large part to the format. McCarthy’s been in this game long enough to know that you need to break up the continuous spreads with white pages that detail images and actions piece by piece. As in Astronaut Handbook McCarthy will also put in some child stand-ins, to give young readers the sense of they themselves working alongside real firefighters on the scene. Of course, in the interests of safety, she’s had to include such warnings as the asterixed sentence, “WARNING: This child is too little and too young to be on a fire scene! Do not imitate please.” To be honest, that felt like an inclusion from a litigiously wary publisher. If any kid gets an idea from this book that they should run out and grab a hose in the event of a fire, clearly that’s not the book’s fault.
“Most of the time we are called during the worst day of a person’s life.” That’s Chief Parmenter talking there. It’s so strange that a job that fits that description could also be arguably the most popular occupation amongst the toddler and preschooler set. But I think that’s the price you pay with actual honest-to-god heroism. And with nonfiction picture books increasingly aware of the complicated nature of "heroism" in so many other aspects of our lives (most notably our shared history) it comes as a bit of a relief to encounter something as purely noble as the yen to save other people from local, all too common disasters. Now there have been nonfiction books similar to this that illustrate their pages with photographs, but none have been this engaging, this well-written, and this finely honed as what McCarthy’s created here. If there is an art to rendering expository facts with a narrative feel, then Meghan McCarthy is this type of book’s Vincent Van Gogh. Never sacrificing beauty, never skimping on reality, she provides the perfect balance while also managing to come up with books that kids will really really enjoy reading. A treat to eye and ear and a blessing to parents of the firefighting obsessed nationwide. The best at what it aims to be.
For ages 4 and up.
August 6, 2020
This "handbook" helps young readers to learn everything they need to know about training for and being a firefighter. It opens with a double page illustration of firefighters and two young "rookies" posed as if for a group photo. Text: "Welcome! Soon you will learn everything you need to know to become a firefighter. The training is hard, but the job is harder, so be prepared!"
September 29, 2019
This all-about book gives a lot of information about firefighters that kids may or may not know and asks the readers to think about do they have what it takes to be a firefighter. Interactive - there are a couple of quizzes to take - and thought-provoking since it tells you many of the tests a person needs to take and do in order to become a firefighter.
October 5, 2020
Living across the street from the firehouse with it's shiny fire trucks and fire engines, when our kids were little, was one of the most exciting places to be! Meghan McCarthy does not talk down to her readers on this subject, instead she infuses them with lots of sophisticated information such as how to train for the CPAT test (Candidate Physical Ability Test) a necessary test for becoming a firefighter. The training described is challenging, yet these are exercises kids can easily practice, such as running, biking, squats, and pushups all great suggestions. However, the page with the actual CPAT test shows how difficult it really is, and how strong one has to be. The message of staying in shape is clear. Her focus on the importance of teamwork to fight fires successfully is so apparent throughout, especially on the page with the house on fire. The doublespreads of the fire fighter equipment and uniform with all of the essential PPE, and tools to get the job done, plus the cutaway of the inside of the fire truck drawn in great detail, will fascinate the reader. This book is so detailed, covering the careers firefighters can persue, what's inside a fire house, and even a comprehensive interview with a Fire Department Battalion chief, make this a well loved book in the library. As always Meghan McCarthy's illustrations are exquisite and bring this fire handbook to life. A must buy for all elementary libraries!
July 28, 2020
An excellent nonfiction book about one of our first responders.
Just what does it take to be a firefighter? McCarthy does an admirable job of taking readers through the process of applying for, training for, and preparing to become a firefighter. Readers learn about personal equipment used, places they work and how they specialize, and what daily life is like for firefighters who work in urban/suburban areas. Backmatter includes two pages of Q&A with a retired FD Battalion Chief with questions from the author and a diverse group of children, answers to the author's questions for the reader to answer within the text, a brief webliography, and a note for a complete bibliography to go to the author's website.
McCarthy's text is simple and straightforward. It is meant to enlighten boys and girls about exactly what a firefighter does and subliminally encourage them to consider this career as an option. McCarthy's illustrations were rendered in acrylic on paper. At times, they are almost photo-real in quality - particularly on equipment. When depicting the people in the book, all have the same big cartoonish, round-shaped eyes in the same manner as Tedd Arnold. There is some diversity shown, however it is limited to mainly Black and white people.
A solid title to share with and inspire future firefighters.
Recommended for PreS-grade 3.
Just what does it take to be a firefighter? McCarthy does an admirable job of taking readers through the process of applying for, training for, and preparing to become a firefighter. Readers learn about personal equipment used, places they work and how they specialize, and what daily life is like for firefighters who work in urban/suburban areas. Backmatter includes two pages of Q&A with a retired FD Battalion Chief with questions from the author and a diverse group of children, answers to the author's questions for the reader to answer within the text, a brief webliography, and a note for a complete bibliography to go to the author's website.
McCarthy's text is simple and straightforward. It is meant to enlighten boys and girls about exactly what a firefighter does and subliminally encourage them to consider this career as an option. McCarthy's illustrations were rendered in acrylic on paper. At times, they are almost photo-real in quality - particularly on equipment. When depicting the people in the book, all have the same big cartoonish, round-shaped eyes in the same manner as Tedd Arnold. There is some diversity shown, however it is limited to mainly Black and white people.
A solid title to share with and inspire future firefighters.
Recommended for PreS-grade 3.
November 3, 2019
Have you ever wanted to be a firefighter? This handbook goes beyond what they wear and what they do at the fire station. You learn about the physical fitness test you must pass, some of the tools you will use, the parts of your protective equipment, and the difference between a Fire Truck and a Fire Engine. There are lots of different places a firefighter might work, like fighting forest fires, or at the airport or marina. You can't be afraid of heights, or small spaces, or the heat, and you might even be a paramedic - the first line of help for someone before they are sent to the hospital.
Meghan McCarthy has presented this subject in such an interesting and accessible way that even the adults are hooked. I had no idea that being a firefighter took so much training and required such physical and mental abilities. Includes a great Q&A with a retired Battalion Chief, and source material for further study. I know several kids who will love The Firefighters' Handbook a lot!
Meghan McCarthy has presented this subject in such an interesting and accessible way that even the adults are hooked. I had no idea that being a firefighter took so much training and required such physical and mental abilities. Includes a great Q&A with a retired Battalion Chief, and source material for further study. I know several kids who will love The Firefighters' Handbook a lot!
September 21, 2019
Overall a good intro for aspiring firefighters.
I was pleased that the author mentions the mental skills needed for this line of work in addition to the physical (math, science, memory, spatial reasoning, etc.), though I also would have liked a mention about the emotional skills needed too. Being a first responder (of any kind) is incredibly mentally and emotionally taxing, and unfortunately I've seen many people leave due to the emotional toll.
The inclusion of paramedics was also greatly appreciated, but could have used more explanation of the medical skills required for all firefighters and medics.
This us the kind of book I would have devoured growing up, as the daughter and granddaughter (and great-granddaughter!) of firefighters. And still love to read today as the wife of one ;)
I was pleased that the author mentions the mental skills needed for this line of work in addition to the physical (math, science, memory, spatial reasoning, etc.), though I also would have liked a mention about the emotional skills needed too. Being a first responder (of any kind) is incredibly mentally and emotionally taxing, and unfortunately I've seen many people leave due to the emotional toll.
The inclusion of paramedics was also greatly appreciated, but could have used more explanation of the medical skills required for all firefighters and medics.
This us the kind of book I would have devoured growing up, as the daughter and granddaughter (and great-granddaughter!) of firefighters. And still love to read today as the wife of one ;)
November 7, 2026
It is a fact universally acknowledged that kiddos love fireman, fire trucks, and fire gear. This book is written to children first as they are preparing for the fire academy and then as they are training. It tells them about the physical assessment, the mental assessment, the gear they will need to be familiar with, and what the fire academy training might be like. Later the reader learns what it is like to live at the fire house. The author includes an interview with a real battalion chief complete with questions from kiddos. The illustrations are colorful and full page and include kids as firemen which I love. This is a great book for Fire Safety Week leading up to the Big Visit from the local fire department or the field trip to the fire station.
March 4, 2021
Summary: This book goes through how to be a firefighter and what firefighters do. It goes through their gear and training as well. It goes through skills that are needed or what to do in a certain situation.
Reaction: I really like this book because it goes through situations and what you need to do and handle different things. It is a cute book and very informative so you are able to learn a lot of new things.
Use it in the classroom: I can use this in the classroom to help kids invested in something or learn more are about firefighters. It can also help with safety and how firefighter can help us and I can use that book to explain it to them.
Reaction: I really like this book because it goes through situations and what you need to do and handle different things. It is a cute book and very informative so you are able to learn a lot of new things.
Use it in the classroom: I can use this in the classroom to help kids invested in something or learn more are about firefighters. It can also help with safety and how firefighter can help us and I can use that book to explain it to them.
January 25, 2020
Want to be a firefighter? Then look no further than to Meghan McCarthy’s @meghanauthor The Firefighter’s Handbook. It is a comprehensive look at all things relating firefighters. There are wonderful detailed illustrations about the gear worn, the training, the different types of firefighters along with what it would be like living in a firehall. In addition there are opportunities to test our own skills of observation, an interview with a firefighter and resources for further reading. With an earlier title The Astronauts Handbook, one can only hope that this is the start of a new series.
March 6, 2020
Yes, it's another book about firefighters--but this one stands out in the crowd by not limiting itself to a simple overview of what firefighters do. Instead, McCarthy's up-to-date research and cartoon-y art describes (IN DETAIL!) how firefighters train, the skills they need, where they work, their tools, and their vehicles.
Firetruck-obsessed kids will be absolutely riveted.
Firetruck-obsessed kids will be absolutely riveted.
October 7, 2020
I thought I knew a lot about firefighters, but this is done in such a fun and interesting way it was a fun way to learn more.
I love that there is a quiz at the back and an interview from a former high ranking firefighter. I love that the kids asked the questions and he answered!
I did pretty good on the memory quiz... I was close!
I love that there is a quiz at the back and an interview from a former high ranking firefighter. I love that the kids asked the questions and he answered!
I did pretty good on the memory quiz... I was close!
December 18, 2020
This wasn't what I was hoping for, a book for my three-year-old grandson who loves fire trucks. It is very informative for a child in early elementary. I was bothered by the design/typography/typeface too. It just didn't seem like an integral part of the illustrations. (This author also did Pop, a story of bubble gum.)
December 10, 2019
This is pretty decent non-fiction information about being a firefighter. It would be good for most fourth graders. Too bad the illustrations make it look like it's target audience is first graders.
December 20, 2019
Yep, they have awesome, yet difficult jobs. It is good for kids to see all of the requirements they would have to accomplish so they know how to work hard before they set their sights on a dream and find it isn't for them.
January 14, 2020
I love this author and how she approaches non-fiction literature for children. It is clear, fun to read, informative, and really engaging. This is a great book to introduce children to firefighters and the word they do.
February 29, 2020
Perfect firefighters book for ages 2+
I needed this book when my son was 2-3 and obsessed. Clearly written and informative. It appeals to kids with some younger characters but isn't annoyingly goofy in any way.
ALA ALSC Notable 2020
I needed this book when my son was 2-3 and obsessed. Clearly written and informative. It appeals to kids with some younger characters but isn't annoyingly goofy in any way.
ALA ALSC Notable 2020
August 21, 2020
What's it like to train for and become a firefighter? This book will tell you. I learned quite a bit, especially about the training required. Would love to see Megan McCarthy do a series about various careers, following this format. Very well done.
October 6, 2019
An informative, entertaining look at what it takes to be a firefighter.
October 8, 2019
Informative with very endearing graphic.
October 9, 2019
Great book for kids who are into firefighters
November 6, 2019
There are a few pages in the book that get a little bit wordy, but they are important to the book and it really doesn't detract from the wonderfulness of this book.
December 17, 2019
Straightforward facts that my kids will eat up.
January 10, 2020
well done, funny informative description of what it's like to be a firefighter
January 20, 2020
perfect kid intro to firefighting
February 22, 2020
A strong overview for kids interested in firefighting. Includes an interview with a fire chief with some specific questions from kids.
August 4, 2020
Outstanding picture book that describes the qualities, characteristics, and skill firefighters need; how firefighters train; what tools firefighters use; and, daily lives at the station. Excellent!
August 25, 2020
A practical, bright, bold look at the nuts and bolts of becoming a firefighter. Stellar representation among the firefighters.
November 19, 2020
Good overview of the job, solid information illustrations but the mix of kids and adults in the illustrations was not ideal for me even though the text was talking to the reader
February 12, 2021
Great story describing the life of a firefighter . I love the Q & A in the back too.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews