A Day in the Life of a Firefighter

by Linda Hayward

A Level 1 DK Reader that accurately portrays a day in the life of a real firefighter, perfect for young children who are just learning to read. The fire alarm goes off! Rob Green and the other firefighters go into action. Is there time to save a little girl's dog? Find out in DK Jobs People Do — A Day in the Life of a Firefighter (Level 1: Beginning to Read) . Perfect for 3–5 year-olds learning to read, Level 1 titles contain short, simple sentences with an emphasis on frequently used words. Stunning photographic images with labels provide visual clues to introduce and reinforce vocabulary.

Genres: Nonfiction, Childrens, Picture Books, Firefighters

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Linda was born in California’s Central Valley, but raised and schooled in south Alabama, during the turbulent 1960’s. Married to her high school sweetheart, she and Tom have two grandchildren, Georgia and Joshua, who give her plenty of ideas for writing children’s stories.

Her first book in the series, “Marshall Visit’s the Hospital,” Marshall leads children around a sometimes scary world, showing them there’s nothing to be afraid of in instances of doctor visits or the possibilities of staying in a hospital. In subsequent books, Marshall will show there are responsibilities to be met as a contributor to the family: caring for pets, helping others, volunteering one’s time, and even accepting a new baby into the household. It is hoped that Marshall will teach children about their world in a fun and entertaining way. The reality is, they may at sometime need to protect themselves against strangers and bullies. Marshall is here to help build their self-confidence and not make them afraid to stand up for themselves.

Marshall, will also teach the importance of staying healthy and seeing the fun in fitness.

It is Linda’s hope that children from the ages three to eight can relate and benefit from Marshall and his friend’s experiences.

Her first in a series, MARSHALL VISITS the HOSPITAL, was published and released in October 2008. Linda has worked in childcare development and has been a teacher’s assistant to first graders. She has written several short stories, for Ben Romero’s book, CHICKEN FLUFF AND OTHER STUFF, and for author, Janice Stevens’ anthology, STORIES OF SERVICE. She is currently working on a history project for the Clovis Unified School District, to be published and released in 2009.

Reviews

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This little book is just right for young readers to learn about what goes on in a day on the job for a firefighter. The illustrations are actual photographs.
Contents: Meet a firefighter; Getting ready; On call; Fire!; Helping out; Sleeping at the station; Glossary; Index; Quiz.

[Nichole · Rating 3 out of 5]

The pictures are funny-ily awkward. But it's a good primer on some of the different things firefighters do.

[Mellanie C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative.

[Rainbow Room TOL]

2 copies

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

I couldn't find any other day in the life books focused on firemen on Open Library when my 3-year-old asked, so we read this one. She liked it fine, but I was really annoyed by the fact that all the illustrations are photos of people against white backgrounds. Half the fun of nonfiction about community helpers is seeing where the workers do their jobs. This book eliminates that possibility, resulting in a more superficial reading experience.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a fan of DK books.

They're simple. They're informative. They're cheap. If your child is too young to read, they're perfectly good read-aloud books.

What more can you ask for when stocking your kid's library?

As you might expect, this book takes us through a day in a firefighter's life. The sentences are short and direct. This makes them easy to read, and it also makes the book more exciting.

The fire in the book (you knew there had to be one) is not especially scary, and is dealt with quickly. More detail is given to the more usual routine - cleaning, taking a class on a tour to talk about fire safety, that sort of thing.

I very much recommend this book for small children.

[Kelsi Watts · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book would be a good read for young children, especially boys. Most little boys enjoy dreaming of one day becoming a firefighter, so this gives them a bit of background information on the job. The title for this book describes it perfectly, and it is definitely one that I would have in a kindergarten or first grade classroom for the boys (or girls) to enjoy during reading time on their own.

[Vee · Rating 2 out of 5]

A day in the life de un bombero. Did I learn anything new? Cooking is a great skill if you're a firefighter.

Side note: Level 3-4 Readers are preferable but I'll take what I can find in the library.

[Tricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

thorough and honest depiction of the life of a firefighter for beginner easy readers. book does a great job of showing the menial tasks yet the appeal.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a gift to my grandson. He loves this book and wants to read it every night before bed.

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great early reader book with easy sentences.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Synopsis: "This Level 1 book is appropriate for children who are just beginning to read. The fire alarm goes off! Rob Green and the other firefighters go into action. Is there time to save a little girl's dog? This unique Level 1 series accurately portrays real-life situations that help young children identify with and learn from while helping them improve their reading skills. Presented in classic DK style, young readers will enjoy photographically illustrated information in an entertaining package. For children who are just beginning to read and who have a limited vocabulary, these 32-page Level 1 books-about everything from tadpoles to puppies-use word repetition and simple sentences to convey meaning. Picture dictionary boxes with word labels "show" the meanings of words. These books contain between 400 and 450 words each, and they are 80 percent pictures and 20 percent text. The Dorling Kindersley Readers combine an enticing visual layout with high-interest, easy-to-read stories to captivate and delight young bookworms who are just getting started. Written by leading children's authors and compiled in consultation with literacy experts, these engaging books build reader confidence along with a lifelong appreciation for nonfiction, classic stories, and biographies. There is a DK Reader to interest every child at every level, from preschool to grade 4."

My Review: Munchkin picked this book out for himself at the bookstore the other day, he wants to be a firefighter when he grows up. I love the fact that there are so many non-fiction early reader books out there, especially one like this. This one is on the more advanced level one, probably more a level two in my opinion, but younger fans of firemen will be eager to read it on their own. It does have simple sentences and does have a story line that follows a firefighter on a full shift. There are some more difficult words, but again if your young reader is a fan of firefighters they may be familiar with the words and will just need help identifying/ sounding them out. The images are all photographs too so they are true to life and will also keep your reader excited about the book.