Starred review from July 15, 2022
K-Gr 2-Less than 10 percent of firefighters are women. Even fewer are fire chiefs. Readers can count Fire Chief Fran, a Black woman, among that small, illustrious number. In this book, Fire Chief Fran and her crew tackle many incidents during one busy day in a small town. A cafe catches fire, a puppy gets stuck in a fence, a tree branch falls. There is little downtime. Firefighters must put out fires, perform rescues, and administer first aid. Ashman's text is serviceably crisp, but a few rhythmic blips will trip up readers performing the book aloud. A highlight and saving grace is how the same verse repeats when the alarm bells go off throughout the day. This repetition, much like the clanging of the alarm bell, does a great job alerting readers to an emergency. Carpenter's illustrations are digitally enhanced acrylic paintings, using a predominantly primary color palette: red fire truck, yellow turnout gear, navy blue shirts. In addition to Fire Chief Fran, other firefighters are depicted with a variety of skin tones, genders, and ages. Back matter provides a comprehensive look at firefighting as a profession, including the statistics. Ashman concisely answers many questions young readers may ask, including how quickly firefighters must get ready and what they do when they're not responding to emergency calls. VERDICT A must-have for all community helper collections.-Chance Lee Joyner
Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Starred review from October 17, 2022
Fire Chief Fran leads a crew of firefighters, and a trusty firehouse dog, through a busy shift of wide-ranging calls, linked by Ashman’s rousing, rhyming refrain: “Lights begin flashing, and—CLANG!—the bells blast./ They leap into action—/ they need to move FAST!” A kinetic early spread captures this speedy response, as the entire crew, portrayed with varying skin tones and dressed in bright yellow turnout gear, climbs aboard the fire truck, while one more crew member slides down the fire station pole. Back at the firehouse, Fran, shown with brown skin, runs a tight ship—supervising equipment maintenance, putting the firefighters through fitness and disaster drills—but also takes pleasure in seeing the crew get some well-deserved downtime. Carpenter’s striking, digitally finished acrylic art combines a primary-colors palette with tissue-paper texturing; the predominantly double-page, single-plane images vividly convey a sense of space—whether a firehouse kitchen or a rain-drenched street bisected by a fallen tree—as well as the efficient collaboration of a tight-knit team. Together with its detailed, q&a-style afterword, it’s a first-rate portrayal of first responders. Ages 4–8.
Starred review from September 15, 2022
An action-packed day in the life of a fire chief. Readers are introduced to the myriad responsibilities of a small suburban fire department through the eyes of fire chief Fran, a dark-skinned woman with curly black hair. Over the course of her shift, the firefighters suit up so they can save a dog that accidentally got stuck in a fence while chasing a duck, put out a small brush fire at a campsite, meet a diverse class of students touring the station, perform basic first aid, and more. The story, told in an engaging and varied rhyme scheme and accompanied by bright, appealing acrylic and digital illustrations, doesn't shy away from the amount of work that firefighters need to do, including the physical and practical training that keep the firefighters performing at peak capacity. A final page addressing "A Few Fast Facts About Firefighters" will help answer lingering questions and dispel misconceptions--the book notes, for instance, that two out of three calls are for medical aid and that, for safety reasons, not all stations have fire poles. The backmatter also states that while Fran has a diverse team, in real life only about 10% of firefighters are women. Hopefully this title will help improve that statistic. (This book was reviewed digitally.) This book is on fire! (Picture book. 4-8)
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Starred review from November 1, 2022
Preschool-Grade 2 *Starred Review* Fire Chief Fran and her crew are readying for their shift by checking their trucks and equipment--but suddenly, "lights begin flashing, / and--CLANG!--the bells blast." They've gotten their first call: a pup got stuck in a fence. As the day progresses, other calls come--a small wildfire, kids needing medical care for a mishap on the baseball field, a cafe owner trapped by a kitchen fire--and every time, the "CLANG!" stanza alerts them (and the readers) that their help is required. In between, they're busy at the station, too--they give a tour and safety tips to a school group, run drills, and prepare a big meal. At the end of the day, it's finally time to eat and relax--at least, until the next alarm. It's rare to see a Black woman as a fire chief in picture books; Fran leads her diverse team of firefighters through their actions and activities, all depicted in vibrant, mixed-media illustrations, which excitingly convey the scope of services they provide their community. The lively, rhyming text is ideal for reading aloud, and the back matter, presented in a question-and-answer format, offers further information about what being a firefighter and fire chief entails, their training and uniforms, and other facts, such as that currently fewer than 10 percent of firefighters are women. A noteworthy, enjoyable addition to firefighter-themed books and an informative, engaging, and uncommonly inspiring introduction to the subject.
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