MOLE BOOKS: MOLE WANTS TO BE A FIREFIGHTER, MOLE THE GARDENER, MOLE VISITS THE DOCTOR, AND THE PLUMBER VISITS MOLE HOUSE

A mole embarks on more adventures in this latest installment of a children’s book series.

Mole is back again, meeting the “helpers” in his community and learning everything he can about his neighbors. In the first story in this volume, Mole has a goal that many young ones share—to be a firefighter. He plays with a firetruck before bed, and that inspires dreams of helping put out an inferno at a neighbor’s dwelling. Alongside other firefighters, Mole extinguishes a blaze at Panda’s house down the street, and everyone is quite thankful for his efforts. In another tale, Mole, Molie, and their mother are assisted by Gardener Gina in tending their backyard plot. They plant okra, beans, corn, cauliflower, and more while Mole and Molie learn how gardeners help grow food and cultivate the earth. Next, Mole and his friends Beaver and Beavee are having quite the day in play. But when Beaver trips and hurts his leg, the gang must journey to the doctor, where Mole meets his next community helper. The physician tends to Beaver’s injured leg, and the ice cream afterward helps, too. In the fourth and final episode, Mole meets his local plumber, who helps fix a leak in the garden faucet. Sarna’s (Mole Witnesses a Miracle in Nature & Explore the World of Frogs with Mole, 2016, etc.) characters are all important members of the societies in which children live, and Mole’s escapades are designed to not only thrill, but educate as well. A gardener, firefighter, doctor, and plumber perform different jobs, but they’re all important to the well-oiled community. Young readers should delight in learning about each role—even ones they never thought they cared about. Sarna’s stories are certainly engaging (if a touch underdeveloped), but they also have capitalization errors. For instance, the text explains: “The next day Plumber Parker came with his Tool Box and some new steel pipes to help in fixing the leaking faucet in the Mole house garden.” But the illustrations are amusing (although the human cast lacks diversity), and readers should enjoy the colorful images throughout the work.

A lively look at a community’s unsung heroes.