FIREFIGHTERS A TO Z

Demarest (The Cowboy ABC, 1999, etc.), a volunteer firefighter himself, pays tribute to the intrepid men and women who do it professionally. Matching big, boldface captions to boldly brushed scenes of yellow-suited, heroically posed figures in action, he focuses less on truck and gear than on the dangerous work itself: “I is for Inside. Start the primary search. / J is for Jump if you feel the floor lurch .” The author opens with a labeled sketch of a firefighter in full battle array, explains special terms in an afterword, and in between sends a company zooming through busy city streets to face a raging house fire. Parts of this will be new even to avid young fans of the occupation and its trappings; and though there are no specific cautions, the underlying message about the importance of fire safety will not go astray. (author’s note) (Picture book/nonfiction. 4-7)