THIS IS THE FIREFIGHTER

Yet another firefighting tale that emphasizes the rescue of a pet. The rhyming text introduces readers to a heroic firefighter, his station and his equipment. A burning apartment building sends the firefighters racing; they dash up the stairs, use the axe on the door and rescue some people trapped inside. Down on the ground, health workers check the rescued, and a young girl spots her cat in a window. Sans mask, our hero goes back in to rescue it. In an unfortunate misstep between text and illustrations, the rescue of the people prompts no emotion while the cat’s emergence is greeted with cheers from the whole crowd. The verse’s modified “House That Jack Built” format gives youngsters the opportunity to seek and find within the illustrations. By limiting his palette to the primary colors, Hector evokes an earlier period in publishing, while at the same time incorporating modern art into the décor of each apartment. His artwork is detailed enough to satisfy, but stops well short of scaring the intended audience with excessive realism. (Picture book. 3-7)