Fire Truck

Rating:
Summary: A great book for the younger fire truck crazy set
Review: At 18 months, my son couldn't get enough of this book, and at two, he still asks for it frequently. I think the age range for the book is too high, causing the frustration expressed by other reviewers. The simple illustrations are perfect for the younger child, and the counting feature is terrific. For older kids, try Fireman Small.

Rating:
Summary: GREAT BOOK!!
Review: I expected a lot more from a book. There's only about 50 words or so. My 3 year old son is the biggest devotee of fire trucks around, and he got bored with this book after only a couple of readings.

This would have worked a lot better as a board book/picture book for babies. The artwork is excellent and colorful. But as a bedtime story book, it just doesn't hold up.

Rating:
Summary: Truckin' along
Review: If you are a children's author hailing originally from the Czech Republic and you have a child that is obsessed with fire trucks, it just makes good common sense to write your child their very own fire truck book. Starring that child. Meet author/illustrator Peter Sis. An artist whose works have extended from the poster for the movie "Amadeus" to the recent breathtaking oh-my-goodness-how-did-he-make-all-those-dots "Tree of Life", Sis is a master of detail and complexity. Yet in "Fire Truck" he makes a 180 degree turn in the opposite direction. Where his past works would make Seurat himself envious of their painstaking detail (emphasis on the pain), "Fire Truck" is an experiment in clean lines and utter simplicity. It has a beautiful Eastern European flavor to it and simple words and pictures that kids will be drawn to.

One there was a boy named Matt who loved fire trucks. As the book progresses we see just how much Matt adores his trucks. They are, we are told, the first words he says in the morning and the last words he says at night. One day, Matt wakes up and lo and behold he has merged into his very own fire truck. The book counts off all the items that are a part of Matt and prove his new fire trucky status. One driver, four flashing lights, nine axes, etc. He saves animals, puts out fires, and rescues falling teddy bears. And when pancakes are filling the air with their scent he parks the truck at the table and (now a boy once more) sits himself down to eat.

Simple stuff. If you're looking for a long in-depth treatise on the inner working of fire trucks, look elsewhere. Here you will find the barest bones of the story. There are approximately three colors in this book altogether. You've got your blue, your brown, and (of course) your red. With white and black as the lines and spaces, of course. But the story is excellent. What fire truck obsessed kid wouldn't want to suddenly wake up one day and find they'd merged with their favorite vehicle? The pages of the book are thick and difficult to tear, making them excellent for either very small children or kids learning to read on their own. There is a two-page pullout of Matt as a long lovely fire truck that might get a little bent or squished over time. Then again, the copy of the book I read was taken from my local public library and the pages were in used but unripped condition. Take that as you may.

If you are looking for anything and everything regarding fire trucks to appease your cantankerous little one a) Try to turn them on to dinosaurs instead and b) Failing that go out and get them a copy of Peter Sis's "Fire Truck". It may be one of his lesser known works, but it shows his great range and is a sure-fire hit with the kiddies. An excellent selection.

Rating:
Summary: GREAT BOOK!!
Review: My son loves this book!! We read it several times a day. It is easy to relate to if you have a firetruck crazy child. I also like the fact that counting in incorporated into the story. I highly recommend!

Rating:
Summary: What happened to the rest of the book?
Review: Not at all impressed. The story ended abruptly. My three year old son and I were wondering if someone ripped the rest of the pages out