Firefighter Heroes

Opening with the heart-stopping story of a boat on fire with an injured person aboard, this Firefighter Heroes series (4 titles) offering invites beginning readers to learn about firefighters working in a unique environment.

Using simple words, repetition, and basic sentence structure, the text successfully combines narrative and information. Each spread pairs one full-page photo of a fireboat or firefighters in action with a page of text printed on a plain, colorful background.

Though the crew on the featured boat is all white, the protagonist is a woman of color. A highlight for rescue-vehicle fans will be the fire equipment and its unique uses aboard a water vessel. A detailed photo of the fireboat’s special features—labeled in large, decodable print—follows the story, as does a picture glossary and a QR code to online resources.

Students may be surprised to learn about the diverse and important jobs firefighters have, and this exciting, simply written, and fact-packed series about the profession should keep readers turning pages.

Each volume opens with a three-part “Teaching Tips” feature that adults can use to help support readers. New vocabulary is boldfaced and defined in the glossary. Each title describes the protective gear, vehicles, and special equipment each type of firefighter uses, and dramatic, high-quality photographs depict their tools and daring rescues. Labeled photos enhance vocabulary development; occasionally, pronunciation guides are included.

Throughout the series, highly skilled professionals are called “heroes” and are portrayed as racially and ethnically diverse men and women. Readers will learn facts they likely never knew, e.g., wa-ter alone can’t quench fires at airports, since plane fuel makes fires so hot that “a special foam” must be used. Each book concludes with the phrase “Thanks, firefighters!” Back matter includes a picture glossary, an index, a bibliography, and a link to the publisher’s website for more information.

VERDICT: Recommended for schools and public libraries.