  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 09/01/2014 Here’s a sure-to-be-popular choice from the writer-illustrator team behind picture-book favorites such as I Stink! (2002) and I’m Dirty! (2006). Not just brave, this fire engine is bold, brash, and brassy as he toots his own horn. While he points out his impressive equipment, the contents of his toolbox, and the many things he can do, the alarm sounds. He races through city streets to join other fire trucks and deal with a burning warehouse. No people appear in the illustrations, though the truck gives firefighters a little credit for putting out a blaze, as well as caring for the equipment, washing the engine, and polishing his chrome. The focus remains on the proud fire truck, whose distinctive persona sets the tone through the lively text and well-crafted paintings. Created with watercolor and gouache, the illustrations include dramatic action scenes, as well as quieter pictures showcasing the brave (“And—GOOD LOOKIN’”) fire truck. Great fun for reading aloud. - Copyright 2014 Booklist. School Library Journal - 07/01/2014 PreS-Gr 2—With a siren, a horn, a tank full of water, and a "whole lotta, WHOLE LOTTA HOSE," a big red engine, the latest star in the popular series of picture books that includes I Stink! (2002) and I'm Dirty! (2006, both Harper Collins), comes equally loaded with swagger and personality. After introducing himself and flaunting his features, a 911 call comes in that completely changes the story's tenor. The fire engine races off to the Pine Street Warehouse and takes readers with him. Urgency and power flood the spreads through the combination of words and visuals. "Traffic? I'm talkin' to YOU! Over to the curb—I'm comin' through!" Done in watercolor and gouache, the illustrations use bold colors, powerful perspectives, and strategic line work to create movement and energy. Never faltering in confidence or persistence, the fire engine directs his tools until the flames are completely out. Back at the fire station, he calls on the firefighters (never shown in the story) to clean him up and put him to bed—but not before he poses his original question from the beginning: What do you call a big red engine like this? "BRAVE! That's what. And—GOOD LOOKIN'." The back cover shows him sound asleep. This boisterous story pays homage to the importance of fire fighters—and their engines—while maintaining plenty of action and a sense of fun.—Julie Roach, Cambridge Public Library, MA - Copyright 2014 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
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