Demarest follows up Firefighters A-Z (2000) with this compelling offering on counting. As in Firefighters, Demarest broadens the scope of the traditional concept book by packing the pages with information. In this case, it’s about an elite team of firefighters who parachute into remote locations to battle forest fires. It opens with a bang: “One lightning bolt, in a flash strikes a tree . . . Two pilots radio in what they see.” Demarest’s dramatic pastel illustrations show the tree ablaze as it’s struck by lightning; on the opposite page, a colorful vignette depicts the pilots from the rear as they spot the plumes of smoke outside ahead. By numbering each stage of the response, Demarest heightens the tension until, finally, the smokejumpers leap from the plane (“Ten seconds later . . . the slap, which means “GO!”) At this point, the countdown reverses as three double-page spreads show the ensuing action. In the first, the smokejumper appears in full gear as her parachute skims the surface of the trees and smoke and fire erupt in the background. Later, the smokejumpers clear the area, saw down a tree, and an airplane blankets the area with “three drops of slurry [to] help slow the fire’s spread.” Black-and-white labeled drawings of a “smokejumper outfit” and “Wildland Firefighter Outfit” appear in the opening and closing; an author’s note relates the history of the field and provides further information about terms introduced in the text. References, suggested reading, and the National Smokejumper Association Web site are also included. (Picture book/nonfiction. 5-8)
Pub Date: June 1, 2002
ISBN: 0-689-84120-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: McElderry
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2002
One of the watershed moments in African-American history—the defeat of James Braddock at the hands of Joe Louis—is here given an earnest picture-book treatment. Despite his lack of athletic ability, Sammy wants desperately to be a great boxer, like his hero, getting boxing lessons from his friend Ernie in exchange for help with schoolwork. However hard he tries, though, Sammy just can’t box, and his father comforts him, reminding him that he doesn’t need to box: Joe Louis has shown him that he “can be the champion at anything [he] want[s].” The high point of this offering is the big fight itself, everyone crowded around the radio in Mister Jake’s general store, the imagined fight scenes played out in soft-edged sepia frames. The main story, however, is so bent on providing Sammy and the reader with object lessons that all subtlety is lost, as Mister Jake, Sammy’s father, and even Ernie hammer home the message. Both text and oil-on-canvas-paper illustrations go for the obvious angle, making the effort as a whole worthy, but just a little too heavy-handed. (Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: May 1, 2004
ISBN: 1-58430-161-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Lee & Low Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2004
An absolute pleasure.
A small dog takes a huge leap.
True to her name, sled dog puppy Leap spends her days bounding happily through blankets of freshly fallen snow, bouncily biding her time until she, too, can suit up for a run with the team. Each dog brings a different, equally essential skill to the work of mushing, and as too-young Leap greets the pack when they return from their daily hike, she worries—what if she lacks a special talent of her own when it’s her time to race? But when the much-anticipated day arrives and Leap clips in for her rookie run, her feet tippity-tap excitedly, any trace of self-doubt eclipsed by her irrepressible enthusiasm. With their new addition in tow, the other dogs take off, buoyed as ever by a confidence borne from specialized expertise; they confront obstacles head-on, sailing easily along icy Northwoods terrain. That is until the team encounters a seemingly insurmountable hurdle, one that only their greenest member can clear. Dogsled racer Braverman’s sweet narrative builds a satisfying case for individuality as a community asset, celebrating both the value of teamwork and the discrete strengths that comprise it. Savvy readers will take pride in predicting Leap’s unique contribution, while canine lovers will delight in the revelation that the pups depicted are all real-life sled dogs working in northern Wisconsin. When’s illustrations are equal parts spellbinding and precious, deftly balancing compositional simplicity with masterful color work. The result is peerless.
An absolute pleasure. (author’s note) (Picture book. 6-9)Pub Date: Oct. 21, 2025
ISBN: 9780063238053
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2025
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
