At Thanksgiving dinner, my three-year-old nephew showed me his new fireman boots. They were shiny, black and decorated with colorful emblems.
I wish I'd had the picture book "I'm Brave," By Kate and Jim McMullan, with me. This is one of the best firetruck books I've ever seen.
"I'm Brave" is about a fire truck who knows he's good looking. He's got a horn, HONNNHHHKKK! HONNNNHHHHKKKK!", a tank full of water, "SLOOSH, SLOSH," and a "WIDE CHROME RADIATOR" that sparkles like a smile.
He also boasts that he's a toolbox.
He shows off his "hydrant wrenches, spanner wrenches, duck-billed lock breakers, rabbit tool door forcers, twin connectors, saws, hooks, crowbars" and more.
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As expected, the fire truck speeds off to fight a fire. The language is brilliant. "Blinker? BLINK! Flashers? FLASH! Light bar? STROBE IT! ... TRAFFIC? I"m talkin to YOU! Over to the curb - I'm comin' through!"
Meanwhile, the illustrations show cars screeching to a halt while the fire truck zooms to the flaming warehouse to fight the fire.
Here's the interesting thing: Although the fire truck speaks to the firefighters during the fire fighting, you never see the people on the page. However, you do see all the tools at work, even without any hands holding them.
As young listeners and viewers will notice, these are the same tools that the fire truck introduced early in the book. With lots of page flipping, they'll be able to match the tools throughout the fire. To tell you the truth, adults will have just as much fun.
The graphics are also engaging. Words are printed in different sizes and colors - red, yellow, white and orange - bringing attention to the noises, the voices and even the exciting verbs.
Throughout the book, the personality of the fire truck comes through. But he's not just good-looking, as he boasts at the beginning.
By the end, he knows he's brave.
"I'm Brave." By Kate and Jim McMullan. Balzer + Bray, 2014. 32 pp.
