Product Description

Matt loves fire trucks, and one morning when he wakes up, he is a fire truck--right down to his hoses, hooks, and ladders! His wheels and sirens couldn't be handier for performing many important duties around the house, especially rescuing teetering teddy bears or precariously placed pets. And a gatefold spread of Matt's fully loaded rig will have happy young viewers counting from one to ten--over and over again--in this fun-filled ode to the classic red fire truck by Caldecott Honor-winning Peter Sis.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #437991 in Books
• Published on: 1998-09-17
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 28 pages

From Amazon.com
What could be better to a fan of fire trucks than playing with them and reading about them all day long? Well, how about being one! That is just what happens to Matt, a little boy whose first and last words every day are "fire truck." Imagine his happy surprise when he wakes up one morning and discovers he has sprouted wheels, flashing lights, and sirens! Matt wastes no time. He drives around the "neighborhood" (his house) rescuing cats and teddy bears, and putting out fires. There's only one thing that can tear this dedicated fire truck away from his work: pancakes on the table!

Peter Sís's wonderful red and black gouache illustrations are old-fashioned in their sweet simplicity. Combined with a little counting practice thrown in for good measure (one driver, two ladders, three hoses, on up to 10 boots), this book is bound to please the fire-truck-obsessed child on your list. Sís is the award-winning illustrator of many well-known books, including another excellent ode to vehicles, Trucks, Trucks, Trucks. (Preschool) --Emilie Coulter

From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Sis blends simple text with bold pictures to give insight into one boy's vivid imagination. Matt's passion for fire engines permeates his whole life: "His first words in the morning were 'fire truck.' The last thing he said before he went to bed was 'fire truck.'" Not content just to play fireman, Matt wakes up and finds that he has actually become a fire truck. Only the insistent aroma of pancakes can bring him out of his enticing daydream. One simple sentence per picture allows for plenty of page turning without sacrificing the clear story line. A fold-out page of the fire truck accompanied by a numbered list of items to look for can be read as part of the narrative or returned to later as a find-and-count game. Matt's pajamas and cap are flamboyant red like his extensive collection of toy trucks, while other details of home are reduced to plain black outlines, showing how imaginary worlds can seem more real than everyday life. Small groups of toddlers will love tearing around the room making siren noises just like Matt. This short, active story (plus the undeniable allure of fire engines) is perfect for children who have just discovered the joys of pretending.
Torrie Hodgson, Burlington Public Library, WA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Ages 2^-5. Matt loves fire trucks of all shapes and sizes. When he wakes in the morning, his first words are "fire truck." Before he goes to sleep at night, "fire truck" is his last utterance. One day he wakes up to discover (in a big, foldout page) that he has turned into a fire truck. After a momentary lapse of focus in which he stops to survey his equipment (giving kids the chance to bone up on their numbers 1 to 10), he sets off to save the community with his heroic deeds. Only pancakes can lure him back into his little-boy body and away from putting out fires and saving cats and teddy bears. Sis' simple line drawings and use of blocks of color (mostly red) show a charmingly different side of the familiar author-illustrator. Children will enjoy his depictions of the trucks and will have no trouble relating to Matt's fire truck fascination. See the review of Sis' new adult book, Tibet, on p.195. Kathleen Squires

Customer Reviews

GREAT BOOK!!
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!

A great book for the younger fire truck crazy set
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.

What happened to the rest of the book?
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