Fire Truck

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