Kai to the rescue!

Audrey Penn, 1947-

Book - 2016

Kai is a small, green and white pumper truck who does not fit in with the other fire trucks at Firehouse #10, but when a forest fire breaks out, it is Kai who puts out the fire in the underbrush.

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jE/Penn
1 / 1 copies available
Location Call Number   Status
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Subjects
Genres
Picture books
Published
New York : Orchard Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc 2016.
Language
English
Main Author
Audrey Penn, 1947- (author)
Other Authors
Mike Yamada (illustrator)
Edition
First edition
Physical Description
pages cm
ISBN
9780545816366
Contents unavailable.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

As Kermit the Frog once noted, it's not easy being green. For Kai, the new green pumper truck at the fire station, his diminutive size makes life even more complicated. "Good gracious, Kai! You're so young and small!/ I really don't think you can help us at all," says Chuck, the hook and ladder truck. To his credit, Kai never stops believing in himself, and he gets a little support from the other two trucks on the team. He tries to fit in by coloring himself red with crayons, which gains him some approbation from the big trucks ("Very stylish!" says Rudy, the big pumper) but does nothing to overcome Chuck's misgivings about his size-until suddenly, in the midst of a forest fire, being small becomes a big asset. Penn's (the Kissing Hand series) earnest text, with its intermittent rhyming (for some reason only Chuck speaks in meter), isn't exactly delicate in its messaging, but Yamada's (Bedtime Blastoff!) digital illustrations bring plenty of wide-eyed energy and determination to this workplace drama. Ages 3-5. Illustrator's agent: Kirsten Hall, Catbird Agency. (Aug.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review

PreS-Gr 1-Three red fire trucks live at Firehouse #10, "side by side, clean and polished, ready for the next day's action." Enter a tiny green and white pumper truck. Small and shy, Kai finds crayons to color himself red in an attempt to fit in. Despite his best efforts, he is ignored, teased, and pushed aside while others take the lead. When an underbrush fire presents a challenge, only a tiny pumper truck can handle it. Now Firehouse #10 is a team of four-a team known for its collaboration, individual talents, skills, and confidence. Praise comes from the previously skeptical Captain, who now voices his belief that size and color don't matter: "When the fire is out, we all look the same: the color of dirt, ash, and grime." Light washes over digital cartoon images, revealing expressive faces in windshields and truck hoods while featuring details of the action and darkened areas of the station. Although the text is limited mostly to multiple lines in a single area of each page, alternating full-page and spotlight illustrations accentuate the vibrantly painted details and keep pages turning with a winning hero and a message of inclusiveness. VERDICT A recommended general purchase for all libraries, perfect for vehicle-themed programs.-Mary Elam, Learning Media Services, Plano ISD, TX © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review

When a tiny green-and-white pumper joins the fire crew, the captain truck doubts his abilities.Firehouse No. 10 seems as though it has all the fire trucks it needs. Capt. Chuck is a large hook and ladder, Emily (stereotypically depicted as the sole truck with eyelashes) is the equipment truck, and Rudy carries the chemical foam. But there is word that a new truck is coming. "Oh, no, no, no!" moans Capt. Chuck. "This will not do! I'm very happy with my crew, crew, crew!" Poor little Kai, a tiny pumper, is doomed before he starts. Plus, the others are a gleaming red, and he is green and white. How will he ever fit in? On his first night in the station, he grabs some red crayons and scribbles himself a new coat. The two other trucks admire his ingenuity, but the captain shouts, "underneath that crayon you're still white and green. I don't think you're right for our team, team, team." Despite the harsh words, Kai perseveres and proves his worth when, during a fire, he fits into a tight spot that none of the other trucks can reach. Yamada's animation background shines through in the cartoon trucks reminiscent of Disney's Cars. Capt. Chuck's rhymed, thrice-repeated words continue (bafflingly, he's the only one who speaks this way), but the rhythm becomes increasingly jarring as he gets nicer (perhaps compliments are difficult).An oft-told tale in fire-truck form. It's earnest, but it fizzles. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.