Review by Booklist Review
Dormer provides a humorous take on the heroic nature of firefighters. Three bright yellow duckies vacate their bubble bath the instant they hear the WEE-OOO-WEE-OOO of the siren. One small, one medium, and one large, the trio lift their hats, flex their muscles, and come to the rescue of a number of creatures: a gorilla whose chef hat is on fire, a whale in a tree, dinosaurs on bicycles, and other unlikely friends in need. The digital illustrations, in pastel colors, focus on the action; the stylized animals are easily identifiable, and they vary in their emotional responses. Repetition in the text aids early readers, who will soon be able to chime in with the refrain: They are brave, they are strong. Add in They are helpful, they are kind, and you have the whole plot, plus a life lesson to boot. Pair with A Day with the Animal Firefighters (2012), by Sharon Rentta, for another fun look at this important occupation.--Ching, Edie Copyright 2017 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In an inspired bit of ultra-dramatic silliness, Dormer (The Sword in the Stove) introduces a trio of steely rescue ducks. They wear enormous red hats and are ready to save the day, no matter how ridiculous the challenge: "They are brave. They are strong. They rescue... whales in trees! They are firefighter duckies!" This repeated litany and its laugh-out-loud variations serve Dormer well (ditto for anyone reading aloud) as the firefighters stop "rampaging" centipedes (who are so cheerful it's unclear whether they know what it means to rampage), straighten out confused alphabet letters, and provide haircuts to shaggy monsters who can't see where they're going. The nonstop action unfolds in distilled spreads that make the most of the far-fetched cast and many improbable disasters-topping the ridiculousness of a whale caught in a tree is the fact that this particular tree has sharp teeth it's using to chomp on the whale. Understandably, the firefighters become a bit overwhelmed, and at book's end they're grabbing some well-deserved shut-eye. Readers will be having too much fun to follow suit. Ages 4-8. Agent: Emily Mitchell, Wernick & Pratt. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-The Firefighter Duckies are here to save the day in this witty picture book. Three yellow ducklings with red firefighter hats are introduced on the title page. The refrain, "They are brave. They are strong. They rescue." makes this a natural choice for storytimes and one-on-one reading. The ducks rescue animals caught in silly predicaments, such as a gorilla wearing a chef's hat that is on fire and a whale caught in a toothy tree. Readers will be rolling with laughter by the time the ducks encounter the hairy monsters. The good news is that in addition to being brave and strong, the diminutive firefighters are also kind and helpful. The digital illustrations complement the spare text perfectly. VERDICT A wacky read-aloud choice that preschoolers and beginning readers will request again and again.-Brooke Newberry, La Crosse Public Library, WI © Copyright 2017. 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 Horn Book Review
Fresh out of the bathtub, three firefighter duckies careen from one wacky rescue mission to the next. First up: gorillas in chef hats! Actually, just one gorilla, whose hat is on fire--thanks, undoubtedly, to the irritated-looking cupcake with lit candle on top. With a page-turn, the crisis is averted. The gorilla says, Thanks, guys! via a speech balloon while its hat smolders and the now-soggy cupcake continues to frown. With no time for pleasantries, the Duckies speed off on their self-driving fire truck to the scenes of more emergencies: They are the Firefighter Duckies! They are brave. They are strong. They rescueWhales in trees! Dormers outrageous plot relies on his comical digitally rendered illustrations to fill in what the well-paced text leaves out. In contrast to the amped-up text, the cartoon drawings feature relatively uncomplicated compositions on clean backgrounds, helping to contain the chaos. By the time theyre confronted with rampaging centipedes and hairy monsters, the intrepid Duckies are overwhelmed and tuckered out. With things still out of control, the Duckies change their tactics, and eventually the grateful characters tuck their rescuers into bed (though the antics continue on the last page). Brave and strong are well and good, but helpfulness and kindness can save the day, too. kitty Flynn (c) Copyright 2017. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Three little ducks have a very dangerousand sillyjob to do.Firefighter duckies must be brave and strong. With sirens blaring, they race toward peril, never knowing who might need saving. Sometimes it is a gorilla, with a chef hat on fire (watch out for those pesky cupcake candles). Or perhaps it is two lemurs tangled in a tree. But whatever the case, they are ready. Because, as the repeating refrain reminds readers, they are brave and strong. To be shouted boldly: "They are the FIREFIGHTER DUCKIES!" But sometimes all of these situations can just be too much. How are they supposed to rescue dinosaurs on bicycles (their arms just can't reach the handlebars) or rampaging centipedes (they crawl around yelling, "Rampage!")? Instead of being brave and strong, they just might need to be helpful and kind. They offer solutions to the despairing creaturesthe dinosaurs should roller skate instead; the centipedes should munch on some delicious leaves. Dormer's three fowl friends have comically large beaks and tiny spindly legs. Their expressive faces (which take up most of their bodies) run the gamut from proud through shocked and exasperated to sleepy. Even their firetruck is brimming with personality. Certainly not evocative of a real firefighter's job, but absurd situations will elicit storytime giggles. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
