Dolores and the Big Fire (Ready-To-Read - Level 1) [Hardcover]

Andrew Clements (Author), Ellen Beier (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Ready-To-Read - Level 1

Level 1

Starting to Read

• Simple stories

• Increased vocabulary

• Longer sentences

True stories of animals that saved people's lives

Dolores and the Big Fire

Dolores is a very timid cat. Her owner, Kyle, keeps a light on all night so she won't be scared. One night Dolores pokes at Kyle's face while he is sleeping. The house is on fire! Can Dolores wake Kyle up in time?

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 1-This wonderful story tells about a cat that saved a man from a fire in their home. Kyle, who had been living alone, acquired Dolores and fell easily into acceptance of her nature. The feline didn't want to be petted but liked having the lights left on in the house; out of love, Kyle appeased her. When black smoke filled the air one night, she used her paws to awaken Kyle. He was able to make it out safely, whereas she was badly burned. With his care, she recovered and even took to sitting on his lap. Beier's realistic watercolor illustrations on each spread reinforce the mood and the action and provide picture clues for new readers. A high-interest subject that will appeal to newly independent readers.
Jessica Snow, Boston Public Library
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 1-2. This Pets to the Rescue book in the Ready-to-Read series will grab new readers with its dramatic story. Dolores and her owner, Kyle, live happily together even though Dolores is a 'fraidy cat, who likes to sleep with the lights on. One night, she awakens Kyle, who discovers that instead of the room's being lit, it is dark--and full of smoke. Clements does a fine job of maintaining and ratcheting up the story's inherent tension. The doorknob falls off as Kyle tries to escape, and he passes out, only to be awakened by Delores once again. Then it seems that Dolores hasn't made it out of the house; she has--just barely. The color paintings aren't as exciting as the text, but they serve their purpose. It will take a pretty good new reader to handle this, but it's worth it. One caveat: this is billed as a true story. It might have been nice to have a shred of backup for the claim. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Simon Spotlight (February 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689829167
• ISBN-13: 978-0689829161
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,440,634 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars It does grow on you..., June 30, 2002

By 

cal clements (Athens, GA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dolores and the Big Fire (Ready-To-Read - Level 1) (Hardcover)

Dolores is a cat that saves her master from a nocturnal house fire. The story begins with the adoption of Dolores. Young readers are likely to identify with the cat. The other character, Dolores' patron, is a white, middle-aged bachelor living in lower economic conditions. He is highly tolerant of Dolores' idiosyncrasies. For example, Dolores is afraid of the dark. He, therefore, leaves all the lights on at night. While the story is realistic, it is rather scary. At first I thought the book was morbid but it did pull on my heartstrings and won me over in the end. The illustrations are watercolor and are often spread across both pages. The art is not imaginative or particularly attractive. The palate is largely browns and grays. The images do reinforce the serious tone of the book, however, and in the last analysis must be regarded as appropriate.