Customer Reviews

Dolores and the Big Fire : A True Story

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

My son who is a learning reader loved this book. He asks to read it again and again. He found the idea of it being a "true story" particularly intriguing. It also has led to discussions about fire safety and what we should do if a fire happened in our house.

I really liked this book. It had some sad parts, but the story made me want to keep on reading. It has a great ending.

Many children have read and loved true stories such as this. However, I deeply regret having my 7-year old granddaughter read "Delores and the Big Fire". It has been over two years, and she is still haunted with a fear of fire. Although reading about Delores wasn't the only thing that entered into her fixating on fire, reading this book has had a lasting negative emotional impact on her. For that reason I would caution parents and teachers to consider carefully whether or not a child is emotionally capable of handling a frightening story such as this. Although it ends well, the story itself is scary and upsetting to younger children. Most children would probably handle it just fine, but very sensitive children might not.

My daughter, who is 2-1/2, likes this book very much. I thought it might be too scary for her, but it doesn't seem to be. She loves firefighters and rescues. She seems to appreciate the seriousness of the dramatic nighttime escape from the house fire, and the vulnerability of the little cat who survives. I think it helps hone her sense of empathy for creatures in need. She is a bold child and not very fearful, so while it works for her, this book might not be for all small kids! I like the illustrations -- they express the vulnerability of both cat and man very well.