Dot The Fire Dog [Hardcover]

Lisa Desimini (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up

Simple text and playful images come together in an appealing picture book about a day in the life of a fire dog. "A bold, engaging outlet for preschoolers' perennial fascination with firefighters...The rich paintings will reward readers as they comply with repeated requests for this likely hit." - The Horn Book

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Desimini's (Sun & Moon) day in the life of a firehouse dog seems uncharacteristically dull. The events themselves offer drama firefighters rescue a man in a burning house while Dot rescues the man's kitten but the matter-of-fact text and the static oil paintings are so low-key that they do not convey the excitement inherent in the plot. Devoid of dialogue or imagery, the narrative is occasionally interrupted by directives to the characters: "They pull on their big rubber boots and put on their pants and their jackets. Don't forget your helmets. You, too, Dot." But whether they are running, eating a bowl of soup or sliding down the firehouse pole, the multicultural men and women of the firehouse seem frozen in space. Their faces remain grim whether they are putting out the fire or playing checkers. The fire safety tips at the book's conclusion may be useful for fire safety lessons but, despite the cheery Dalmatian-spotted endpapers, this is a rather antiseptic view of these everyday heroes at work. Ages 3-up.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

reS-Gr 2-A simple story on a perennially popular topic. The circular tale begins and ends in the firehouse, a surprisingly cozy spot where Dot "sleeps by the firefighters' big rubber boots." Called away from their leisure activities, the dalmatian and her colleagues suit up to answer an alarm. When they reach a burning house, one firefighter rescues a sleeping man while Dot finds and carries out a tiny kitten. The fire is eventually put out and, their work done, the firefighters return to the firehouse. A short list of fire-safety tips appears on the final page. Desimini's bright colors and uncluttered compositions perfectly suit the straightforward style of her text. Whether picturing the firehouse, the city streets, or the burning house, the paintings offer quirky perspectives and unusual angles. The artist includes both genders and a variety of races on her fire-fighting team, but of course the real star is Dot, the fire dog.

Lisa Dennis, The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, PA

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Blue Sky Press (October 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439233224
• ISBN-13: 978-0439233224
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 9.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #797,111 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great book for Dalmation lovers, December 12, 2001

By 

Ariel Pawlak (POMPANO BEACH, FL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dot The Fire Dog (Hardcover)

I bought this book for my two and a half year old daughter because her grandmother has a dalmation named Duchess who she adores. When I read the book I just change Dot to Duchess and she loves it. She asks me to read it to her every day. The text is simple enough for her to follow and she enjoys finding the dog on each page. I think it is also good that the fire is not too scary and the part where the dog saves the kitten is really cute. My daughter also has developed a love of fire engines (what kid doesn't love them) so all in all I think she really enjoys this book. What bothers me is the illustrations. The dog is okay but the people look like they were poorly drawn by grade schoolers. I find the androygenous faces kind of creepy. It doesn't seem to bother my daughter though and I don't find annoying having to read this book over and over again to her. I would have given this book five stars if it had better illustrations.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An easy read and great for young firefighters, January 3, 2005

By 

Gabrielle Mcgraw "Ben's Mom" (El Dorado Hills, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dot The Fire Dog (Hardcover)

My son was bombarded with firetrucks and anything related as his daddy is a firefighter. Out of all the things he has received (minus a couple of motorized firetrucks), he loves this book. We read it almost daily and he can tell me all about Dot, the firetruck, the firemen and all the activities happening in the fire station. It was one of the best gifts we received.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Book for the Young FireFighter Fan, June 27, 2002

By 

Lisa Babick (Homewood IL - Chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dot The Fire Dog (Hardcover)

My two-year old son adores this book. We first found this book at our local library and had to renew several times before I finally bought it. It's one of his bedtime favorites.

The story is about Dot the Fire Dog. It follows her through a day at the firehouse, where she sleeps by the fire fighters big rubber boots while the fire fighters are relaxing. The fire bell rings and everyone dashes off to a house fire. The fire an saves a sick old man and Dot herself is hero as she saves a kitten from the burning building.

This book is truly a delight and educational too. On the last page, Fire Dog Dot offers several fire safety tips including who to call and what to do if there's a fire.