Customer Reviews

The Fire Cat (I Can Read Book 1)

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I had a most unusual experience recently with this book. I was browsing at a local children's bookstore (sorry, Amazon!) when I saw this book on the shelf. A thrill of recognition shot through me like a bolt of lightning! This book had been one of my favorites (...).

I immediately purchased it, and read it to my kids. Have you ever had fond memories of something from your childhood, but found out when you revisited it as an adult that it didn't hold up over the years? Luckily, that is NOT the case with The Fire Cat--this book is every bit as wonderful today as it was 40 years ago.

The illustrations deserve comment. Esther Averill was amazingly deft in her illustrations of cats; anyone who has owned a cat will appreciate the subtle perfection of the way she captures the poses of the cat in various situations. Yet her illustrations of the people and objects in the story are pretty crude. They don't have the obvious charm of Maurice Sendak's work, or the zany energy of Dr. Seuss. But I assure you the illustrations will captivate any young reader as the perfect companions for the text.

And what a text! It is elegant and beautifully structured, yet it's so simple and straightforward that any preschooler can easily follow along. Pickles, the main character, starts off as a bit of a bully, but by the end he has completely redeemed himself and is a hero. I especially like that the good things that happen to Pickles don't just happen by chance, as they do in so many other children's stories--Pickles actually works hard to better himself.

This book is truly a classic. If your budget permits, spring for the library binding. I guarantee that if you get it for your kids, they will someday be reading it to their own kids!

My daughter (she's six) just finished reading this book herself, out loud to me at bedtime. It took her four or five nights to read the three short chapters.

In the middle of the book, when Pickles the cat has a small triumph, she said "it makes me cry!" and at the end she said "I wish it just kept going". I felt so glad for her to have the experience of what it's like to read a good book - these are the feelings that make one a real book lover for life!

Like another recent reviewer I thought the pictures a little crude but the cats were remarkably cat-like; there was no effort to make them cute or cuddley. Yet, perhaps because of that simplicity, Pickles invokes a strong sense of feeling/identification as the he "grows" into a better cat through the three short chapters.

I think this was the perfect book for my daughter to read at this time. Just challenging enough, a great story and illustrations that work very well with the story. I'm also am glad to find a good children's book that's NOT about a boy (though Pickles IS a "he"); I'm sure all parents with daughters know that the vast majority of kid's books are about boy hero (yes I know there are some excellent exceptions) so a wonderful book that's not about a boy is a great find.

Anyone who enjoyed this book should know that there are twelve more Cat Club books (some are novels!), most quite charming. Unfortunately, they are all out of print, but are well worth searching for.
This is the easiest-to-read volume in the sage, and the story is very appealing. The art is not Averill's best; her cat illustrations are usually simple and darling, but here she attempts to draw more human characters and difficult perspectives and the results are a bit awkward. Kids don't mind too much, though.

This is the first book I can clearly recall reading on my own (I'm 39). My Dad used to read it to me, and one day I read it to him. I remember him proudly calling my Mom into the room to hear me read it from cover to cover. I recently discovered a copy at the "used books for sale" section of my library, and excitedly rushed home to read it to my five year old. He loves it. This is a conceptually brilliant book for children. This is a great book for several reasons. First, it teaches the virtues of kindness and hard work. Second, it has superbly crafted simple sentence construction, and it's written to facilitate early reading by using word and concept repetition. Third, it has great illustrations and easy-to-read type. It also has three chapters, which was a new concept for my son.

This is one of the all time great early reader books. If there is an early reader in you life, get it for him or her!

I was thrilled when after trying to track this item down everywhere, I found it here, CHEAP, in mint condition, and sent to me in less than 48 hours! This was my favorite book when I was in 2nd grade, and now my 6 year old son who started reading when he was 4 and is obsessed with firefighters & cats and dogs now counts it as one of his own favorites. If you have children, BUY THIS! And if you don't, get it now while you still have a place to find it so that you will have it to share in the future.

I had a flashback to this book the other day. Who could forget Pickles the cat with big paws and big things to do... I bought it and read it to my niece and nephew. JOY!

Okay, maybe that is an exaggeration, but Fire Cat was one of the first books I read as a child. I was thrilled when I found a beat-up copy at a garage sale a few years ago, thinking I had the last copy on earth. Then, working in a local bookstore, I saw it was still in print. How cool is that? Very cool, my friends, very cool.

I highly recommend this for your favorite little people. It teaches that everyone has goodness within them, if given a chance.

The Fire Cat by Esther Arerill

Once there was a homeless cat that lived in a barrel.His barrel was in a old yard.Pikles chesed little cats.He had a friend named mrs GoodKind.
One dayPickels chased a little cat up a tree . He
would not let the cat back down the tree! the wind blew.Rain fell down.Now both cats where
in the tree.Pickles let the little cat back down.mrs goodkid called the fireman because
pickels was to scared to come down . After he got saved he became a fire cat .Ilike this book because i like firemen.



GORDON grade 1

This book was my little brother's favorite. He ALWAYS wanted "Fire Cat! Fire Cat!"

This book is fun for kids because it sets up a strange situation-- a fire CAT, not a fire dog (the typical dalmation)-- and teaches kids that if you put your mind to it, you can!

I was very happy to find this book. A little girl I know is celebrating her sixth birthday in a few days, and this is DEFINITELY going to be part of her gift.

I love the way this book is written as a trilogy. You get to meet Pickles and grow with him as he moves through his nine lives much like a children's mini-series. Taking on the role of a mentor, Mrs. Goodkind accepts the challenge of helping Pickles to grow from being a wild young cat often in trouble to becoming a mature cat destined for big things. The characters are vivid and well developed. The reader (Or listener) can truly imagine what they are like and develop strong feelings for each of them. The illustrations are helpful in giving the characters personality and helping the reader relate to them. The plot is tight and easy to follow making this a perfect choice for children just starting to read for themselves. It is however, a very fun bedtime or story-time book for reading to the younger "book of the week" set.
A very important message that this book conveys is that we need to look for the good in those around us, and be a "mover and shaker" in trying to bring out the best in others. Mrs. Goodkind is a great role model as is Pickles who finds a better side of himself through the lessons he learns. Children's books with real-messages are so critical during the "formative years" so that young people will grow up with survival tools even more important than reading itself. Books like this, mentor children rather than just teaching them to read. Children who are mentored as they are growing up will themselves become mentors for those who come along after them. A special thanks to Ms. Averill for a book that has brought many smiles to many faces for many years.