The Firefighters' Thanksgiving [Hardcover]

Maribeth Boelts (Author), Terry Widener (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 19, 2004 | Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Station 1 is always a busy place. When there aren't fires to put out there are plenty of chores to do. And on Thanksgiving Day there's a big feast to prepare. Lou is in charge of dinner this year, but just as they finish shopping, a call comes in. They drop everything to get to the fire. Other calls interrupt Lou's cooking throughout the day, and it looks like there may not be a Thanksgiving dinner for these firefighters.

Luckily, the grateful families in their neighborhood show their thanks in a thoughtful, perfect way.

This heart-warming story about dedicated firefighters and their appreciative community is illustrated with stunning, dramatic paintings.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2 - On Thanksgiving Day, the firefighters at Station 1 are busy preparing a holiday dinner. While two of them are grocery shopping in the morning, a call comes in over their cell phone and they rush out, leaving behind a full shopping cart. After they've put out the fire, they go back to the store, help mop up the melted ice cream, and return to the station. Then another call comes in. In fact, every time they put out a fire and return to the firehouse, they inevitably get another call. In one of the later fires, Lou, who had volunteered to cook, is injured. This time, when the others return, they find a sumptuous holiday feast with a heartfelt thank-you note attached, and they take some of this food to Lou in the hospital. Vibrant, somewhat surreal illustrations vividly depict the firefighters walking through doorways ablaze in orange flames. Despite a tendency toward a crowded, sometimes confusing look to the spreads and some forced rhyming structure, firefighter fans should enjoy this story. - James K. Irwin, Nichols Library, Naperville, IL
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

PreS-Gr. 2. This rhymed, picture-book tribute follows firefighters through a Thanksgiving Day as they struggle to shop and prepare a special meal in between calls to duty: "They wash the trucks, hang hose to dry / Roll out crust for pumpkin pie." Eventually, after raging fires leave one of the team hospitalized, the company of firefighters abandons meal preparation altogether only to receive a delicious, ready-to-eat feast from the grateful community. A few lines of text seem out of step with the story and may confuse young children: "Pack up gear and fill the tank. / Plan the next big rookie prank. / The turkey's frozen. Is it too late?" But the actions and sacrifice shine through the confusion, particularly in the large, slightly stylized acrylic paintings of firefighters amid the flames. Young children curious about rescue-worker stories will enjoy the suspense and drama of the men (and one woman) at work. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Juvenile (August 19, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399236007
• ISBN-13: 978-0399236006
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,244,224 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Maribeth Boelts lives in Iowa with her family and has been writing for children for almost 20 years. Her most recent titles, "Those Shoes" and "Before You Were Mine" have won a number of awards. Her picture book, "Happy Like Soccer" will be published May, 2012. A former teacher, Maribeth enjoys meeting and encouraging kids to read and write. "It is, in equal parts, an enthralling and confusing quest trying to crack the code on what makes a child pull a book off the shelf and continue turning the page. Figuring out what makes that same child laugh, feel understood or inspired is what keeps this career so interesting. I am grateful for every reader."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Even Firefighters celebrate Thanksgiving!, November 22, 2004

By 

KSL "emma-and-me" (Florida, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Firefighters' Thanksgiving (Hardcover)

This is the story of 10 firefighters of Station 1 on Thanksgiving Day. One of the firemen says he can cook dinner and off they go to the store. With a full cart, a call comes in and they must all leave the cart and rush off to the call. Smoky & sooty they return to the store for their cart and even help the people at the market clean their melted ice cream. Back to the station, it's time to start to begin their dinner; there is peeling, cutting, rolling and mixing. Another call comes in. And then another. A fireman is hurt, but they soon find out he'll be OK.

Will the fireman ever get their turkey in the oven and be able to enjoy their Thanksgiving dinner? I'm not going to ruin the story for you, you'll just have to get the book and read!

I will give you one hint... there is kindness from their local neighborhood and a happy ending as well.

The author of this book grew up around a fire station and then married a fireman! I think she knows her way around a fire station. The illustrator also included a woman as one of the 10 firefighter, which I like a lot. The story has 2 pages of words with nice illustrations, then there are 2 pages with no words just the illustrations and then repeats the pattern until the end of the book. This is a terrific book for any child interested in firefighters and the ending shows the true meaning of Thanksgiving!

Definitely a wonderful book to read to your child around Thanksgiving!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book for little firefighters and Thanksgiving, March 16, 2009

By 

Strongsville Mom - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Firefighters' Thanksgiving (Hardcover)

My son is now 5. We started reading this book when he was 2. It is one of his favorites. It is beautifully written. Lessons we have talked about: fire fighters duties and responsibilities, how they are community helpers, time of day, the meaning of friendship and caring for those you care for, and the true meaning of Thanksgiving. I am glad I purchased the hard cover version.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Firefighters Thaksgiving, August 17, 2010

By 

Pam1 - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Firefighters' Thanksgiving (Hardcover)

The book was in great condition--just like new! Saved a lot of money as the list price was over $20. Thanks!