Fireboat - (Picture Puffin Books) by Maira Kalman (Paperback)

About the Book

The inspiring true story of the "John J. Harvey"--the retired NYC fireboat that was reinstated into emergency service on September 11, 2001--is told, bringing a New York City icon to life and celebrating the energy and hope of a place and its people. Full color.

Book Synopsis

The John J. Harvey fireboat was the largest, fastest, shiniest fireboat of its time, but by 1995, the city didn't need old fireboats anymore. So the Harvey retired, until a group of friends decided to save it from the scrap heap. Then, one sunny September day in 2001, something so horrible happened that the whole world shook. And a call came from the fire department, asking if the Harvey could battle the roaring flames. In this inspiring true story, Maira Kalman brings a New York City icon to life and proves that old heroes never die.

Review Quotes

* "Kalman does some extraordinary things in this beautiful picture book. She takes the fireboat's history and puts it within the context of a city that has endured, framing the enormity of 9/11 so young readers, and even small children, can begin to grasp what happened. At the same time, she makes the event part of life's continuum of loss and endurance. Her artistry is as compassionate as it is brilliant. Wonderful, sweeping images of New York icons bring the city to life; detailed images of the Harvey do the same for the boat. . . . It is vivid, but the stark, sensitive rendering is also somehow easier to absorb than the horrible photographs burned into our hearts. By focusing on the boat and the people who worked on it, loved it, and placed it at the service of their city, Kalman casts a blessing far and wide. . . . A hundred years from now, when people want to know what we told our children about 9/11, Kalman's book should be among the first answers."--Booklist, starred review

* "Fireboat does many things. It sets forth an adventure, helps commemorate an anniversary, offers an interesting bit of history, celebrates the underdog, and honors the fire-fighting profession. Children and adults will respond to it in as many ways."--School Library Journal, starred review

* "Kalman intelligently conveys those unfathomable events in a way that a picture book audience can comprehend. . . . With this inspiring book, Kalman sensitively handles a difficult subject in an age-appropriate manner."--Publishers Weekly, starred review

* "Among the many literary tributes to 9-11 heroism, Kalman's is particularly exciting, uplifting, and child-sensitive. . . . Revisits the tragedy without the terror and conveys pride without preachiness."--The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, starred review

* "Quintessential New York artist Kalman gives us an idiosyncratic but informative look at a Big Apple institution. . . . Kalman's use of the events of September 11 is honest and honorable, and rarely is she as straightforward as she is here."--The Horn Book, starred review

About the Author

In her own words: "born. bucolic childhood. culture-stuffed adolescence. played piano. stopped. danced. stopped. wrote. discarded writing. drew. reinstated writing. married Tibor Kalman and collaborated at iconoclastic yet successful design studio. wrote and painted children's books. worried. took up Ping-Pong. relaxed. wrote and painted for many magazines. cofounded the Rubber Band Society. amused. children: two. dog: one."