Fireboat: The Heroic Adventures of the John J. Harvey (Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards (Awards))

From Publishers Weekly
In relating the heroic role of the John J. Harvey on September 11, Kalman (Next Stop Grand Central) intelligently conveys those unfathomable events in a way that a picture book audience can comprehend. She begins with the year 1931, which saw some of New York City's finest hours: "Amazing things were happening big and small./ The Empire State Building went up up up." She continues with the completion of the George Washington Bridge, then zeroes in on the launching of the John J. Harvey, "the largest, fastest and shiniest fireboat of them all." Spot illustrations show its equipment and introduce the crew (including "a dog named Smokey, who did not put out the fires but had many nice spots"), while views of the New York harbor stretch across a spread. She then fast-forwards to 1995: "New York was changing. The Twin Towers were now the tallest buildings in New York City." But the piers are also closing, so the fireboat rests in retirement. One night, a group of friends decide over dinner to restore the John J. Harvey to its original glory. Next, the volume takes an abrupt turn. White type on a black page announces: "But then on September 11, 2001 something so huge and horrible happened that the whole world shook." A sequence of spreads shows the towers literally exploding in dark, angry brushstrokes of black and gray and orange, followed by the many heroes who "sprang into action," including the John J. Harvey. With this inspiring book, Kalman (Next Stop Grand Central) sensitively handles a difficult subject in an age-appropriate manner. Ages 5-up.Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.


From School Library Journal
reSchool-Grade 3-Kalman's hip, high-energy paintings portray American life in 1931: the Empire State Building is constructed, Babe Ruth hits his 611th home run, "Snickers" is invented, and the John J. Harvey is launched to fight fires on New York piers. In its heyday, the boat is the creme de la creme, but toward the end of the century as the piers start to close, it is forced into retirement, soon to become scrap. Amazingly, a group of friends decides to tackle a restoration, and the John J. Harvey is called upon to fight its worst blaze ever. The fireboat's role on September 11 calls for a shift in the book's mood and style. The transition is signaled with a quiet page of white text on gray-no art. The spread of the expressionistic explosion is followed by portraits of community helpers. The climax is depicted on a black background with the firefighters, appearing as blue, kinetic outlines, furiously battling the blazing orange, red, and yellow flames with long lines of white spray. 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.Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public LibraryCopyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.


From AudioFile
1931 was a banner year in New York City. Accomplishments included the height of the new Empire State Building, the length of the George Washington Bridge, and the launching of the new fireboat John J. Harvey. In her signature book (an admirable candidate for the 2002 Caldecott Medal), Maira Kalman celebrates the feats of a hard-working boat and its crew in New York Harbor of the period and now, as the restored vessel begins a new life. Kalman also pays tribute to the role the Harvey played in the days of 9/11. Judd Hirsch narrates with admiration for each crew member. His voice is firm and steady as he shares both the mundane and the heroic. Sound effects of the period and the nautical and musical interludes complete the recording. A.R. © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine


From Booklist
Gr. 2-6. In 1931, in New York City, "amazing things were happening: big and small." The Empire State Building opened; so did the George Washington Bridge. The Snicker candy bar appeared, and Babe Ruth hit his 611th home run. That was also the year the John J. Harvey fireboat was first launched. It had levers, buttons, buckets, brass trim, and five engines, and it fought fires on the piers. But by 1995, the city had little use for a fireboat, and it sold the Harvey to group of people who restored and used it for fun. Then came 9/11, "something so huge and horrible happened that the whole world shook." The Harvey was called back into service. Firefighters attached their hoses to the boat and fought fires for four days and nights. 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. She shows the planes headed toward their targets, then the explosion, and the collapse. 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. GraceAnne DeCandido
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


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It is a truth universally acknowledged that many young children are obsessed with fire-fighting vehicles. Whether this true story of a New York City fireboat will satisfy them remains to be seen. Kalman begins with the familiar bright colors, playful language, and intriguing facts of her previous works (What Pete Ate From A to Z, 2001, etc.). Details of 1931 New York when the Harvey was launched, its crew, its gear, and its work fill these early pages. A jump to 1995, announced on a white page with a small illustration, brings the story of how the Harvey, slated for the scrap heap, is discovered and refurbished by a disparate group of New Yorkers. Then there is another colorless page, this one gray and denuded of illustration, announcing another date: September 11, 2001. What comes next is intense, disturbing, and beautiful. There is that blue sky, those white towers, and the two planes heading for them. Here are the buildings collapsing. There are the fires, day and night. And here is the Harvey and its crew helping along with so many others. A return to cheerful language scattered about a spectacular double spread of the New York City skyline at sunset brings the work to an optimistic conclusion. This well-intentioned, but muddled mix of New York City history, fireboat operation, and 9/11 memorial will need adults on hand to answer the many questions bound to arise. (Picture book. 5-9)


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