Fire Chief Fran

Bank Street Best Book of the Year

★ "Ashman’s text is serviceably crisp... [The] repetition, much like the clanging of the alarm bell, does a great job alerting readers to an emergency. Carpenter’s illustrations are digitally enhanced acrylic paintings, using a predominantly primary color palette: red fire truck, yellow turnout gear, navy blue shirts. A must-have for all community helper collections." —School Library Journal, starred review

★  "An action-packed day in the life of a fire chief....The story, told in an engaging and varied rhyme scheme and accompanied by bright, engaging acrylic and digital illustrations, doesn’t shy away from the amount of work that firefighters need to do, including the physical and practical training that keep the firefighters performing at peak capacity.... This book is on fire!" —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★  "Fire Chief Fran leads a crew of firefighters, and a trusty firehouse dog, through a busy shift of wide-ranging calls, linked by Ashman’s rousing, rhyming refrain: 'Lights begin flashing, and—CLANG!—the bells blast./ They leap into action—/ they need to move FAST!'...Carpenter’s striking, digitally finished acrylic art combines a primary-colors palette with tissue-paper texturing...Together with its detailed, q&a-style afterword, it’s a first-rate portrayal of first responders." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

★ "It's rare to see a Black woman as a fire chief in picture books, but Fran leads her diverse team of firefighters through their actions and activities, all depicted in vibrant, mixed-media illustrations, which excitingly convey the scope of services they provide their community. The lively, rhyming text is ideal for reading aloud, and the back matter, presented in a question-and-answer format, offers further information about what being a firefighter and fire chief entails...A noteworthy, enjoyable addition to firefighter themed books and an informative, engaging, and uncommonly inspiring introduction to the subject." —Booklist, starred review