Dot the Fire Dog
By Lisa Desimini
Blue Sky Press/Scholastic, $15.95
ISBN 0439233224

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A trusty canine hero

When my son, now eight, was a preschooler, we went through the Fire Truck Period, in which we read every fire truck book known to man. He spent lots of time making his own siren sound effects, which were sometimes so convincing that I had to reassure others that nothing was amiss.

Now my twin girls, approaching age three, are ready to get into the act. Although they're certainly not the fire truck aficionados that my son was, they proved to be an appreciative audience for Dot the Fire Dog, no doubt because Dot, a lively Dalmatian, is the star. This trusty fire dog does all the usual stuff that firehouse dogs do -- dons a helmet, rides in the fire truck, helps rescue an old man and a kitten from a burning house. Yet the subject never seems to lose its appeal.

Award-winning artist Lisa Desimini adds a modern touch by including female firefighters, as well as firefighters of various races. And with these heroes in the news so much since the September tragedies, her book provides a calm yet realistic explanation for preschoolers of what these folks do. The tale starts with a sleeping Dot and a brief tour of the firehouse, where the firefighters are relaxing. Then, of course, a call comes, and out everyone rushes. This is an adventure for the younger rather than the older crowd, as the plot is quite spare. Yet kids will be interested in the detailed illustrations, which show the firemen's breathing apparatus and the instrument used to break windows. "Dot's Fire Safety Tips" at the end are also a useful addition for children of all ages.

Desimini's oil illustrations are realistic, with odd yet interesting perspectives reminiscent of primitive folk art. Naturally, Dot is the most lively character in the book; the doll-like humans have few expressions. But Desimini has succeeded in making the subject approachable for preschoolers and after all, Dot, not the folks at the fire station, is the book's focus.

Dot the Fire Dog was probably the first book about firefighters that my girls have read, and it was a straightforward, pleasant introduction, one they've asked for again.