Firefighter Flo!

by Andrea Zimmerman, Dan Yaccarino (Illustrator)

Overview

Big Jobs, Bold Women series is now in board book, perfect for toddlers for who love bright, noisy fire trucks.

Last night at the Fire Station…
With a jingly-jang, the telephone rang.
RING-RING! RING-RING!

Firefighter Flo jumps out of bed! There’s a fire and only a pro like Flo and her team can help. Firefighters put on their fireproof suits, rush off in their truck, douse the fire with the big hose, and rescue the family pet. The CLANG of the siren and WHOOSH of the fire will have parents and kids reading aloud together.


This first board book in the Big Jobs, Bold Women series introduces toddlers to strong women in tough hands-on jobs. Firefighter Flo! makes this empowering message accessible in a new durable format that is the perfect size for a energetic toddler.

With dynamic artwork from Dan Yaccarino, Nickelodeon character designer for The Backyardians, and energetic verse from Andrea Zimmerman, best-selling author of Trashy Town, Firefighter Flo is the perfect read for kids who love to watch the big red fire trucks rush by.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780823460373
Publisher:	Holiday House
Publication date:	02/04/2025
Series:	Big Jobs, Bold Women
Pages:	24
Product dimensions:	4.75(w) x 6.00(h) x (d)
Age Range:	3 Months to 3 Years

About the Author

ANDREA ZIMMERMAN is the author of many beloved series including Trashy Town and Smashy Town, illustrated by Dan Yaccarino; the bestselling truck series Bulldozer Friends, Digger Man, Fire Engine Man, and Train Man; All Buckled Up and All Dressed Up (S&S/Little Simon); and Dig! illustrated by Marc Rosenthal. Andrea grew up in Ohio, Utah, New York, and California. She enjoys gardening, going for walks, and visiting museums.

DAN YACCARINO is an author-illustrator who been named to the Texas Bluebonnet list for The Fantastic Undersea Life of Jacques Cousteau, Kirkus' Best Children's Book List for All the Way To America, The New York Times 10 Best Illustrated List and the Bologna Ragazzi for Every Friday. His picture book I Am a Story is a Junior Library Guild Selection and a Chicago Public Library Best Book of 2016. He's also the creator and producer of several animated series based on his books, Doug Unplugs (AppleTV), Oswald (Nickelodeon), Willa's Wild Life (NBC and Qubo), as well as the character designer behind The Backyardigans (Nickelodeon).

Editorial Reviews

★ "Zimmerman’s rhyming narration remains at a fever pitch. . . . Yaccarino’s punchy graphics are in full force. . . . Flo’s bravery is served up with five-alarm excitement."—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

"This high-energy, heart-pounding tribute to firefighters, with its bold visuals and enthusiastic text, would make an especially lively pick for a group setting like storytime, even for the youngest listeners—invite a local firefighter to share in the fun."—The Horn Book

"A quick and effervescent tribute to every city’s bravest. . . ."—School Library Journal

"It's an exciting story, and one that's chock-full of descriptive words that will help build young readers' vocabularies. Aiding that goal are the bold and bright digital illustrations, which have a sleek, classic vibe and make use of pops of red to keep young (and older) eyes dancing around the page. This one will be a popular choice among librarians, caregivers, and readers for years to come. Readers will be happy to have Flo in their homes day or night! This book's on fire!"—Kirkus Reviews

"An exciting book for all readers, especially empowering for girls."—Booklist

From the Publisher

★ 10/17/2022

This inaugural entry in a series focused on women workers opens and closes with a cheer that should rev up young audiences: “Hey, yo!/ Firefighter Flo!/ You’re a hero!/ You’re a pro!” Zimmerman’s rhyming narration remains at a fever pitch as Flo, a firefighter portrayed with brown skin, rouses the firehouse crew, portrayed with varying skin tones, in the middle of the night: “The smoke is thick!/ Flames have spread!/ Come on, crew./ Out of bed!” With percussive onomatopoeia pumping up the action, Flo drives the team to a burning house, and leads their response efforts (“The water rushed. The hoses gushed. SSSSHHHHH!”). When Flo spots a frantic dog still trapped inside the building, she breaks through the door with an axe, and as the fire roars around her and the building starts to collapse, she gets the pooch to safety. Yaccarino’s punchy graphics are in full force, employing lots of eye-catching red and black as well as some terrific visual winks (the firefighters wear matching red plaid pajamas in the firehouse, and their dalmatian’s spots are Ben-Day dots). The story ends with a good night wind-down, but Flo’s bravery is served up with five-alarm excitement. Ages 3–6. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

11/11/2022

K-Gr 2—The creators of the noisy and memorable Trashy Town kick off the aptly named "Big Jobs, Bold Women" series with another high-volume celebration of public service workers. Wakened by a jangling phone, Firefighter Flo and the rest of her crew tumble out of bed and into their gear, then roar down the street on a flashing, clanging, WOOOOO-ing fire truck to a burning building. As the others turn on the hose, Flo smashes down a door, plunges into the smoke…and carries out a trapped puppy for a grateful pajama-clad family. Sturdy, running figures and the big truck in Yaccarino's blocky digital screen prints capture the urgency of the call, and Zimmerman opens and closes her clamorous narrative with a gratifyingly rousing chant: "Hey, yo!/ Firefighter Flo!/ You're a hero!/ You're a pro!" Along with making dramatic reading on its own, this pairs up nicely for story time with Linda Ashman's Fire Chief Fran, likewise centering a woman firefighter while offering a broader picture of what she does all day. VERDICT A quick and effervescent tribute to every city's bravest, suitable for younger audiences, one-on-one or in a group.—John Edward Peters

School Library Journal

2022-06-22
Good firefighters know they need to go with the Flo.

Flo, a firefighter with light brown skin and curly brown hair, knows that firefighters always have to be prepared. One night, when a call comes in to the station reporting a fire, Flo rouses her sleeping team of fighters, leads them as they quickly suit up, and gets the diverse team (and their Dalmatian) onto the firetruck. “Flashing lights shined. FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! The loud siren whined. WOOOOOOOO! The bell went CLANG! each time it rang. CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!” Arriving at the scene, the team works together to douse the flames, and Flo bravely breaks into the building to save a trapped pup and reunite it with its family. In the end, Flo and the team reward themselves by going back to bed. It’s an exciting story, and one that’s chock-full of descriptive words that will help build young readers’ vocabularies. Aiding that goal are the bold and bright digital illustrations, which have a sleek, classic vibe and make use of pops of red to keep young (and older) eyes dancing around the page. This one will be a popular choice among librarians, caregivers, and readers for years to come. Readers will be happy to have Flo in their homes day or night! (This book was reviewed digitally.)

This book’s on fire! (Picture book. 2-4)

Kirkus Reviews