Kai to the Rescue!

by Audrey Penn, Mike Yamada (Illustrator)

Overview

Will the red fire trucks accept the new green-and-white fire truck at Firehouse #10?

Kai is a small green-and-white pumper truck who moves into Firehouse #10. Firehouse #10 has some of the biggest, reddest fire trucks around. So how can Kai fit in with the other fire trucks?

When a big fire breaks out, it's Kai who saves the day!

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Kissing Hand, Audrey Penn, Kai to the Rescue! is a delightful story that celebrates the differences that make every one of us special. The trucks come to life with the exciting, kid-friendly art of up-and-coming animator and illustrator Mike Yamada!

Kai to the Rescue! is perfect for National Fire Prevention Month (October) and Fire Prevention Week (the second week of October).

Confidence comes in all colors, shapes, and sizes!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780545816373
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	08/30/2016
Sold by:	Scholastic, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Pages:	40
File size:	52 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	3 - 5 Years

About the Author

Mike Yamada is the illustrator of Bedtime Blastoff! He works as an animation production designer based in Pasadena, California. Mike has contributed to many animated films, including Kung Fu Panda 2, How to Train Your Dragon, and Big Hero 6. Visit him online at myamada.com.
Audrey Penn is the author of numerous children's books, including the Chester Raccoon series, which includes the New York Times bestseller The Kissing Hand. Audrey lives in Durham, North Carolina. For more information, go to audreypenn.com.

Editorial Reviews

05/23/2016
As Kermit the Frog once noted, it’s not easy being green. For Kai, the new green pumper truck at the fire station, his diminutive size makes life even more complicated. “Good gracious, Kai! You’re so young and small!/ I really don’t think you can help us at all,” says Chuck, the hook and ladder truck. To his credit, Kai never stops believing in himself, and he gets a little support from the other two trucks on the team. He tries to fit in by coloring himself red with crayons, which gains him some approbation from the big trucks (“Very stylish!” says Rudy, the big pumper) but does nothing to overcome Chuck’s misgivings about his size—until suddenly, in the midst of a forest fire, being small becomes a big asset. Penn’s (the Kissing Hand series) earnest text, with its intermittent rhyming (for some reason only Chuck speaks in meter), isn’t exactly delicate in its messaging, but Yamada’s (Bedtime Blastoff!) digital illustrations bring plenty of wide-eyed energy and determination to this workplace drama. Ages 3–5. Illustrator’s agent: Kirsten Hall, Catbird Agency. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn and illustrated by Ruth E. Harper:

A #1 New York Times bestseller

A 2007 NEA Survey Educators' Top 100 Children's Book



Praise for A Pocket Full of Kisses by Audrey Penn and illustrated by Barbara Leonard Gibson

"Penn understands the powerful pull of old-fashioned sentiment." -- Publishers Weekly



Praise for Bedtime Blastoff! by Luke Reynolds and illustrated by Mike Yamada:

"Yamada's digital illustrations amplify the creativity of this duo, offering detailed images of the child's bedroom as it becomes a sort of infinite and diverse playground. ... With its simple, declarative text and lively illustrations, this is an ideal story for transportation-themed storytimes or for launching kids to bedtime." -- Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

09/01/2016
PreS-Gr 1—Three red fire trucks live at Firehouse #10, "side by side, clean and polished, ready for the next day's action." Enter a tiny green and white pumper truck. Small and shy, Kai finds crayons to color himself red in an attempt to fit in. Despite his best efforts, he is ignored, teased, and pushed aside while others take the lead. When an underbrush fire presents a challenge, only a tiny pumper truck can handle it. Now Firehouse #10 is a team of four—a team known for its collaboration, individual talents, skills, and confidence. Praise comes from the previously skeptical Captain, who now voices his belief that size and color don't matter: "When the fire is out, we all look the same: the color of dirt, ash, and grime." Light washes over digital cartoon images, revealing expressive faces in windshields and truck hoods while featuring details of the action and darkened areas of the station. Although the text is limited mostly to multiple lines in a single area of each page, alternating full-page and spotlight illustrations accentuate the vibrantly painted details and keep pages turning with a winning hero and a message of inclusiveness. VERDICT A recommended general purchase for all libraries, perfect for vehicle-themed programs.—Mary Elam, Learning Media Services, Plano ISD, TX

School Library Journal

2016-05-04
When a tiny green-and-white pumper joins the fire crew, the captain truck doubts his abilities.Firehouse No. 10 seems as though it has all the fire trucks it needs. Capt. Chuck is a large hook and ladder, Emily (stereotypically depicted as the sole truck with eyelashes) is the equipment truck, and Rudy carries the chemical foam. But there is word that a new truck is coming. "Oh, no, no, no!" moans Capt. Chuck. "This will not do! I'm very happy with my crew, crew, crew!" Poor little Kai, a tiny pumper, is doomed before he starts. Plus, the others are a gleaming red, and he is green and white. How will he ever fit in? On his first night in the station, he grabs some red crayons and scribbles himself a new coat. The two other trucks admire his ingenuity, but the captain shouts, "underneath that crayon you're still white and green. I don't think you're right for our team, team, team." Despite the harsh words, Kai perseveres and proves his worth when, during a fire, he fits into a tight spot that none of the other trucks can reach. Yamada's animation background shines through in the cartoon trucks reminiscent of Disney's Cars. Capt. Chuck's rhymed, thrice-repeated words continue (bafflingly, he's the only one who speaks this way), but the rhythm becomes increasingly jarring as he gets nicer (perhaps compliments are difficult).An oft-told tale in fire-truck form. It's earnest, but it fizzles. (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews