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Mr. Small #6
The Little Fire Engine
Mr. Small does it all!
In this adventure, Fireman Small rushes to battle a fire in town. When the alarm bell rings, Fireman Small suits up and roars down the road in his shiny red fire engine. When he helps extinguish the fire and rescues a young girl, Fireman Small becomes a hero in Tinytown.
Now back in print in full color, Lois Lenski's timeless story of Fireman Small and his little fire engine is sure to delight a new generation of young readers.
In this adventure, Fireman Small rushes to battle a fire in town. When the alarm bell rings, Fireman Small suits up and roars down the road in his shiny red fire engine. When he helps extinguish the fire and rescues a young girl, Fireman Small becomes a hero in Tinytown.
Now back in print in full color, Lois Lenski's timeless story of Fireman Small and his little fire engine is sure to delight a new generation of young readers.
56 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1946
174 people want to read
About the author
Lois Lenski
187 books197 followersLois Lenore Lenski Covey was an influential American author and illustrator whose work reshaped twentieth-century children’s literature through its combination of artistic skill, documentary realism, and deep empathy for childhood experience. Beginning her publishing career in the late 1920s, she went on to write and illustrate nearly one hundred books, ranging from picture books and historical novels to regional fiction, poetry, songbooks, and literary essays. She is best known for the Mr. Small picture book series, her meticulously researched historical novels, and her groundbreaking Regional books, which portrayed the everyday lives of children across diverse American communities.
Born in Ohio and trained formally as both an educator and an artist, Lenski studied at Ohio State University, the Art Students League of New York, and the Westminster School of Art in London. Although she initially aspired to be a painter, exhibiting work in New York galleries, she gradually turned to illustration and then to writing, encouraged by pioneering children’s editor Helen Dean Fish. Her early books drew heavily on her Midwestern childhood, while later works reflected extensive travel, field research, and close observation of family and community life.
Lenski achieved major critical recognition with her historical novels Phebe Fairchild: Her Book and Indian Captive, and with her Regional novel Strawberry Girl, which won the Newbery Medal. These works were notable for their commitment to authenticity, incorporating dialect, material culture, and social realities often avoided in children’s books of the era. She believed that literature for young readers should neither sentimentalize nor sanitize life, but instead foster understanding, tolerance, and empathy.
Alongside her own writing, Lenski illustrated works by other major authors, including Watty Piper’s The Little Engine That Could and the early volumes of Maud Hart Lovelace’s Betsy-Tacy series. Her influence extended beyond publishing through lectures, teaching, and advocacy. In 1967 she established the Lois Lenski Covey Foundation, dedicated to providing books to children facing social and economic disadvantage.
In her later years, Lenski continued writing while living in Florida, publishing her autobiography Journey into Childhood shortly before her death. Her legacy endures through her books, her educational philosophy, and ongoing efforts to expand access to literature for children.
Born in Ohio and trained formally as both an educator and an artist, Lenski studied at Ohio State University, the Art Students League of New York, and the Westminster School of Art in London. Although she initially aspired to be a painter, exhibiting work in New York galleries, she gradually turned to illustration and then to writing, encouraged by pioneering children’s editor Helen Dean Fish. Her early books drew heavily on her Midwestern childhood, while later works reflected extensive travel, field research, and close observation of family and community life.
Lenski achieved major critical recognition with her historical novels Phebe Fairchild: Her Book and Indian Captive, and with her Regional novel Strawberry Girl, which won the Newbery Medal. These works were notable for their commitment to authenticity, incorporating dialect, material culture, and social realities often avoided in children’s books of the era. She believed that literature for young readers should neither sentimentalize nor sanitize life, but instead foster understanding, tolerance, and empathy.
Alongside her own writing, Lenski illustrated works by other major authors, including Watty Piper’s The Little Engine That Could and the early volumes of Maud Hart Lovelace’s Betsy-Tacy series. Her influence extended beyond publishing through lectures, teaching, and advocacy. In 1967 she established the Lois Lenski Covey Foundation, dedicated to providing books to children facing social and economic disadvantage.
In her later years, Lenski continued writing while living in Florida, publishing her autobiography Journey into Childhood shortly before her death. Her legacy endures through her books, her educational philosophy, and ongoing efforts to expand access to literature for children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
December 14, 2014
I hated this book so much I had to write a review about it.
Fireman Small and the other firefighters are called to save a burning house. They go there in a fire truck that says the same thing as the Winkies in the Wizard of Oz (ooo-weee-oooo). I could not figure out how to make that sound like a siren.
They get to the house and it is obviously a serious situation because smoke is coming out of the windows and doors. So Fireman Small sends his firefighters straight in with nothing but various sharp blades to find the fire.
Meanwhile, Fireman Small and another firefighter are preparing the pump and hose. The family is removing furniture from their house that has copious amounts of smoke coming out of it.
Then the plot thickens. One of the daughters is trapped on the second floor with her kitty and there are flames behind her. Apparently the family was so busy saving their furniture that they didn't bother to make sure the kids were all safely out of the house. But it's okay, because Fireman Small saves the girl and the kitty using the ladder.
By this point the fire has reached the attic, according to the report of the firefighters who went inside the house to explore, so Fireman Small climbs the ladder to the roof, chops a hole in it, and sprays water through the hole, extinguishing the fire. (This is not why firemen chop holes in roofs, by the way.)
Amazingly, although the house was up in flames, it was saved by Fireman Small's heroic efforts. He tells the family that their house is saved and they can go ahead and move all of their furniture back into their soggy, smoke-damaged home that has a hole in the roof, and the firemen drive back to the firehouse. What a happy ending.
You may have guessed that this is probably not a great book to use if you want to teach fire safety.
Fireman Small and the other firefighters are called to save a burning house. They go there in a fire truck that says the same thing as the Winkies in the Wizard of Oz (ooo-weee-oooo). I could not figure out how to make that sound like a siren.
They get to the house and it is obviously a serious situation because smoke is coming out of the windows and doors. So Fireman Small sends his firefighters straight in with nothing but various sharp blades to find the fire.
Meanwhile, Fireman Small and another firefighter are preparing the pump and hose. The family is removing furniture from their house that has copious amounts of smoke coming out of it.
Then the plot thickens. One of the daughters is trapped on the second floor with her kitty and there are flames behind her. Apparently the family was so busy saving their furniture that they didn't bother to make sure the kids were all safely out of the house. But it's okay, because Fireman Small saves the girl and the kitty using the ladder.
By this point the fire has reached the attic, according to the report of the firefighters who went inside the house to explore, so Fireman Small climbs the ladder to the roof, chops a hole in it, and sprays water through the hole, extinguishing the fire. (This is not why firemen chop holes in roofs, by the way.)
Amazingly, although the house was up in flames, it was saved by Fireman Small's heroic efforts. He tells the family that their house is saved and they can go ahead and move all of their furniture back into their soggy, smoke-damaged home that has a hole in the roof, and the firemen drive back to the firehouse. What a happy ending.
You may have guessed that this is probably not a great book to use if you want to teach fire safety.
February 9, 2011
My 3 year old son loved this book since he loves anything with wheels. I don't think that the book teaches very good fire safety. When the firemen arrive, they start to determine where the fire is located in the house. While they are doing that, the father, mother & children are removing furniture & other belongings from the house. (This is a big no-no!) The family is so concerned with the furniture that they don't even realize that one of their children & their cat is trapped upstairs. After the fire has been put out, Fireman Small says "The fire is over! Move right back in again!" The family carry their sofa, lamps, tables , and chairs into the house. (The house looks perfectly fine. No fire, water or smoke damage.) I know this is just a kid's book, but I feel children should know that a fire is a big deal and that if you have a house fire, it will not be fixed with the snap of a finger!
October 28, 2019
Published in 1946 this little children's book really shows its age. A fire breaks out in a family home. The mother and brother run in and out of the house placing furniture in the yard. At some point after that an illustration shows a young girl with the family cat in her arms peering out of the second story window! They are saved. The firemen chop a hole in the roof and wet things down. After that the family returns their belongings to the house and life goes on!
Horrifying by modern standards, I suppose this book should only be used as an example of Lenski's work, or an example of how much fire safety has changed.
Horrifying by modern standards, I suppose this book should only be used as an example of Lenski's work, or an example of how much fire safety has changed.
September 30, 2020
My 3 year old grabs these daily. ❤
January 30, 2020
First sentence: Fireman Small has a little fire engine.
Premise/plot: There is a fire in town! Fireman Small and the other firemen rush to the scene. Can this house be saved?!
My thoughts: What a mess of a book. While the other books offer some seemingly real information that seems legitimate, this one tells you how not to fight a fire, how not to react to your house catching on fire. The sad thing? You can’t tell if Lenski meant this book to be so ridiculous?!
For example, this family goes in and out of their house bringing out furniture and possessions. But they only bother rescuing two out of their three children. Did they not do a head count? Was she the middle child? Is she not their own child but a visiting friend? Perhaps this thoughtlessness could be excused if they weren’t intent on bringing out all their stuff. If they had escaped the flames and were standing on the side pleading save my child!!! But no. They seem unaware there is even a third child. Another example is that within two minutes of the fire being put out, he tells them they can move everything back in.
Text:1/5
Illustrations:3/5
Total: 4/10
Premise/plot: There is a fire in town! Fireman Small and the other firemen rush to the scene. Can this house be saved?!
My thoughts: What a mess of a book. While the other books offer some seemingly real information that seems legitimate, this one tells you how not to fight a fire, how not to react to your house catching on fire. The sad thing? You can’t tell if Lenski meant this book to be so ridiculous?!
For example, this family goes in and out of their house bringing out furniture and possessions. But they only bother rescuing two out of their three children. Did they not do a head count? Was she the middle child? Is she not their own child but a visiting friend? Perhaps this thoughtlessness could be excused if they weren’t intent on bringing out all their stuff. If they had escaped the flames and were standing on the side pleading save my child!!! But no. They seem unaware there is even a third child. Another example is that within two minutes of the fire being put out, he tells them they can move everything back in.
Text:1/5
Illustrations:3/5
Total: 4/10
September 20, 2018
My! This book is very dated... but that is understandable for it originally being published in 1946. Even though I absolutely adore the illustrations in Lenski's books, this book in particular of the series has major concerning points... and it wasn't the writing. Where is the safety in this book. I know firemen had gas masks and oxygen tanks back then. But that these little men have them? Absolutely not! No concerns for smoke inhalation as the family goes running back inside to save their belongings. No one says a word! And then at the end, the family moves all their stuff back into the house as the fireman leave. WTH? I just hope my little one takes the story lightly. The only reason I didn't give it one star was because I enjoyed the vintage appeal and I appreciated how Lenski describes the different parts of the fire truck and has the story follow the fireman as they use the different equipment from the truck.
January 5, 2023
My son checked this book out from the library and every time he asks me to read it to him my skin crawls. It’s very obviously a book written in the 40’s but I would think that even then they had some knowledge of fire safety??
The house is engulfed in flames but the family is rescuing their furniture… NOT their young daughter though. They were too busy taking lamps and sofas out to realize she was trapped in the second story of the burning house.
And then after the roof is damaged and the fire is put out, Fireman Small announces to the family that they can move right on back into their house. No worries about structural or smoke damage! It’s all good!
I know it’s a children’s book but my goodness it’s an odd one. I have to tell my 3 year old that this is not what you do when there is a fire as we read it.
The house is engulfed in flames but the family is rescuing their furniture… NOT their young daughter though. They were too busy taking lamps and sofas out to realize she was trapped in the second story of the burning house.
And then after the roof is damaged and the fire is put out, Fireman Small announces to the family that they can move right on back into their house. No worries about structural or smoke damage! It’s all good!
I know it’s a children’s book but my goodness it’s an odd one. I have to tell my 3 year old that this is not what you do when there is a fire as we read it.
October 26, 2024
Jack borrowed this book from the Oxford Public Library. I picked it because he loves firetrucks and previous firetruck-related books have been big hits.
While Jack enjoyed looking at the pictures by himself, he wasn't interested in me reading the book to him. I had to pretend to read it on my own for him to be interested, and even still, he mostly played while I read it aloud. One exception: he did come over to see the little girl and her cat.
Personally, I didn't like the illustration style. The characters' thin, downward-angled eyebrows made everybody look mad at best and evil at worst.
While Jack enjoyed looking at the pictures by himself, he wasn't interested in me reading the book to him. I had to pretend to read it on my own for him to be interested, and even still, he mostly played while I read it aloud. One exception: he did come over to see the little girl and her cat.
Personally, I didn't like the illustration style. The characters' thin, downward-angled eyebrows made everybody look mad at best and evil at worst.
March 15, 2017
This is a pretty in-depth story of the day in the life of a fireman. I was a little dubious about the section where the family runs in and out of their burning house trying to rescue their belongings, as this is the opposite of what most fire safety books will tell you, but I liked the focus on the heroic actions of the firefighters instead of the potentially unfortunate ending that might have occurred. It struck just the right note for my three-year-old daughter who loves reading about firefighting.
January 3, 2021
Mr. Small does it all!
In this adventure, Fireman Small rushes to battle a fire in town. When the alarm bell rings, Fireman Small suits up and roars down the road in his shiny red fire engine. When he helps extinguish the fire and rescues a young girl, Fireman Small becomes a hero in Tinytown.
Now back in print in full color, Lois Lenski's timeless story of Fireman Small and his little fire engine is sure to delight a new generation of young readers.
In this adventure, Fireman Small rushes to battle a fire in town. When the alarm bell rings, Fireman Small suits up and roars down the road in his shiny red fire engine. When he helps extinguish the fire and rescues a young girl, Fireman Small becomes a hero in Tinytown.
Now back in print in full color, Lois Lenski's timeless story of Fireman Small and his little fire engine is sure to delight a new generation of young readers.
March 20, 2017
"The fire is over!" says Fireman Small. "Move right back in again!" - um, Fireman Small? Just a few pages back you used an axe to chop a hole in the roof, and then you squirted water from your hose down into the hole. Z-z-z-z-z! And now it's just move right back in again?
January 19, 2023
Very vintage feeling. Some stuff is no longer true for how fires are fought ...I especially found it weird that the firefighters instructed the family whose house was currently on fire to keep going back inside the house to pull their furniture out. But overall, I did like the story
February 10, 2025
I see a lot of low ratings for this book. We read and enjoyed it because my sons love firetrucks, not as an example of fire safety. Lol The illustrations are charming, and the story is fun, if a touch unrealistic.
July 9, 2017
Fun, but terribly inaccurate when it comes to fire safety. Being children of a firefighter, my kids cracked up over the absurdities.
September 7, 2017
Found out about this series through AmblesideOnline.org.
September 11, 2017
This book is about a fire engine that helps save live and puts out fires. Kids love books like this because they look up to firefighters a lot
January 26, 2018
very sweet and funny. A family favorite of the smalls books.
November 17, 2020
cute but dated
January 1, 2021
Great book
July 25, 2013
I was unhappy with this book. I don't want my kids thinking it's okay to go back into a burning house in order to save the furniture. It was also unrealistic in suggesting that the people can move back in again as soon as the fire is out (with smoke and water damage, and with a hole chopped in the roof. What?). I found it strange that none of the other firemen seemed to know what to do- Fireman Small had to tell them every step.
The illustrations were a little bizarre. Sometimes Fireman Small was on the same scale as his surroundings, and at other times he was way too big- as big as the house that was on fire. He wasn't the only character to suffer in this way. The rescued "kitten" grew to a full-grown cat on the way down the ladder!
The illustrations were a little bizarre. Sometimes Fireman Small was on the same scale as his surroundings, and at other times he was way too big- as big as the house that was on fire. He wasn't the only character to suffer in this way. The rescued "kitten" grew to a full-grown cat on the way down the ladder!
April 6, 2014
This is one of those books that I enjoy, but there is just so much odd about this picture book. Rapid scale changes, men of the town with severe angry eyebrows giving disapproving looks to the firemen, a family who grab their furniture from the house but leave their daughter upstairs, and a fireman who chops a hole in the roof, floods the house, and then tells the family to move right back in.
In truth, it's a pretty cute book, just a bit dated and surreal.
I do like imagining that when driving slowly back to the firehouse at the end Fireman Small is blasting 'Damn it feels good to be a gangsta' as he rolls through town.
In truth, it's a pretty cute book, just a bit dated and surreal.
I do like imagining that when driving slowly back to the firehouse at the end Fireman Small is blasting 'Damn it feels good to be a gangsta' as he rolls through town.
January 14, 2015
Cute, but it was written in 1946 when firefighting was a bit different. Knowing how fast fires burn, firefighters would not want family members to go back into a burning building to carry out furniture. I'm assuming it was to cut down on the items fueling the fire or to save them from damage. Also, knowing that fires smolder for a while they wouldn't have the family move back in right away. My point is, it's cute for little ones who won't notice those details but not for kids old enough to understand.
December 19, 2021
I like the old time feel and illustrations but some things make no sense now: like the firemen having no protective covering on their face as they march into the fire, the family carrying large belongings (sofa, chairs) out of the house while it is on fire-AND a girl is left behind in the house (to be rescued later), and the page that bothers me the most Fireman Small telling them to "move right back in again!" Now my 3 yr old doesn't pick up on any of that so it was fine but it bothers me as I read.
June 9, 2012
My nephew and I finally had a chance to finish The Little Fire Engine this afternoon, and we enjoyed it. There is a lot in here that's pretty improbable as far as responsible and realistic firefighting protocol is concerned, but it's a fireman story aimed at little kids, and I can't imagine that there are too many little boys out there who wouldn't think this story was great.
December 18, 2012
My 2-year-old really enjoyed this book, especially the sound effects I made for the sirens. It is unrealistic and has some safety issues in it but it is aimed at little children. I very highly doubt my little one will use this book as an example of what to do if our house is on fire - we'll train him on that when he's older.
March 20, 2013
This book is cute and charming as all the other Small books, but parents should discuss this book with their children, as it is not quite up to date on fire safety (i.e., the family is carrying out the furniture while the house is on fire).
June 1, 2015
Mom said I can't give this five stars, because if the family has time to move all the furniture out during the fire, then they have time to get all the kids out, too. But I still ask for it as a bed time story every night, whether or not it gets five star.
December 31, 2008
A classic fire engine/fireman picturebook! Longish, and tiny so not ideal for storytime, but I can think of a few young fellas I could entertain as a solo audience.
May 20, 2009
My son loves this one about a little fireman and a day on the job. It's a bit long for toddlers, but he is really interested and attentive for the whole story.
November 6, 2009
I found a few books by Lois Lenski at at library book sale. These small books are perfect for my new reader, but also great read-alouds for both boys.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews