The Fire Engine Book

by Tibor Gergely

Children will feel as though they are riding the big red fire engines and hearing the "clang, clang" of the bell! Large-scale, active pictures will transport young readers to the scene where they'll see brave firemen connect hoses and save the day.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Transport, Classics, Kids, 20th Century

24 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1950

About the author

Tibor Gergely was a Hungarian American artist best known for his illustration of popular children's picture books.

He studied art briefly in Vienna before immigrating to the United States in 1939, where he settled in New York City. Largely a self-taught artist, he also contributed several covers of The New Yorker, mostly during the 1940s. Among the most popular children's books Gergely illustrated are The Happy Man and His Dump Truck, Busy Day Busy People, The Little Red Caboose, The Fire Engine Book, Tootle, Five Little Firemen, Five Hundred Animals from A to Z, and Scuffy the Tugboat. Many of his better known books were published by Little Golden Books. His best work is collected in The Great Big Book of Bedtime Stories. He became a U.S. citizen in 1948. Gergely died in 1978, in New York.

As of 2001, Tootle was the all-time third best-selling hardcover children's book in English, and Scuffy the Tugboat was the eighth all-time bestseller.

Reviews

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty sure I read this book long ago - like catching up with an old friend. Books like this kind of just hang around in your mind after you have read them; Little Golden Books (LGB) are a fond memory from my childhood. Can still remember my mom reading them to me when I was very little. She would then ask me to read the book to her. Moms are so smart!

[leynes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know many free little libraries or open book boxes, but I frequent the one at my gym regularly. Most of the time I don't find any interesting books for myself, but usually end up taking a book or two for my mom, who is way less picky than me when it comes to reading. From time to time, though, I stumble upon a book that I find too good to pass up. The Fire Engine, a children's picture book from 1950, was one such book.

First and foremost, my nephew is obsessed with firemen and firetrucks. Like, seriously, my obsession with Hamilton or Harry Potter has nothing on his deep-rooted love for his firemen- and firetruck-playthings or his euphoria once he sees or hears a fire engine in the wild. So naturally, I decided to take the book with me, so that I could read it with him next time we see each other.

But secondly, upon researching its illustrator, Tibor Gergely (1900-1978) and the series under which this book was published, the "Little Golden Books" series, I just realised how friggin' popular his books were in the US. Whilst I had never heard of this Hungarian-American illustrator, he actually led a fascinating life and got his little moment of fame.

In 1919, Gergely was the youngest participant in the Budapest Sunday Circle, a meeting of mainly Jewish intellectuals such as Georg Lukács, Karl Mannheim, Arnold Hauser, Béla Balázs and the writer Anna Lesznai. He used his talent for drawing to sketch caricatures of the panelists; the sketchbook is now in the Hatvany Lajos Múzeum. After the suppression of the Hungarian Soviet Republic, he emigrated to Vienna in 1921, where he briefly studied art and married Anna Lesznai.

In Vienna, he became a cartoonist for Siegmund Bosel's daily newspaper "Der Tag" and co-founded the Viennese puppet theater "Gong" in 1923. Under a more liberal Hungarian government, he returned to Budapest in 1931 with his wife. There he also became a member of the New Artists' Association KÚT.

Due to political repression and anti-Semitism, the couple emigrated to the United States in 1939. Gergely came to design the covers of magazines such as The New Yorker. He was also offered a position at the Steinhardt School of Education in New York City. He broke with his career as a freelance painter and became an illustrator of children's books for the paperback publisher Simon & Schuster, both of individual titles and in the "Little Golden Books" series, of which he illustrated over seventy (!) books. Gergely became a U.S. citizen in 1948, and died thirty years later in New York City. The titles Tootle the Engine and Scuffy the Tugboat were still among the best-selling English-language books of all time in 2001.

How cool is that? Whilst I didn't love his illustration style – it's pretty chunky and plain, whereas I prefer more intricate, detailed art –, I can definitely see the appeal for a younger audience. This book is fun! Looking at the pictures of all these firemen rushing to the scene to put out a burning house is exciting. Sure, it's dated (=all the firemen are white and male) but there's a lot happening on the page, and I understand why children delight in this read. Since I love having obscure books in my collection, I'm happy to keep this one!

[The Celtic Rebel (Richard) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this to my children esp. my son when he was a child. He loved it. Pulled the copy we bought for them out today and read it to my grandson. Love the illustrations and esp. the way the child's eyes light up when they see them.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Paul discovered this book, he asked for it 9 times in a row which was weird since he has never seen a fire truck. The appeal seems to be the clock on the fire house wall. He likes clocks. And the picture of the fireman jumping out of the window with the puppy in his arms. The picture made him laugh. Who knows why?!? Babies are weird. And he thinks the dog looks like our dog. He points to the dog and says "Ca!" The colors are right, so OK. I guess it's nice that it makes him happy that our dog is being saved from the burning building? He also likes the picture of the guitar, another thing he has limited experience with. I say again, babies are weird!

The illustrations are very rich and vintage, lots for a baby to look at. Lots of good noises to make. I'm really tired of this book.

[Belinda Vlasbaard · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars - English hardcover

[Shawn Thrasher · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one is all about the illustrations, which are classic mid-century modern children's picture book pictures. The Fire Engine Book isn't going to change anyone's life, but future fire fighters will probably enjoy it (what do I mean probably: I know they will; I was a children's librarian for nearly 15 years, and boys, and some girls, LOVE firetrucks and fire fighters). Modern parents will probably want to remind their tykes that 1. In 1950, not everyone was white and 2. Anyone can be a fire fighter, not just boys. Guess what though - Little Golden Books were never revolutionary screeds, or even vaguely progressive; the most out there Little Golden Book was probably The Monster at the End of this Book, and that was published 20 years after this one (and it's not even that far out, other than it's wild and weird meta-ness that changed children's literature FOREVER; yeah, a Little Golden Book did THAT; in your face Anne Carroll Moore). Garth Williams had trouble with putting black and white rabbits together, let alone people - so I'm going to cut Tibor Gergely a little slack.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book for three reasons:

1. Tibor Gergely's illustrations,
2. Fire Engines, and
3. The pretty gold spine.

My five-year-old son loves this book for three reasons:

1. Tibor Gergely's illustrations,
2. Fire Engines, and
3. The pretty gold spine.

I love this book for one reason: My son loves it.

[John Yelverton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would just sit and stare at the pictures in this book for hours. A must have for young boys.

[Josiah · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's nice to see that Little Golden Books continue to be published, especially earlier titles like this one that are so different in style from the picture books that see publication today. The Fire Engine Book allows the youngest children a look into what firemen actually do on a call, but without being at all frightening; no people are seen inside of the burning building, and the personal belongings that the fireman save from inside the place are humorous.

I like reading nice, old-fashioned books like this one, books that haven't lost any of their value no matter how long ago they were published. The Fire Engine Book is very simple, without a real narrative, but I enjoyed it. I'd give it one and a half stars.

[Janie Hoskins Stansel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Classic

Good old fashioned reading. In some ways, it's a little dated. I had to explain some of the old fashioned terms for the different trucks and equipment. The illustrations are great. I think it would be better in the print version because the illustrations are so small while reading the text. then you have to click to make them big enough to enjoy.

[Viviane Elbee]

This is a Little Golden Book classic. It was written a while ago, so it feels a bit dated, especially because there is no diversity at all in the firemen and on-lookers.

The fire truck illustrations are fun. Trucks do not quite look like that anymore.

[Evelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's fun to see the old firetrucks illustrated in this book. Simple, short, and sweet. Perfect for the attention span of little ones.

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story about fireman.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my favorite book when I was about 4. I had it memorized, so when my Mom read it to me, I would say the words with her. I keep this one on the coffee table in my therapy office as a book that is good for beginning readers. When there are behavioral problems with a child, one thing that sometimes suffers is the parent-child bond, because like in a couple relationship, the ratio of positive to negative interactions is critical to developing a stable and satisfying relationship. I emphasize increasing postive interactions, such as one-on-one time, that can include reading, to help balance the positive-to-negative ratio (I recommend 5-to-1, the same ratio that is critical to a marriage surviving, according to John Gottman's research). In therapy, I have the parent and child do some positive reading time together to model what this is like and troubleshoot any issues that can interfere with this relationship-nurturing activity, then have them go home and do it. I recommend at least 30 minutes per day, each day, while behavior problems are still heavy, which can decrease to a few times per week as things improve. This one-on-one time should not be behavior-contingent: the child shouldn't be able to lose it because of misbehavior.

[Emerson and Theodore · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Christmas gift from Grandma. He loves it. On Christmas eve, Uncle Jimmy explained to Emerson how the pumper truck interacts with the other truck. Also, on a recent episode of Pawn Starts, mommy learned about why engines were called "Hook and Ladders". Apparently FDNY would pull down burning buildings by grappling on to the building's hook in order to spare the adjacent buildings.
This Little Golden Book--written in 1050--captures all these elements and makes for a very exciting read for a young fire truck enthusiast!
Emerson demanded a re-reading of this book 3 times this morning. With only one or two sentences per page, but with very exciting drawings, this made for an easy task. A classic.

[Megan Mandl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Personal Response: This book is fairly simple, but if utilized correctly, I see interesting possibilities with it. I see the most possibilities with reading aloud. The pictures take up the majority of the pages and are action-packed. They have lots of details and bright colors that will keep the children interested.

Purposes:
- ages 3-6
Read Aloud for Enrichment:
- this book would be perfect to have children reenact because there is tons of action
- can ask children what they know about firefighters (what do they do? would you ever be a firefighter?)
Read Aloud for Curricular Purposes:
- learn about onomatopoeia (clang, crash, chop)
- could be used in a unit about communities

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Synopsis: "Children will feel as though they are riding the big red fire engines and hearing the "clang, clang" of the bell! Large-scale, active pictures will transport young readers to the scene where they'll see brave firemen connect hoses and save the day. A Little Golden Book Classic!"

My Review: This is such a classic Golden Book, I remember reading it when I was a kid at my grandparent's house. Munchkin is huge into fire trucks so this was a perfect one to share with him. The old style of fire engine sparked some interest and may lead to a visit to a fire station museum. Munchkin enjoyed telling me his own version of the story and how the firemen were helping people.

[Bill Doughty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not a Little Golden Book I ever actually had growing up, but I picked this one up for the kiddo because A.) it looked fun; and B.) it was one of the few on the shelf at Waldenbooks that wasn't a Disney tie-in. I'm glad I did, because this is a really fun little book, and it's easy to see why they chose to label this a "Little Golden Book Classic" and put it up next to the likes of the Poky Little Puppy and Tuffy the Tugboat. A nice, easy-to-read-along-with story, and some of the best illustration I've seen in a kids' book from any era in quite a while - cartoony, but with a real sense of craft, almost New Yorker or Saturday Evening Post worthy, actually. Definitely worth picking up.

[Brittni Hover]

This book is all about fire engines and fire fighters. It gives students a wonderful visual and information about what firefighters have to do during a fire. It goes step by step from the alarm sounding to putting the fire out. It shows all the different equipment the firefighters have to use. This book is considered an informational book because of all the information I stated above. This book could be used during the fire prevention week to help teach students about fire engines and fire fighters. The text trait in this book would be organization and conventions. This is a level 1.0 book.

[Katt Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a lot of fun to pick up just for the details in each picture. I love the glimpse into times gone by and the old styles of fire engines and people's dress was enjoyable just for that. There's plenty of vivid pictures and enough excitement in the storyline itself to make this book interesting to the child, giving this book a certain value even now so many years after it was first written.

I love these old vintage Little Golden Books. Some of them bring back happy memories of my own childhood. Some, like this one, give a new/old sense at the same time that brings a smile to my face, and allows me a step back to a simpler time. This is just lots of fun to read!

[Tommy Novak · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listed this book because it was officially the FIRST book I learned how to read. It is written very simply with single sentence lines on each page such as: "Clang clang goes the bell." At the age of five, I was able to hone my fluency and basic reading skills with this book. The story isn't complex, and the illustrations aren't jaw-dropping, but this book will always have a special place in my heart.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This classic book is nice, except it may be a little too classic for today's modern child. Absolutely none of the fire fighters are female, and none of the firefighters or other characters are any color but white. Plus it shows them braving the fire to save....things? (A cello, a bicycle and a clock are pictured, and also a dog.) A little strange.

[Roxanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like reading this book to my daughter, and she likes the brightly colored pictures. The only odd thing to me is how all the firemen look alike - considering this book was written in the 1950s, I wasn't expecting ethnic diversity, but these guys could all be brothers! Overall, though, excellent book.

[Roger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great story and drawings for young readers. Unfortunately it was written in 1950 and everyone (fire men and ordinary people) is white. There are also no fire women, which I’m guessing may have been mostly true in 1950.

I look for picture books I could give to the children of my clients, and I don’t think I’d feel comfortable giving it to any of them.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a nice little book! Sure, probably a bit dated, but nothing wrong with that.

There's very good use of onomatopoeia throughout. The images are wonderful and show firefighters doing the work. My boy loves firefighting. This is right up his alley.

[Bonnie Tesch · Rating 2 out of 5]

This joined the ranks of stories told not-quite-as-written in our house. From about page one, the firemen were responding to the dance alarm. The hoses were for the dancers who had gotten sweaty. Things being thrown out the window were in the way of the party.

[Brianna Crall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zane enjoyed the story about fire trucks.

[Caitlin Hawk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember reading this book a kid. I remember learning about onomatopoeia's and reading this book as well. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a cute book and a good laugh.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

All four little boys in my house have loved this one. "Clang! Clang! Clang!"
Little Golden books are great.

[Kylie Abecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good quick book, but not very interesting. The kids seemed bored and wanted another story before this one even finished.