The Fire Cat

Esther Averill - The Fire Cat is one of the series of Cat Club books wrought by writer/illustrator Averill.

This edition is the I Can Read 1-Beginning Reading volume. I like the I can Read series: 1 has simple sentence ideal for eager new readers. 2 are those having high interest stories designed for developing readers. 3 denotes those works having complex plots for confident readers. And, 4 are the books which provide a perfect bridge to chapter books.

The narrative found on the pages of  The Fire Cat begins with a picture of Pickles and a description of him. -Pickles was a yellow cat with black spots in his fur-.

We soon learn that Pickles is a young cat, who lives in a barrel because that is all he has for a home. Pickles spent part of his time chasing the little cats out of the yard where his barrel was located. That was all he could find to do.

Pickles did have a friend who lived in the house next to the yard housing his barrel. Her name was Mrs Goodkind. Everyday Mrs Goodkind came out to the yard where she gave Pickles something to eat. She decided that Pickles needed a home in order to help him become a good cat. Pickles was not happy living with Mrs Goodkind, he ran back to his barrel and began chasing the little cats again.

One day Pickles chased a little cat up a tree and would not let her down, after a time the wind began blowing. Pickles let the little cat go down the tree. He wanted to climb down and go back to his barrel, but he was afraid. Soon Mrs Goodkind noticed Pickles and his problem, the fire department came to help. The firemen decided to take Pickles back to the firehouse.

Pickles learned to be a good firehouse cat.

Averill's Pickles is depicted on the pages of  The Fire Cat as a young cat having big paws and big plans. However the only thing he has been able to find to do so far is chase other cats, until that is he is adopted by the local firehouse.

Pickles realizes that this is his big chance, maybe it is his only chance to actually do some of those big things. Osage County First Grade, as have countless other classes before this all are enthralled to hear, and later read a book for themselves portraying a cat who has plans and determination to be something more than a cat who chases other cats or sleeps away his day.

I like the opportunity for discussion the book engenders. As Osage County First Grade listens to  The Fire Cat they begin talking about how or why Pickles came to live in the barrel in the vacant lot. The kids know that strays, throwaway critters, are a problem, and that Mrs M who lives in the country often falls heir to cats who are abandoned.

I like the story of Pickles itself, and I like the outcome found in the narrative of The Fire Cat. The kids are all full of notions and ideas regarding what is the best people can do for animals, and that is not throwing them away or abandoning them.

Pickles works hard to be a good fire cat. He slides down the pole in the fire house, he learns to jump on a fire truck. He learns to help put out a fire, and he takes part in a rescue. Beginning readers smile with delight when Pickle's dream finally comes true.

I particularly like that the good that takes place for Pickles don't just ensue by chance.  Children are never too young to begin to understand that hard work will pay off for cats and for kids. In point of fact; Pickles does work and work very hard to become a better cat.
Pickles invokes a strong sense of feeling/identification as the he "grows" into a better cat through the three short chapters.

Osage County First Grade uses The Fire Cat as a part of a study regarding responsibility and responsible behavior toward animals, as well as choosing The Fire Cat for pleasure reading and for taking to DEAR offices for DEAR reading.  Happy to recommend.
 
Other books by this writer include the Jenny Linsky and the Cat Club books.

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Reviewed by Molly's Reviews
molly   martin
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Product Details and Shipping Information from Amazon
The Fire Cat (I Can Read Book 1)
Author/Illustrator Esther Averill 
 
Product Details
  Reading level: Ages 4-8
  Paperback: 64 pages
  Publisher: HarperCollins
  Language: English
  ISBN-10: 0064440389
  ISBN-13: 978-0064440387
  Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.3 x 0.4 inches
  Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
 
$3.99     In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.
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About the Author
Esther Averill (1902 - 1992) was both author and illustrator of many books written for children. Averill's works include the well-known Cat Club stories about Jenny Linsky and her friends.

Writer Averill began her career as a cartoonist for her local newspaper. After graduating from Vassar College in 1923, she moved to New York City and later treked to Paris, where she established her own publishing company.

Domino Press introduced American readers to writers from world over, including Feodor Rojankovsky, who won a Caldecott Award.

In 1941, Averill came again to the United States and soon accepted a position with the New York Public Library while continuing her work as a publisher. She wrote her first book about Jenny Linsky, a red scarf  wearing, good-natured cat in 1944. Averill, modeled the Jenny Linsky heroine after her own diffident cat.

Eventually Averill would go on to write twelve more tales about Miss Linsky and her friends (including the I Can Read Book, The Fire Cat.