ISBN 0-399-24019-5. G. P. Putnam's Sons, October 2005.
Written by Annette Griessman, Illustrated by Leonid Gore.
"The Fire" tells of a house fire from a young girl's point of view. Ages 4-8.
Named the School Library Journal Book of the Week for 10/17/05.
Here's an except of School Library Journal's excellent review: "… Told from the girl's point of view, the story contains descriptive images ("I take a deep breath and feel the rubber bands in my stomach relax"). Beautiful, glowing illustrations done in acrylics and pastels illuminate it. They are fashioned mainly with dark backgrounds against which the fire and firemen stand out in warm yellows and reds. The emotions of the characters are softly delineated and reassurance is conveyed at the end. This fine book has a message that could help children experiencing any kind of life-changing disaster.
—Judith Constantinides, formerly at East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA
From Booklist: Acrylics and pastels in intense, fiery reds, oranges, and golds viscerally convey the children's fright and the vicious heat of the blaze, and sensitive phrasing will connect kids right to the characters' feelings: "I have a funny feeling in my stomach, like it is made of a hundred rubber bands." In contrast to David Diaz's heavy brushstrokes and cubist images for Eve Bunting's Smoky Night (1994), Gore's art makes the tragedy personal, less harsh in its grim realism, and closer to home. A heartfelt, tender story.
Julie Cummins