Elephant Joe, Brave Firefighter! (Step into Reading Comic Reader)

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0385374062 ISBN 13: 9780385374064

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers, 2015

This Step 2 Step into Reading Comic Reader is full of dragons, firefighting, and birthday cake! In this action-packed early reader, Elephant Joe stars as a brave firefighter with his trusty sidekick, Zebra Pete. While camping, they save a hapless dragon from a tree, then must put out a fire when he sets his birthday cake ablaze! Witty asides and clever dialogue add to the hilarity in this comical adventure from British author-illustrator David Wojtowycz.
 
Step 2 Readers use basic vocabulary and short sentences to tell simple stories, for children who recognize familiar words and can sound out new words with help.

About the Author:

DAVID WOJTOWYCZ has illustrated dozens of books for children, many of which he has also written—such as the myriad adventures of Elephant Joe and A Cuddle for Claude, which inspired an animated television series in England, where the books were originally published. One of David’s most successful books is Rumble in the Jungle, written by Giles Andreae.

From School Library Journal:

K-Gr 2—Elephant Joe and Zebra Pete are hiding from their friend Dragon at summer camp. They are trying to surprise him for his birthday. Instead, "Dragon was so surprised, he flew up a tree!" and gets stuck in the branches. The story continues through large panels as Joe and Pete rescue Dragon by becoming firefighters. Each frame creates excitement as they get uniforms, and a fire truck, all to help disentangle Dragon. The story flows well and will entertain new readers as Dragon gets rescued and can finally celebrate his birthday. However when Dragon gets ready to blow out his candles, he "breathes fire instead!" Elephant Joe attempts to put out the fire with a hose but is informed "There are no hydrants in the forest," so Elephant Joe must use his trunk to save the day. Speech bubbles and captions create emphasis for the easy text as spirited characters inhabit each page. Cartoon illustrations are playful and bold; fans Giles Andreae's Rumble in the Jungle and Commotion in the Ocean (both Tiger Tales, 2001) will be drawn to the merry characters. VERDICT A dandy addition to emergent reader collections.—Melissa Smith, Royal Oak Public Library, MI