Emergency Vehicles

A firefighting jet engine, a Tamar-class lifeboat, and an ambulance helicopter are among the eight rescue vessels readers can study in this oversize board book, which features more than 40 flaps that show internal mechanisms, crew members, and equipment. A spread devoted to the NATO Submarine Rescue System highlights the multiple vehicles that can spring into action if a submarine sinks. Descriptive text appears underneath each flap: “Each of the four engines is as powerful as 18 average car engines,” writes Green about the Ranger 4200-class fireboats in New York Harbor. Cutaway views and step-by-step descriptions of the rescue processes bring readers close to the action, and Green’s captions provide abundant information about each vehicle, while identifying and explaining every detail in Biesty’s pen-and-pencil illustrations. Readers with dreams of saving the day will find plenty to get their engines running. Ages 5–9. (Aug.)