Fire Chief Fran

Fire Chief Fran leads a crew of firefighters, and a trusty firehouse dog, through a busy shift of wide-ranging calls, linked by Ashman’s rousing, rhyming refrain: “Lights begin flashing, and—CLANG!—the bells blast./ They leap into action—/ they need to move FAST!” A kinetic early spread captures this speedy response, as the entire crew, portrayed with varying skin tones and dressed in bright yellow turnout gear, climbs aboard the fire truck, while one more crew member slides down the fire station pole. Back at the firehouse, Fran, shown with brown skin, runs a tight ship—supervising equipment maintenance, putting the firefighters through fitness and disaster drills—but also takes pleasure in seeing the crew get some well-deserved downtime. Carpenter’s striking, digitally finished acrylic art combines a primary-colors palette with tissue-paper texturing; the predominantly double-page, single-plane images vividly convey a sense of space—whether a firehouse kitchen or a rain-drenched street bisected by a fallen tree—as well as the efficient collaboration of a tight-knit team. Together with its detailed, q&a-style afterword, it’s a first-rate portrayal of first responders. Ages 4–8. (Oct.)