Rescue Squad No. 9

Starred review from June 15, 2016
Following Fire Engine No. 9 (2015), Austin looks at maritime emergency vehicles.In Austin' s second No. 9 book, the youngest readers find a gripping, exciting ocean rescue conducted by a mixed-race, mixed-gender team using intriguing vehicles and tools: helicopter and boat, with assists from the lighthouse and trucks on the dock. The crew seems to be going through its ordinary duties when the weather changes and a distress call comes in. The text is minimal: words repeat and appear in typeface that increases in size to convey urgency: "MAYDAY! MAYDAY! MAYDAY! // GO! GO! GO!" Bold, graphically splashy artwork captures the stormy, swelling sea and the rescue in motion. A sailboat has crashed against rocks with a sailor and dog onboard. Dramatic tension is heightened when horizontal scenes switch to vertical when the helicopter drops the Billy Pugh basket to pick up the stranded boaters. Never heard that term before? Don't worry: endpapers feature the pieces of equipment and their names. All's well that ends well. The squad gets the duo safely to shore as the sun comes out. An endnote includes tips for caregivers on water safety, and readers already savvy about the subject will be pleased to see that both the sailor and the dog are wearing life jackets. "Hooray! Hooray!" (Picture book. 2-5)

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Starred review from August 1, 2016

PreS-Gr 1-In this water-based follow-up to his well-received Fire Engine No. 9, Austin once again employs onomatopoeia and repetitive vocabulary to emphasize the story's action. The oversize, subtly italicized graphic typeface draws readers into and propels them through the narrative. A boy and his dog are caught on a sailboat in a storm. Every visual component-a boat, a windsock, the rescue workers-is firmly rooted to the page, almost static, yet Austin's use of brushwork and color for the background creates a sense of urgency and dynamism, the visual contradiction adding to the excitement. This title relies on color and simple images to convey the drama of a water rescue and the importance of the teams that do that work, from the visceral jolt of the illustrated glossary on the endpapers to the water safety information page at the end of this story. VERDICT A brilliant little book not just for emergency services fans. Highly recommended.-Lisa Lehmuller, Paul Cuffee Maritime Charter School, Providence

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2016
Preschool-G The crew of Rescue Squad No. 9 is hard at work making sure their boat and helicopter are properly equipped with emergency supplies when they receive a Mayday for a boat that collided into rocks during a vicious storm that has left a girl and her dog stranded in the ocean. The crew boards the vehicles and, once systems are checked and all is clear, they make a mad dash for the girl and her dog and return them safety. Austin's narrative is an eye-catching arrangement of verbs, sound words, commands, and onomatopoeia that he designs to complement his boldly colored objects and set dynamic, blocky scenes of a sea rescue. The font size of the helicopter's Thup! Thup! Thup! increases as it lifts off the helipad, and SPLASH appears vertically, emulating the descent of a suspension ladder. Kids enamored with vehicles won't be able to look away from this engaging, informational picture book that includes Red Cross water safety tips and end papers replete with illustrations and terminology of rescue equipment.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)