Fresh from her debut in 100th Day Worries, Jessica, a classic worrywart, once again tests her nerves in this informative picture book. When Jessica's teacher, Mr. Martin, informs her class that it's Fire Prevention week, she groans with anxiety. His list of safety precautions include checking smoke alarms in your house and planning fire drills. Always one to be safe rather than sorry, she pleads with her family to make escape plans and buy batteries for the alarms. The next day, Mr. Martin gives the class more tips for fire safety. Jessica can barely remember them all! Finally, he teaches them what to do if their clothes catch on fire. This piece of information almost pushes poor Jessica over the edge. She learns to stop, drop, and roll if her clothes are burning. She does her best to memorize that fire safety anthem but always muddles it up. "Stop, slop, and troll. Mop, pop, and bowl." The poor gal just can't get it right. To make matters worse, her teacher has picked her to demonstrate the anthem at the school assembly. More anxious than ever, Jessica sits at her brother's birthday party worried and distracted -- until she sees the glow of flames coming from the table. "Stop, drop and roll!," she screams. Unfortunately, it's only the birthday candles on the cake, but hey, she finally got it right! Her assembly performance goes off without a hitch, and it's certain she'll never forget her fire safety rules again.
Many readers will identify with Jessica's anxiety about fire safety and giggle at her botched attempts to remember her fire safety anthem. Illustrations match the tone of the book, with squiggly line drawings and free flowing watercolors. The humor lies with Jessica's fretful face and earnest attempts to educate her family. This delightful and instructive story is perfect for Fire Safety Month in October and throughout the rest of the year.
Echoing Fireman Small's advice, Stop Drop and Roll by Margery Cuyler, illus. by Arthur Howard, features a teacher discussing fire safety rules, and student Jessica, who gets nervous. Is her family ready in case of an emergency? Jessica's worries spark action at home, and she muddles the mantra until her brother's birthday candles set off a false alarm; 10 safety tips are listed on the back. (Sept.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
PreS-Gr 2-Jessica, the worrywart from 100th Day Worries (S & S, 2000), is back. This time she is worried about her class's upcoming presentation to the whole school. Throughout Fire Safety Week, the children review such safety rules as never play with matches; have the chimney checked each year before use in the winter; install smoke alarms; and, of course, stop, drop, and roll should clothes catch on fire. Jessica has been selected to demonstrate the technique at the assembly. However, owing to her bad case of nerves, she can't seem to get the words quite right. All's well that ends well, though, and the girl comes through just fine. This book is not as entertaining as the previous title. More instructional than recreational, it will best be used in units on fire safety. The large, cartoon illustrations, done in watercolor and ink, lighten the tone and feature a child with wide, round eyes worrying her way through her life and agonizing over her performance.-Roxanne Burg, Thousand Oaks Library, CA Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
In 100th Day Worries (2000), Jessica was introduced as a bright, focused, well-loved worrier in both text and illustration. Howard continues this portrayal with his adept line drawings and watercolors, drawing his humor from the text, and depicting Jessica's face in a perpetual state of wide-eyed concern. This time she is almost pathologically worried about fire safety thanks to her teacher's efforts during Fire Prevention Week. Since she's in a supportive nuclear family, Jessica shares her concerns with her parents, who then check the batteries in their smoke alarms and inspect their fireplace for safety, etc. Jessica can't sleep at night until she has inspected the house for the various potential problems her teacher has warned of. Worse, Jessica simply cannot get the important words "Stop, Drop, and Roll" straight. This makes a hilarious read aloud as she repeatedly murders the words in her frantic attempt to remember them. Finally, in her most embarrassing moment, she gets them right; unfortunately, it's the flames of birthday candles that set her in motion. Still, as they're falling down laughing, readers will pick up a few important safety tips, too. Stop, sit, and read. (Picture book. 4-7)
