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Magnus at the Fire Jennifer Armstrong Owen Smith 9780689839221 Books

Download As PDF : Magnus at the Fire Jennifer Armstrong Owen Smith 9780689839221 Books

Magnus at the Fire Jennifer Armstrong Owen Smith 9780689839221 Books

Enjoyable for depth of color and realistic illustrations this story tells of the specially trained firehouse horse who is always ready to race to the fire when he hears the bell-even after he retires! For Grades K-3 and beyond for study of historical fiction (1800's - 1900 and the use of the less expensive automotive engines) OR anyone who is horse crazy.
Historical notes about the adoption of steam vehicles are included. Also published as a sound recording.


Tags : Magnus at the Fire [Jennifer Armstrong, Owen Smith] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Magnus lives and works at the Broadway Firehouse. He knows that when the fire alarm clangs, he and his partners,Jennifer Armstrong, Owen Smith,Magnus at the Fire,Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers,0689839227,Animals - Horses,Historical - United States - 20th Century,Fire engines,Fire engines;Fiction.,Fire extinction,Fire extinction;Fiction.,Horses,Horses;Fiction.,Action & Adventure - General,Children's BooksAges 4-8 Fiction,Children: Grades 1-2,Fiction,Humorous Stories,JUVENILE FICTION Action & Adventure General,JUVENILE FICTION Animals Horses,JUVENILE FICTION Humorous Stories,Juvenile Fiction,Juvenile Fiction Historical United States 20th Century,Juvenile FictionAnimals - Horses,Juvenile FictionHumorous Stories,Juvenile Historical Fiction,Picture books

Magnus at the Fire Jennifer Armstrong Owen Smith 9780689839221 Books Reviews

This book made my four year old son very sad. He decided when HE grows up he'll be a fire-fighter and get a historical firetruck and NEVER replace the nice horse with an engine.
I love this book and so do my sons. Anyone that loves horses will consider this a classic. It is very well written and you really feel for Magnus and want to take him home to your own farm. This is one of my favorites!
This book captures a historical piece of the turn of the last century that must be kept alive in early American Firefighting. Magnificent artwork gives the visual excitement of the struggle of horsepower against early motorized fire engines. This book isn't just for children, but for all who need to remember the great contributions that the beloved fire horse gave to society in the performance of their duty. The overall story is short, but very powerful in preserving what should be. Definitely this is going to be a collector's item for the firefighter, his family and friends everywhere!
This beautifully written and illustrated book starts off sharing how horses used to pull the fire trucks. In just thirty seconds the horses were ready to go! The three horses in this story are Magnus, Bill and Sparks.

When the first motorized fire engine comes on the scene the horses suddenly find themselves out of a job and out to pasture! Magnus cannot get fire fighting out of his blood and so continues to respond to the call. Yes, he jumps the fence! This causes some problems but one day he is actually a big help.

During this time Magnus and a retired captain, Captain Fancher become good friends and this story has a really delightful ending.

What a great way to incorporate some actual historical facts! (At the end of the book there is a note to the reader with more factual information.) HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
I didn't like horse books growing up. Nope. I trumped the whole girls-and-horses trend that began with "National Velvet" and ended with "My Little Pony". I even made a point of avoiding anything horse/wolf/dolphin related for years and years to come. Now I'm in my late 20s and I figure that if I can't put the past behind me and start reading some horsey books then I'm not worth my librarian credentials. I had first heard of "Magnus and the Fire" when a children's literature listserv to which I belong (Child_Lit in case you're interested) started singing the praises of this book. I was familiar with author Jennifer Armstrong already. She penned the extraordinary non-fiction retelling of Shackleton's ill-fated voyage in, "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World". With a keen eye for a good story lurking in history's facts, I found her switch to picture books interesting. This isn't her first, of course, but it's probably the best. Considering the fates of those work horses utilized by fire departments until 1900, she gives us a touching story of one horse who had a hard time letting go of his job.

At the Broadway Firehouse in Hope Springs, three big gray horses were needed whenever a fire broke out. Strapped to the heavy steam pumper when the fire bell would clang, Magnus, Billy, and Sparks knew how to pull the equipment to the source of any and all fires. All that changes the day the firehouse buys itself a newfangled motorized fire engine. Suddenly the horses are put out to pasture behind the firehouse. This is all well and good, but they have a hard time hearing the fire bell and not attending to the fire themselves. Magnus becomes so disturbed at being left behind that he constantly leaps over the fence, sometimes busting through it when the firemen try to pen him in. This seems like a huge nuisance until the day the new fire engine breaks down and Magnus is needed to pull it to the flames. After that, it becomes clear that while Magnus was necessary one last time, he isn't any longer. He's taken to the country to live with the old Captain and his grandkids and the only bell he hears is the dinner bell. "And pretty soon Magnus learned that the sound of the bell meant one last hug from all the kids before they ran inside, where the fire in the stove was nice and warm".

Much of what determines how good a picture book is comes in what an author and an illustrator DON'T do. For example, Armstrong knows that her story stands strong on its own two legs. She doesn't need to add fantastical (some might say sickly) elements like Magnus and the other horses talking amongst themselves or with the firemen. Similarly, artist Owen Smith gives us beautiful and realistic paintings for each scene. And there isn't a moment in this book of a child trapped in a firey building only to be saved by a heroic horse. Armstrong isn't going for the easy emotions or the cheap sentiments. "Magnus and the Fire" is a class act through and through. It is not, I should point out, based on an actual story. The author includes A Note to the Reader at the back of the book explaining the history of the firehorse, saying that no particular animal was the basis for Magnus himself.

The illustrations by Owen Smith take this already well-written story and elevate it to a kind of picture book classic status. Though the bookflap says that he is most influenced by muralist Diego Rivera, the figures in this book look to me more like modified Thomas Hart Bentons to me. The book's endpapers show sepia-toned images of Magnus from the story. 1930s picture books, for lack of money, used similar colors and the choice to make the endpapers look this way is nothing short of inspired. As for the paintings, they fairly swell with color. The only one I objected to was the last image of Magnus. As he stands majestically under an autumn tree, Smith has painted an oddly unconvincing child reminiscent of those 1960s big-eyed children on velvet. It is the sole flaw in an otherwise enticing title. For the kid obsessed with firemen (a common obsession) this is a go-to book.

The book is rather similar to those other tales in which someone is replaced by a technological advance. "John Henry" comes to mind, though the ending of "Magnus and the Fire" is a lot happier than John's, I should think. For one thing, I half-expected Magnus to fall over dead after pulling the heavy engine at the end. He doesn't (he wouldn't anyway) and the ending is a satisfactory one. I hesitate to use the words, "future classic" when referring to children's books, but "Magnus and the Fire" deserves it. A beautiful book that will be much loved by anyone you give it to.
Our grandkids love this book. We can read it at home. The copy and the library can be enjoyed by others now. Great book for kids.
This book is wonderful for all horse lovers. It is a favorite for my daughter and I. We first checked it out from the library and enjoyed it so much, we bought our own copy!
Enjoyable for depth of color and realistic illustrations this story tells of the specially trained firehouse horse who is always ready to race to the fire when he hears the bell-even after he retires! For Grades K-3 and beyond for study of historical fiction (1800's - 1900 and the use of the less expensive automotive engines) OR anyone who is horse crazy.
Historical notes about the adoption of steam vehicles are included. Also published as a sound recording.