No Dragons for Tea: Fire Safety for Kids (and Dragons)

by Jean E. Pendziwol, Martine Gourbault (Illustrator)

Overview

While out for a walk with her mom, a little girl has the surprise of her life — she meets a real, live, fire-breathing dragon! Now this dragon is nothing to be afraid of — in fact, he’s so friendly that she invites him home for tea. But their afternoon snack is suddenly interrupted when the dragon sneezes and sets the table ablaze. Luckily, the girl knows just what to do, and she teaches her new friend to be fire smart, too.

With its funny, rhyming verse and spunky illustrations, Dragons for Tea shows kids that learning about fire safety doesn’t have to be scary. The story ends with “The Dragon’s Fire Safety Rhyme” — a fun and easy way to remember what to do in case of fire.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781550745719
Publisher:	Kids Can Press
Publication date:	04/28/1999
Series:	Dragon Safety , #1
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	623,235
Product dimensions:	9.80(w) x 8.10(h) x 0.10(d)
Lexile:	430L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Jean E. Pendziwol is the author of Once Upon a Dragon A Treasure at Sea for Dragon and Me and No Dragons for Tea, which has been recognized by the National Fire Prevention Association as a recommended resource for teaching fire safety. She lives with her family in Thunder Bay, Ontario, where she divides her time between family, writing and pursuing elusive dragons.

Martine Gourbault is a painter and illustrator. She has illustrated a number of picture books including, I Went to the Bay, Mr.McGratt and the Ornery Cat and the Dragon Safety series. She resides in Vancouver, Canada.

Editorial Reviews

A low-key but effective approach to the serious topic of fire safety ... An attractive, useful volume.—Kirkus Reviews

A unique way to introduce a very important subject.—School Library Journal

This clever rhyming story is effective in conveying the rules of fire safety to children. Colorful illustrations clearly depict correct responses to an emergency situation. At the back of the book is an easy-to-learn safety rhyme and a fire safety checklist for parents and teachers to discuss with their children. This excellent book should be in every home and school library. Highly recommended.—Canadian Book Review Annual

(This book) has just the right combination of fact, fun and fantasy to help your little one understand what to do in a fire emergency ... This story is perfect for role-playing. your children will enjoy acting out every scene from the tea-party to the firefighters' actions. This kind of play may some day save your children's lives.—The London Free Press

A girl finds herself in the middle of a fire when her new friend (who happens to be a dragon) sneezes ... The girl is obviously well schooled inn fire safety, knows just what to do. The dragon, however makes some mistakes. He hides under the rug, then once he gets outside, he wants to go back for his stuffed bear. The girl sets him straight. “Don't ever go back — that just will not do. We can get a new bear, but we can't replace you.” Humourous colored pencil illustrations accompany the lively rhyming text, which ends with a catchy fire safety poem that kids can easily memorize to help them remember basic fire - safety rules. An entertaining way to teach or reinforce fire safety concepts, this will come in handy during fire-awareness wee.—Booklist

From the Publisher

This clever rhyming story is effective in conveying the rules of fire safety to children. Colorful illustrations clearly depict correct responses to an emergency situation. At the back of the book is an easy-to-learn safety rhyme and a fire safety checklist for parents and teachers to discuss with their children. This excellent book should be in every home and school library. Highly recommended.

Canadian Book Review Annual

A girl finds herself in the middle of a fire when her new friend (who happens to be a dragon) sneezes ... The girl is obviously well schooled inn fire safety, knows just what to do. The dragon, however makes some mistakes. He hides under the rug, then once he gets outside, he wants to go back for his stuffed bear. The girl sets him straight. “Don’t ever go back — that just will not do. We can get a new bear, but we can’t replace you.” Humourous colored pencil illustrations accompany the lively rhyming text, which ends with a catchy fire safety poem that kids can easily memorize to help them remember basic fire – safety rules. An entertaining way to teach or reinforce fire safety concepts, this will come in handy during fire-awareness wee.

Booklist

PreS-Gr 2-When a young girl meets a dragon at the beach, she invites him to tea. While they are enjoying a scrumptious meal, the dragon sneezes a fiery sneeze, and flames shoot up from the tablecloth and curtains. The child's new friend panics and tries to hide, but she keeps her cool and helps to get him and her family out of the house safely. The rhyming text has an infectious cadence that should appeal to youngsters. The colored-pencil illustrations are bright and follow the story line well. Tips are appended for teachers and/or parents to use in helping children learn what to do in case of a fire in their homes. In addition, "The Dragon's Fire-Safety Rhyme" helps reinforce the primary rules. A unique way to introduce a very important subject.-Krista Grosick, Cuyahoga County Public Library, OH

School Library Journal

This rhyming picture book, subtitled "Fire Safety for Kids (and Dragons)," takes a low-key but effective approach to the serious topic of fire safety. A girl invites a dragon home to tea. Pepper on the pickle causes the problem: "Then the dragon's nose twitched, and he started to wheeze. His eyes misted up, and he blew a great sneeze. A-A-A-Choooooo! Flames shot from his mouth and from both nostrils too." The dragon wants to hide under the rug, but the girl wisely drags him outside while her mother goes next door to call the fire department. The fire fighters, men and women, put out the blaze and praise the child for following fire safety rules. Softly colored drawings help convey the message without frightening the children for whom the story is intended. An attractive, useful volume. (Picture book. 3-8) .

Kirkus Reviews