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Fire! Fire! Said Mrs. McGuire    by Bill Martin Jr. & Vladmir Radunsky Amazon.com order for
Fire! Fire! Said Mrs. McGuire
by Bill Martin Jr.
Order:  USA  Can
Harcourt, 2006 (2006)
Hardcover
* *   Reviewed by Hilary Daninhirsch

The original text to this old rhyme is brought back to life with new illustrations in "Fire! Fire!" Said Mrs. McGuire.

The story is a case of mistaken actions that get out of control. A mouse named Mrs. McGuire catches sight of flames through a keyhole, and yells 'Fire Fire!' Of course, this prompts a series of reactions by the other mice, my favorite line being: ''Oh, help us and save us!' said Mrs. McDavis, as she slid down the stairs with a sack of potatoes.'

The mice finally burst into the room where they spotted the fire, only to realize that what they saw were birthday candles. In fact, a cat is celebrating his birthday, which adds to the irony, and the humor, of the story.

The rhyme sequences remind me a bit of Polly Cameron's I Can't Said the Ant, though Martin's text is much shorter. The collage-like illustrations and the key hole shaped cut-out at the end add charm to the cute rhyme. This picture book is geared towards the younger set, who will enjoy the surprise ending.

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