Common Sense Media Review
By Regan McMahon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Lovely holiday tale captures thrill of city Fourth of July.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 4+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
FIREWORKS starts with a scene of a brother and sister eating breakfast that their grandma has prepared. Then they go out into the city streets and parks on a sizzling hot day, cooling off in a burst of water from a fire hydrant. "And in the thirsty afternoon, we watch the knife slice the great green watermelon into shining red wedges." After dinner they "climb the rickety ladder to the silver tar rooftop, still soft from the day's sun, and we wait for the first POP! A comet streaking across the sky into a flower of fire." After the fireworks end, the kids go back down to their apartment and "crawl between cool sheets" and go to sleep.
Is It Any Good?
This exuberant holiday tale captures the anticipation and glorious revelation of Fourth of July fireworks. Fireworks is special because it portrays the experience of city kids, where the summer sun "rises between buildings on our block" and beats "warmer and brighter when we venture out on steamy city sidewalks." The text is thrillingly poetic, focusing on sensual moments and vivid details, like a musician playing sax "with bubble cheeks blowing brassy blasts that make us onlookers dance."
Matthew Burgess' lyrical text and Cátia Chien's mixed-media illustrations keep the focus on what the kids are sensing and seeing, inviting the reader to feel the same wonder. There's nothing ho-hum about this holiday story. It's truly exceptional.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how the family in Fireworks celebrates the Fourth of July. How does your family spend the holiday?
The brother and sister are curious to see the fireworks. Does your family try to see the holiday fireworks each year? Is it hard to wait all day for the big show in the sky?
Which is your favorite picture in the story? Which scene looks the most familiar to you? What's your favorite part of the Fourth of July?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Cátia Chien
- Genre : Picture Book
- Topics : Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Holidays
- Character Strengths : Curiosity , Gratitude
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Clarion Books
- Publication date : May 13, 2025
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 4 - 8
- Number of pages : 44
- Available on : Hardback
- Awards : ALA Best and Notable Books , Caldecott Medal and Honors , Common Sense Selection
- Last updated : March 19, 2026
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