(4) K-3 Illustrated by Kathleen Kemly. African American servant cook Molly Williams became the first known woman firefighter; this biographical snippet starts slowly but gains some momentum as she helps extinguish a fire in her New York City neighborhood. Action-packed text and energetic but muddled-looking watercolors depict the rigors of early-nineteenth-century firefighting. More so than the story does, an author's note and FAQs highlight Williams's accomplishments. Reading list, websites. Bib.

Reviewer: Lela Nargi