The Good Fire Helmet

Tommy and Christian treasure the firefighter's helmet that once belonged to their dad. The chaplain had told them, "If you just touch your fingers to this fire helmet, its courage can be given to you. A good fire helmet has been known to do that." Christian believes the helmet makes him brave when he gets a shot at the doctor's office and wards off scary shadows at night, but his big brother isn't so sure. Tommy's real test of courage comes the day Christian falls into the creek and is swept downstream, along with the helmet. Tommy draws on memories of his dad--and the courage he finds inside himself--to rescue his brother.

For the past twenty-five years, Tim Hoppey has worked as a New York City firefighter stationed in Spanish Harlem. When he's not fighting fires, he runs summer rafting trips on the Delaware River for inner city boys. An award-winning illustrator, Lori McElrath-Eslick has illustrated many children's books and her work has also appeared in magazines, including Highlights for Children, Ladybug, and National Wildlife.