by Moe Zilla

Created on: February 27, 2010

It's a children's book about horses - and firemen - with some cultural history. The book opens with an introduction of a big grey named Magnus, saying he's been a fire horse for 10 years. In the stalls beside him are Billy and Sparks, and the three horses pull the fire department's enormous steam-powered water pump. The book describes its complicated operation - the gate opens, their harnesses automatically drop into place, and the three horses rush the water pump to a fire. "No matter how hot and wild the fire was, or how many people were yelling and screaming…Magnus was never afraid."

The book's jacket says illustrator Owen Smith was influenced by the WPA artists of the 1930s, and muralist Diego Rivera. There's bright colors in his paintings, though the people seem a little abstract. The text by Jennifer Armstrong also seems a little detached, more concerned with her facts than her characters. At one point she mentions the mythological horse Pegasus - a reference many children won't understand.

At least it's got the excitement of a book about firemen, including several illustrations of the firemen at work. But it's mostly the story of a horse - and the day that a motorized steam pump arrived. "Captain French drove up to the station on a burping, belching, oil-smelling, newfangled contraption."

"Welcome to the modern age," he tells the men in the firehouse.

Soon the firemen are leaving the horses behind as they drive off to fight fires. Once Magnus even leaps the fence, and finds his way to the fire himself. This strikes a chord with the old captain of the firehouse, who misses the excitement "of being a smoke eater." When he hears about Magnus's dedication, he whispers, "I know how you feel, old-timer."

A carpenter is hired to make the fence higher, but Magnus still leaps over it, and beats the firemen to their next fire. But his efforts aren't appreciated, since there's no steam pump for him to pull. "We don't need you anymore," hollers the firehouse's new captain. "Why won't he just stay retired and stay out of the way?"

The end of the story is a little predictable. The fire engine blows its motor before it's able to reach the fire. The firemen harness Magnus to the new engine, and he moves the engine all by himself. And then the retired captain gives Magnus to his grandkids, where he can retire on a sunny farm.  And the only bell he hears is the one that calls the children in for dinner.

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