Fireworks
by Matthew Burgess; illus. by Cátia Chien
Preschool, Primary    Clarion/HarperCollins    48 pp.
5/25    9780063216723    $19.99

Two young siblings, who serve as narrators, enjoy an eventful summer day that ends with an epic fireworks display. The story begins with them greeting the morning and eating their breakfast with chopsticks and a spoon, then heading outside into a festive urban landscape. They splash in water spraying from a fire hydrant, munch on slices of watermelon, and listen to live music in the park. Burgess packs his poetic text with zesty sound effects and onomatopoeia that make this a must for reading aloud. As darkness falls, the children climb a fire escape “up, up, up” to a roof, where they behold the amazing fireworks display. From start to finish, Chien’s evocative, childlike mixed-media illustrations pop and soar, creating a series of memorable images. The day’s hazy heat is visible; and the fireworks exploding over the skyline are almost audible—a thrilling gatefold catches the display in all its splendor. After the last sizzles fade, Burgess brings the kids back home, where a caring elder lovingly prepares them for bed. As they dream about the pyrotechnics they’ve witnessed, Chien serves up a glorious expressionistic image of their silhouettes filled with dazzling flashes of color. An immersive celebration of summer and siblinghood.

From the July/August 2025 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.