Freddie needs help

Freddie needs help is the third book in a series of five books about Freddie, a fireman, and his friends. In this book, Freddie has been called out to an emergency but finds the road blocked by a fallen tree. Andy, who drives and ambulance, is also on his way to an emergency and can't get through because of the fallen tree. They call Dave who drives a digger and he clear the road for them. Book four introduces Freddie's friend Polina, a policewoman who drive a police car; and book five introduces Freddie's' friend Tom who drives a truck. These books can be used as 'read to' books for preschool children or as 'read with' books for beginner readers. There are full-colour illustrations throughout. The simple line drawings appeal to young children and the emotions of the characters are clearly depicted. The text uses alliteration to support phonic skills, and repetition to assist with word recognition or identification. The focus on vehicles, or transport, is intended to appeal especially to boys. The books are best read in sequence as they gradually introduce Freddie's friends. Additionally, the books repeat vocabulary introduced in previous books to assist with long-term word identification.