One sunny day, the John J. Harvey fireboat was built. It was the largest, fastest, shiniest fireboat of its time, and it could pump as much water as twenty fire engines. It put out some of the biggest fires of its day. But by 1995, the city didn't need old fireboats anymore. So the Harvey was put out to pasture, until a group of friends decided to save it from the scrap heap. They fixed it up, showed it off and used it for having fun, not for fighting fires.

Then, in 2001, on another sunny day, something so horrible happened that the whole world shook. And a call came from the fire department, asking if the Harvey could battle the roaring flames, as all the fire hydrants were broken.

In this inspiring true story, Maira Kalman brings a New York City icon to life and proves that old heroes never die.

From the dust jacket