ALA Booklist (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

Mighty firefighting pilot Big Roy Thunder may cut an imposing figure in Tate's drama-soaked illustrations (you can practically see the rippling cape at his shoulders), but he's not the only hero here: Roto is "fueled and ready, brave and strong. / Her shiny wings are tough and long. / Superhero helicopter! / She's awesome, and nothing can stop her." When the call comes in, off soars the daring duo to douse forest fires, rescue the occasional frightened puppy, then return to Hangar One and the cheers of crowds of fans. "THAT'S how we roll!" rumbles Big Roy. "BOOM!" Sporting large, expressive eyes like many of her anthropomorphic working-machine kin, Roto exudes grim determination while battling the smoky blaze and smiling confidence at other times. And why not? Pair with Chris L. Demarest's Smokejumpers One to Ten (2002) to fire up young audiences, and Michael Slack's Elecopter (2013) to add giggles to the cheers.

Kirkus Reviews

No wildfire stands a chance when Roy Thunder and his helicopter, Roto, take to the skies.Firefighting pilot Roy, whose race is ambiguous, is a superhero in every way. One morning, after a lightning strike sparks a wildfire in a canyon, Roy and Roto-who is anthropomorphic with green eyes-set off together to fight the blaze. Their strenuous mission involves using a hose to draw up water from a lake and flying for hours "through the high winds, smoke, and heat." Although it takes filling Roto's tank with water 10 times to put out the conflagration, the heroes prevail. However, just when all seems safe, they spot a petrified puppy precariously close to a cliff's edge. In a daring air rescue, Roto hovers and Roy rappels to the ground to reach the forlorn animal. Job complete, the pair head back to Hangar One, where they receive a true hero's welcome. This engaging, rhyming picture book looks and feels like a large comic book. The cartoonlike illustrations are action-packed and divided into panels on several spreads. Like classic superhero comics, there is plenty of onomatopoeia, inviting audience participation. During the air rescue scene, the layout changes to horizontal orientation twice, a move that will surprise and delight readers. When read aloud, the book does feel a bit long.A fun friendship story for young readers fond of brave exploits, helicopters, comics, or any combination thereof. (Picture book. 5-8)

School Library Journal (Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 CST 2022)

PreS-K Told in rhyming couplets, this is a thrilling tale of an out-of-control fire, starring dark-skinned Roy Thunder and his green-eyed sidekick, Roto the Helicopter. A lightning strike in a canyon sparks an inferno that the pair have been called upon to quell. Bright cartoon illustrations reveal how Roto uses her long hose to suck up water from a lake to quench the blaze. Though the team has to swing between the lake and fire 10 timesthe illustrations depict their paththey are victorious in extinguishing it. When the pair are heading home after completing their task, they observe a small dog in a precarious position, so they work together again to perform another heroic feat. Large digital illustrations set off sound words and onomatopoeia that add even more life to the exciting tale and increase the read-aloud quotient. Images appear in a variety of sizes. VERDICT Reminiscent of Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel , Duskey Rinker's story of a human and a machine as a superhero team will be entertaining to youngsters.Maryann H. Owen