Fireworks

By Matthew Burgess; illustrated by Cátia Chien

Clarion/HarperCollins, 2025

Vivid, expressive mixed media illustrations pop off the page in this narrative about siblings who enjoy an eventful summer day that ends with an epic fireworks display. The story and illustrations work together to bring to life a hot day in a city environment, in anticipation of the grand finale that draws ooohhhs and ahhhs with a stunning gatefold. Burgess packs the simple but poetic text with sound effects and onomatopoeia that make this book a must for reading aloud.

Discussion questions:

Look at the cover. What words and colors come to your mind when you think of fireworks? What time of year do you think this story takes place?"
Through the book the characters are waiting for the show. How does the author build excitement? Is it hard or easy for you to wait for something exciting?
What are some similarities and differences between the children living in the city and your life in Vermont?
What does it feel like AFTER the big event ends (i.e. fireworks display)?
We often associate fireworks with the Fourth of July. Are there any other times of the year, international holidays, or events when there might be a fireworks display?

Vocabulary:

Onomatopoeia = a word that copies or makes the sound of what it means (i.e. buzz)

Bodega = small neighborhood store

Video content:

Read Aloud (4:41)
Celebrating Fourth of July Fireworks - CBS Morning
Making Fireworks with Cátia Chien - 22:22 long, skip to 6:16 for making Fireworks illustrations

Publisher content:

HarperCollins Teacher’s Guide including activities and discussion questions

Activities:

Butcher Paper Skyline: roll out a long strip of black butcher paper across a low table (or tape pieces of black construction paper together). Use cut up pieces of construction paper to create the silhouettes of buildings at the bottom. Give children bright neon markers, chalk, or metallic crayons to fill the night sky together after the reading.
Scratch paper fireworks; make your own scratch art paper if you have time with the children or use bright colors on black construction paper.
Sensory word wall: Divide a bulletin board into the five senses. As you read, have students raise their hands when they hear a sensory detail (e.g., "sticky heat"). Categorize them on the wall with the corresponding sense.

Summer map: Have children create a visual map of their local summer activities, including places, foods, parks, and other details inspired by the story.

Author/Illustrator Bios

Matthew Burgess is a poet and educator and the author of a number of picture books, including Fireworks, Mungo on His Own, and The Bear and the Moon. Matthew’s books have received many accolades, including starred reviews, a Eureka Gold Award for Excellence in Nonfiction, a Junior Library Guild Selection, and inclusion on numerous best-of lists from the NYPL, the Chicago Public Library, the Boston Globe, the Washington Post, Kirkus Reviews, ALA Booklist, Amazon, and others. A full-time professor at Brooklyn College, Matthew also has been a poet-in-residence in New York City public schools.

Cátia Chien is the 2026 Caldecott medalist, New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated and Gold Medal winner at the Society of Illustrators for Original Art for Fireworks. She is also the gold Medal winner at the Society of Illustrators for Original Art for The Bear and The Moon. A 3x Golden Kite Award for picture book illustration winner, for The Longest Letsgoboy, The Bear and the Moon and A Boy and a Jaguar, an ALA Notable Book and recipient of the Schneider Family Book Award. She was a co-editor and a contributor on the ground breaking series Flight comics anthology. Her art has been shown in galleries worldwide including the Beijing National Gallery and the Bologna Children’s Book Fair exhibition. She is also the founder of A THOUSAND WORLDS – a curated picture book directory celebrating BIPOC creators.

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