Samurai Kids 5: Fire Lizard

Sandy Fussell (author)

Rhian Nest James (illustrator)

Walker Books, Australia: September 2010; 285pp

ISBN: 9781921529467

Genres: adventure, historical fiction

Issues: change, ethics, friendship, loyalty, teamwork, values

The Samurai Kids are back, travelling through the Kingdom of Joseon (Korea) to visit an old friend of Ki-Yaga's. Everywhere they look there is poverty and corruption. The people of the Nine Valleys are facing starvation while the Governor and his henchman, Hyo Moon, turn village against village, destroying trust and taxing those who already have nothing.

Rumour, gossip, distrust and envy cannot be fought with swords so how can the Little Cockroaches help? Although they learn new fighting skills from the Hwarang, the true hope of Korea lies in Pak Cho, Sensei's former teacher. Niya and his friends must escort the much honoured man to Daejeon City to deliver a warning to the Governor. Along the journey Pak Cho will choose one of the Samurai Kids as his apprentice but not all the students are sure that they want to learn what he has to teach.

As always, Fussell weaves a lively narrative around significant character development, emphasising friendship, loyalty, ethics, and the power of personal choice. Each book in the series draws the reader further along the overall story arc, hinting at Ki-Yaga's search for inner peace and redemption. Careful planning and research are obvious to the experienced reader but don't interrupt the energy and fluency of Fussell's writing. Poetic imagery and clever use of the Samurai Kids' animal spirits creates a richly textured story that is particularly enjoyable to read aloud: 'The tunnel steps are soft and moist. The mid-morning air is furred with the smell of ferns, waterfalls and fish. But when we step out onto the hillside, the land is dry and withered again. The brush scrunches and scratches. Leaves clench into tight fist but the valley can't fight back. Thirsty and dehydrated, it has
no energy left.' (p140)

Rhian Nest James' illustrations once again reflect the energy and drama of Fussell's text although there is a certain fuzziness that suggests they've been printed at a lower pixilation than in previous novels. This is unfortunate as the clarity of line and complex range of characters and emotions that James manages to convey in such small images is noticeably lessened by the poorer quality of printing.