Fire

Jackie French, illustrated by Bruce Whatley
Scholastic Australia
ISBN: 9781742838175           RRP: $24.99

Following on from the success of Flood here is another book by this partnership on natural disaster, about the bushfires that plague much of our land. The text is a powerful poem of staccato rhythm that attests to the power and unpredictability of the rage of bushfires. The words give the fire its own life, not the embodiment of a monster choosing its way on a path of destruction, bringing pain to landscape and people alike. The illustrations are rendered in watercolours, capturing the fluidity of moving fire; quickly changing shapes that last for just a moment in time; and later the grey curtain that hangs after the fire is gone. The mesmerizing impact heightens the realisation that we can all be in danger.