Review: Fish Kid And The Ninja Lizard

Move over Spiderman, there is a new superhero in town – it’s Fish Kid to the rescue! 
 

Bodhi is just your average boy; whose parents happen to be a marine biologist and an underwater photographer and as a family they are currently sailing round the Galapagos Islands. Trying to encourage Bodhi to share their love of the ocean, they all don their wetsuits with the intention of snorkelling and exploring.

But Bodhi isn’t so keen after seeing his mum’s shark photos. Keeping him company on the boat is the captain and his mischievous daughter Emely. 

Emely generously helps make him a delicious green smoothie, which just happens to be made from sea cucumbers and jellyfish. Reacting badly to the smoothie concoction, Bodhi accidently falls overboard.

Hallucinating and extremely sick, Bodhi washes up on an island, with no way of knowing where he is or where the boat or his parents are? Even more distressing is finding that Emely too has washed up with him after he unintentionally drags her overboard with him. With no foreseeable way off the island, Bodhi wonders how he and Emely will survive with no food or shelter and if his parents are even searching for him.

Then there is the giant mutant ninja monster that won’t leave him alone, digging his claws into Bodhi’s back just to hang on, the extreme heat that is slowly baking Bodhi in his wetsuit and Emely being a pain. Can this day get any worse? Trying to cool off and detach the mutant monster, Bodhi jumps into the ocean, only to discover his new friend is a marine iguana who thought he was a rock thanks to his wetsuit.

The two continue to frolic in the water, diving down deeper and deeper until both are sitting on the ocean floor. Thinking Bodhi was drowning, Emely swims out to save him, but soon discovers Bodhi’s new superpower – being able to hold his breath for ages under water and swimming extremely fast. Maybe just maybe, with his new superpowers and thanks to Emely’s mutant gene changing green smoothie – Bodhi along with his new sidekick Guapa the ninja lizard, there is a chance he might be able to save them from this deserted island and find their parents before its too late.

Interspersed with facts about the ocean and its sea life, this very funny story is a delight to read from start to finish. There’s danger, adventure and rollicking good fun to be had.

Title: Fish Kid And The Ninja Lizard
Author & Illustrator: Kylie Howarth
Publisher: Walker Books, $14.99
Publication Date: 5 February 2019
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781760650810
For ages: 5 - 8
Type: Junior Fiction Younger