Despite a lingering apprehension for things of a sharkish nature, I still find the underwater marine world a place of mystic and magic and that's exactly what young readers can expect to find in Kylie Howarth's fintastic Fish Kid adventure series.The third book in this high octane action series is The Turtle Torpedo. Bodhi aka Fish Kid to his parents and closest chum, Emely, are on a small island in the Maldives.
To fans of the series, it's no shock to discover that Bodhi's ability to swim faster than a torpedoing tuna and dive deeper than a whale shark is now second nature but for newcomers, this super power means Bodhi is able to zip around coral islands and commune with sea creatures to his heart's content.
When he and Emely rescue a small ailing turtle, things intensify. They take the turtle to a nearby rehabilitation station.
Here the best friends learn about various species of sea turtles and are invited to help care for them. They are horrified to discover how human indifference contributes to the destruction of turtle habitats, endangering their survival and necessitating tricky rescues.
Bodhi is determined to do everything he can during his stay on the island to make his little rescued turtle's life better which includes daily swims together to get him re-accustomed to surviving in the open ocean again. Only one thing is hindering his enjoyment as a wildlife rescuer and that's his decaying friendship with Emely.
Emely is the only kid who knows about Bodhi's secret fish powers but she has a secret of her own and refuses to share it with Bodhi fueling friction and frustration between them. Bodhi's parents are much too busy researching marine biology and recording photographs to help leaving Fish Kid to fathom what is going on with Emely by himself.
Things go from bad to worse when one of the rescued turtles' lives is in jeopardy. Will Fish Kid find her in time without giving away his super powers? Will his super sea skills be enough to save the day?
Fish Kid and the Turtle Torpedo is a gripping read on its own but to truly immerse yourself into the exciting world of Fish Kid, I recommend experiencing all three books in the series. And with an ocean-full of other fascinating finned creatures to explore, I hope this is not the last we see of Fish Kid.
Infused with fun facts about the marine creatures featured in the narrative and enhanced with Howarth's detailed black and white illustrations, this series is not only furiously fun, it is refreshingly original and informative too.
Update your oceanic knowledge with Fish Kid's thrilling first book, The Ninja Lizard, and the second instalment, Fish Kid and the Mega Manta Ray. If that's not enough, there are still a few more hours left to enter our fantastic Fish Kid Prize Pack giveaway.
Title: Fish Kid and the Turtle Torpedo
Author/Illustrator: Kylie Howarth
Publisher: Walker Books Australia, $11.99
Publication Date: 3 March 2021
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781760654009
For ages: 7 - 10
Type: Junior Fiction
