If fire were a person, you could say he had an “image problem.” After all, we usually hear about fire on the news as a destructive force, something causing property damage and occasionally killing people. Among school-age children, fire is often the subject of safety presentations full of dire warnings about how harmful it can be.

In 50 Burning Questions, Vancouver author Tanya Lloyd Kyi looks at fire in a completely different way. She chronicles humanity’s history of using fire, starting about 1.5 million years ago and continuing to the present day, and examines how we’ve used it to cook meat, light our way in the dark, and keep us warm.

As well, Kyi takes an entertaining and fact-filled look at fire’s role in mythology and religion – how we’ve harnessed the power of fire for work and communication, and how we’ve used the metaphor of fire to express our emotions. She also examines historical strategies for extinguishing fire, and the natural sources of fire – like lightning and volcanoes – all around us. Throughout the book, easily executed activities provide real-life examples of the various aspects of fire discussed in the text.

In addition to Kyi’s engaging writing, 50 Burning Questions features brilliant illustrations from veteran New Zealand illustrator Ross Kinnaird, who emphasizes the major points with hilarious, comics-style drawings. In all, this is a book that will be very well received by young readers seeking a light-hearted and information-packed look at a fascinating subject.