The Firekeeper's Son

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Park, Linda Sue. 2004. THE FIREKEEPER’S SON. Illustrated by Julie Downing. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN 0618133372

PLOT SUMMARY
Every night Sang-hee's father lights a fire at the top of their mountain to signal that all is well in his village. The signal is passed along the mountain tops to inform the king that there is peace throughout his kingdom. One night when Sang-hee's father hurts his ankle, he is tasked with lighting the fire. He then discovers that he is part of the army for the kingdom too.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)
The main cultural marker in this book is the story itself. It tells about the tradition of lighting fires to signal to the king that all is well in his kingdom. The firekeepers see the fire on the preceding mountain and light their fire. This signals to the next firekeeper to light their fire. This continues until the fire reaches the king's palace. A note at the end of the books tells us that this story is a much simpler version of what really occurred when this signal system was used in Korea in the early 1800s.

The watercolor and pastel illustrations show the reader the clothing and hair styles of the time and culture. They also show how people lived in Korea with the thatched hut roofs and carrying water in big jars. The illustrations show the beautiful landscape stretching from the ocean to the rolling hills.

A universal theme in this book that children and adults will relate to is that we often have to choose between doing the right thing and doing the selfish thing. Sang-hee was tempted to not light the fire so he could meet the soldiers and see their shining swords. Everyone has been tempted to do something for themselves instead of the right thing and this is a good lesson for young children to see in this book.

This would be a great book to use with an elementary class to teach students about the history of other cultures. It is written in a way that young children will be interested and learn at the same time.

REVIEW EXCERPTS
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “Park's command of place, characterization, and language is as capable and compelling in this picture book as it is in her novels. Set in 19th-century Korea, this story centers around an actual bonfire signal system… Children will be intrigued by this early form of wireless communication, caught up in the riveting dilemma, and satisfied by the resolution.”

BOOKLIST: “Downing's handsome, watercolor-and-pastel double-page pictures personalize the history, showing realistic close-ups of the child, who plays soldiers and dreams of the excitement of battle. In contrast are the panoramic views far across the country as the boy tends the flame that preserves peace from mountain to mountain. Add this to those lighthouse stories about the brave child who must take over for adults.”

CONNECTIONS
-Have students research past forms of communication used in their culture and other cultures.
-Have students write about a time they had to decide between doing what was right and what they wanted to do.