Neeka and the Missing Key (Wilder Zoo #1) by Tina Strachan, illustrated by Max Hamilton

Title: Neeka and the Missing Key (Wilder Zoo #1)

Author: Tina Strachan, illustrated by Max Hamilton

Genre: Contemporary

Publisher: HarperCollins Australia        

Published: 29^th January 2025

Format: Paperback

Pages: 272

Price: $16.99

Synopsis: When you live in a zoo – things can get wild!

Eleven-year-old Neeka Wilder has always loved animals.

She wants to be a vet one day, like her mum, who is the head vet at Wilder Zoo – where Neeka and her family live!

Neeka is a great help to the zoo staff in caring for the animals. And she also takes videos of exciting events at the zoo.

When the videos are nominated for a big award, Neeka wants to make one more video to help win it. But when Rebel, the cheeky red panda, won’t co-operate, her zoo key goes missing and she’s grounded for a month, it’s a race against the clock to create the new video in time for the awards.

~*~

Neeka Wilder is living every kid’s dream – she gets to live in a zoo, owned by her family, and where her mum is the head vet. One of Neeka’s things to do is help out at the zoo, and take awesome videos of the animals to show people what they do at the zoo. Neeka is determined to win a big award for the zoo when her videos are nominated, so she sets about creating a new video of cheeky Red Panda, Rebel. Except…her key goes missing, and Neeka is faced with no zoo for a month…unless she can find the key and a way to create a cool new video.

The first book in the Wilder Zoo series introduces readers to Neeka, her friends, Rumi and Hudson, and her family and the people at the zoo. Neeka, Hudson and Rumi are a diverse group of friends with different backgrounds and interests that complement each other, so they can bring what they know about animals, coding and maths, and art together to make the video work – hopefully.  But chaos reigns as they search for the key, and as Neeka tries to find a way to talk to her parents about it, whilst also trying to meet the video deadline. The book is filled with fun times and good lessons about friendship and working together, as well as responsibility – knowing where your things are, being ready on time, not making other people late, and working together. Because Neeka is only eleven – and she has a lot to learn about everything in her life. She is learning to be responsible and work things out for herself, but also needs to learn when to ask for help. Neeka slowly learns when she needs to ask for help and when she can do things on her own – that sometimes, she has good intentions and good ideas, but she can’t do it all herself.

Neeka’s first adventure is lovely – it shows what life in a zoo is like, whilst teaching kids what animal care is like in ways that they can understand. It’s not too complicated, and leaves room for readers to do their own research around zoos and what they do. It really brings zoos to life, and shows what happens behind the scenes at our favourite zoos like Taronga Zoo, for example. I liked that it took the time to explain things to readers, in ways that middle grade readers – and older, will understand. I say older because sometimes, it helps to have things explained in a simple way as Neeka does, and then go on to find out more in your own way. Once you have the terms you need to help the research, it can make it so much easier to read about beyond this wonderful novel filled with vibrant joy and friendship.

Tina’s new series celebrates zoos, conservation and friendship, because modern zoos like Taronga Zoo in Sydney and Dubbo showcase their not-for-profit, conservation efforts that are important to help the environment and teach people about animals and what is affecting them. I think this is a great way to start the series, bringing things together in an inviting and wondrous way. I loved the way it all came together and the way Neeka learned important lessons with her friends. It is a fabulous novel that readers of all ages will enjoy.