Kip of the Karoo by Emma Gourlay

Title: Kip of the Karoo

Author: Emma Gourlay

Genre: Historical Fiction

Publisher: HarperCollins

Published: 2^nd April 2025

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 272

Price: $24.99

Synopsis: The sequel to Kip of the Mountain, an action-packed fantasy adventure series full of heart and fun!

Kip lives on a mountain in South Africa. She rides horses at Sunnybrook Ranch and a magical creature called Buffel is her loyal companion. Life is good.

But when her roof falls in, and her dad can’t afford to fix it, Kip vows to save the day. Luckily her friends have found an ancient map in a cookie jar. There’s treasure in the Karoo desert! But are the dangers of the Karoo worth the risk? There are killer leopards and forbidden caves, and a film set full of dodgy Hollywood people. Plus, hot on their trail, is greedy King Double. He’s desperate for a horse. So, when Kip rescues three horses, she’s not the only one in danger.

~*~

Kip and Buffel are back – and this time, they’re going to save the day again. It all starts when her ranch’s roof falls in, and her dad can’t afford to fix it, and she finds a map in a cookie jar with her friends, Herman and Troy at Sunnybrook Ranch. Now they can find the treasure lost in the Karoo desert – but not before they’re cast in a movie with Abby Swan, dodge killer leopards and explore forbidden caves. And…there’s King Double, who wants a horse. So, what will happen when Kip rescues three horses?

Welcome back to Kip’s adventures in apartheid South Africa, told through the eyes of a mixed-race girl, who lives in a very specific world based on her race. The apartheid laws bubble along in the background of the sequel, having been set up and explained in the first book, but we’re still reminded of the time and place that Kip lives in early on.  This sets the scene and reminds readers of the very real laws that dictated Kip’s life – what she could do, where she could live and where she could go. This book is a little lighter though, as it the apartheid world has already been established, so Kip can focus on her new adventure – finding the treasure of the Karoo with her friends and Buffel – who was really meant to stay at home but decided to smuggle himself along.

This rollicking adventure takes Kip, her friends and the reader across the Karoo desert, which is filled with dangers as they navigate horse riding, a Hollywood invasion, and learning who they can trust. There’s danger and intrigue as Kip, Herman and Troy explore a new world – the world of seeing a movie being made and trying to help family and loved ones. It’s a story filled with joy and action too – there is always something happening for Kip. Friendship, unity, and loyalty are the key themes in the latest Kip book, coupled with the love of Grand Daddy Bristol, who is my favourite character in these books. He’s got wisdom, humour and a good sense of being cheeky, all things that make him a great person to know. He’s also – I think – a good keeper of secrets and wonder, especially about the Something Odd children in Kip’s world get when they turn twelve. This sounds like such fun – getting a Something Odd that might seem bizarre at first but turns out to have a lot of meaning for the person receiving it. It’s great having books set in South Africa during apartheid, even when it’s just the background, because it opens up a range of conversations about what different countries have been like over the years and why the things they did would not be and should not have been acceptable.

The social aspects of apartheid are not at the forefront in this book, as the first book explores these in detail. And much of what happened would have been a lot worse – the feelings and experiences would have had a deep impact on someone like Kip, who seems so carefree in these books. And yet, it is these experiences that would have shaped Kip as a character. She’s aware of the world around her, and is always adapting to things or wondering about things. Her life is what is what it is for now, and reading this in 2025, I know it will change eventually. This is what makes this novel so powerful. It is full of hope amidst a time when things weren’t so great, and shows that people found joy wherever they could, and in ways that suited them. And Kip has one of the best fictional grandfather’s too!

Kip’s latest adventure and quest is just as much fun and just as whimsical and magical as the first one. The stories capture a different world than many readers will be familiar with, or perhaps know much about as well. This is the magic of books – to take us to different times and places, and to show us how different life can be or was for other people. Books like this celebrate the joyous things in life whilst also acknowledging the difficult things, the things we can’t always control, or the things we might not know enough about yet. It’s a novel that also has heart and soul, a beauty in it that highlights family and friendship, and the wonders these people can bring into our lives. Another fantastic Kip adventure that brings the Karoo to life, and makes family shine through.