Tina Strachan (text) and Max Hamilton (illustrator), Neeka and the Storm (Wilder Zoo #2), HarperCollins AU, July 2025, RRP $16.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781460764565
Neeka is back. This is the second book in a new series about 11-year-old Neeka who lives with her family at Wilder Zoo, where her mum is the head vet. Neeka also wants to be a vet, and spends every chance she can at the zoo, helping the keepers take care of the animals, sometimes at the expense of her studies.
When a torrential storm threatens, and the road to the zoo is blocked by a fallen tree, stopping the keepers from arriving, Neeka, her family and friends help carry out emergency evacuation plans. This keeps Neeka very busy, but she’s also behind in her reading and must finish her book to meet the school’s reading challenge or she’ll let down her school and herself.
Author Tina Strachan has spent twenty years working and studying wildlife conservation, which means the book is filled with fascinating animal facts and a deep affection for zoos and the keepers who work there. Award-winning illustrator, Max Hamilton, peppers very cute black and white drawings throughout, helping to bring this very engaging story to life.
Highly recommended for readers who love animals and suspense.
Reviewed by Deborah Abela
