Neeka and the Missing Key (Wilder Zoo, #1)

By Tina Strachan & Max Hamilton

Reviewed by Sophia Evans

I’ve always loved a good book that includes a map at the front and this book fits that category to a tee. Neeka and the Missing Key is the first book in the upcoming Wilder Zoo series. It follows eleven-year-old Neeka Wilder who wants to be a vet one day. And the best place to learn to be a vet is in the zoo, where Neeka and her family live.

Neeka helps care for the zoo animals and takes videos of exciting events at the zoo. Her videos are nominated for a big award and Neeka rushes to make one last video to help win the competition. Neeka is trusted with a zoo key – a key that grants her access to all the animal enclosures and back-stage areas of the zoo – but with a few mischievous antics and cheeky animals around, her zoo key goes missing. Neeka is grounded for a month. She races against the clock to create a new video for the awards, as well as find the missing key, intent on proving that she is responsible. Neeka’s friends, Rumi and Hudson, pop in and out throughout the story, offering kindness and encouragement to Neeka’s occasional bouts of impatience. Neeka, Rumi and Hudson are all relatable characters and well fleshed out.

There is a clever helping of animal facts smattered throughout the book, uniquely researched by Tina Strachan whose resume includes zoo keeping, vet nursing, and being a conservation officer. And what recently released book would be complete without a smidgeon of poo (or maybe I’m just being given all the poo books recently)? And this book has more than a smidgeon of poo, there’s actually quite a few pages of detailed description of poo in this story. Luckily, it fits into the story quite well and doesn’t detract from the overarching messages of conservation, adventure, responsibility and friendship.

This book, irecommended for readers aged 9+, may also appeal to younger readers who love animals or are fascinated by zoos.

HarperCollins 2025

Max Hamilton