Mia & Leo Go Wild product reviews

While browsing the KIWIreviews website I noticed some books that were available to request, and knowing my book obsessed children I thought they would like some more to read, Mia & Leo Go Wild looked like an ideal story as my boy's love being outdoors exploring and we go on several bush walks (and may have got lost on one thanks to my navigation skills, or lack thereof). The cover shows two children and looks like they are exploring in some bush with some curious creatures around them, and Leo has a magnifying glass for closer inspection.

Mr. 7 and Mr. 9 were keen to see what adventure the two children went on, as we started to read the story the boys wanted to know if we can go on a hike also in the next holidays, I said that we would have to get all the equipment first. While reading the story I was impressed with how informative the author had made the story and aimed it at children, the way that there were checklists for equipment, detailing snacks to take for energy, and also taking extra layers of clothing in case of an emergency, such as hail, and first aid kit in case of medical emergencies.

Throughout the book the illustrator has provided stunning pictures full of detail, there are pictures of various plants that the botanists see, and there is a trapper that shows the kids what they do and taught them about stoats. Mia and Leo seemed to enjoy their hike, seeing new things and creatures, and also helping those that needed the help on the way as they were in a position to do so. As we reached the end of the story the author has included a few fun activities to do, these include hunting for some native birds on the pages, finding items from mums packing list on the pages, and activities to do outside such as planning your own hike.

We all thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I am pleased to say it will be donated to our small rural school, so that many children can enjoy the knowledge and hopefully they can do some kind of hike together as a school as I think they will all thoroughly enjoy it. I look forward to seeing more books from the author in the future.

The children found Mia & Leo Go Wild entertaining and somewhat intriguing; as they have not so far ventured on a bush walk, they were fascinated by the whole idea. They had never even heard of a hut; despite both their parents having been keen trampers in the past, life had become hectic with two very young children so this activity had taken a back seat. It appears that this book will be a catalyst for change as the children are now inspired to experience this new challenge away from the city.

Both children were captivated as they learned about what to pack, what to wear, and how to stay safe on a trail. Miss Five thought the bags would be rather heavy with all the gear they contained, and was relieved when Uncle Joe came along on the trip to help. Mr Four said it was lucky that they had a spare water bottle and a first aid kit so they could help people along the way. Their father told them all about the tramps he had gone on when he was younger, and explained how it is the norm that everyone looks out for everyone else.

Their mother liked the resources at the end of the book and is using them to help the children compile their own lists of essentials for a bush walk. The children are both keen to get started, although both parents agree that it might be better to start small and progress to longer walks as they get used to the idea.

Although the children have not yet been on a proper tramp, they do know their native birds. It will be a challenge to find some of those birds in the wild. They enjoyed rifling through the pages to locate the birds listed in the activities at the end of the book and were very pleased when they were successful. Miss Five was even able to identify the butterfly that Uncle Joe was trying to photograph as a forest ringlet.

The detail in the illustrations is amazing, and the speech bubbles help to integrate them with the text. My favourites are the glowworms and fern fronds; they brought back memories of tramping as a child in the Kauaeranga Valley. When it is twilight in the bush, shadows make things look quite different and they can be rather scary! I remember being warned not to use a torch even when darkness had fallen completely as it would make it more treacherous; rather, it was vital to let your eyes get accustomed to the dark. It is surprising what you can see with the help of a few obliging glowworms.