Keith Olsen: Pick Up A Pack

Even if you are a city kid, enjoying the "great outdoors" is an integral part of the New Zealand way of life. Award-winning writer and illustrator Keith Olsen has written this book as a guide to the joys, perils and pitfalls of camping and tramping in New Zealand. An outdoor education instructor, Olsen is both enthusiastic and practical in his approach to this subject.

Packed with tips for both beginners and experienced trampers, there is information on essential equipment, cooking, flora and fauna, using a compass and safety. There are also chapters on rock climbing and mountaineering.

The illustrations and simple language make this book perfect for children interested in the outdoors.

It has been shortlisted in the Non-Fiction section for this year's New Zealand Post Book Awards.

Publisher: Reed

Price: $19.99

Age: 8-14

Recommended by: Dorothy Vinicombe