Over the past month, Polo in Brazil has travelled on a virtual book tour, appearing on parenting blogs, children’s book review sites and educational platforms. Like most authors, I naturally hoped people would enjoy the story. What I didn’t expect was how consistently different reviewers—reading independently of one another—would identify the same underlying themes.
That made me stop and think. As authors, we spend years trying to communicate ideas through our stories, but once a book is published it belongs to its readers. The most interesting feedback is often not whether someone liked the book, but what they noticed.
Looking back over the reviews, three observations stood out.
1. They noticed the balance between seriousness and humour
Climate change and biodiversity loss are among the most serious challenges humanity faces. Yet I have always believed that seriousness alone does not make a story engaging—particularly for younger readers. One reviewer captured this balance perfectly:
“Captain Polo in Brazil tackles a serious subject without taking itself too seriously.”
— Glass of Wine, Glass of Milk
That single sentence probably describes the Captain Polo series better than I ever could. From the beginning, my aim has never been to lecture children. Instead, I wanted to create adventures filled with humour, memorable characters and plenty of action, while quietly weaving real science and conservation into the story. If readers are laughing one moment and learning something new the next, then I feel I’ve achieved the balance I was aiming for.
2. They noticed the learning beyond the story
One aspect of the reviews that particularly pleased me was how many people mentioned the educational resources at the back of the book. Several reviewers highlighted Captain Polo’s Climate Change Classroom and the Top 10 Climate Actions as valuable additions to the adventure itself.
That was encouraging because those sections represent a great deal of thought and work. My hope has always been that readers who become curious about terms such as carbon sinks, agroforestry or biodiversity can continue exploring beyond the final page, and that practical climate actions help transform curiosity into something tangible. Seeing reviewers recognise those features without any prompting reassured me that they are adding genuine value.
3. They recognised the philosophy behind the series
Perhaps the most rewarding comments were those that reflected something deeper than the story itself.
One reviewer described Polo in Brazil as helping readers understand:
“…the climate crisis through an entertaining and hopeful lens.” — The Children’s Book Review.
Another wrote that it combines adventure, humour and environmental awareness in a way that feels:
“…exciting rather than preachy.” — The Starlit Path
As a conservation biologist, I have spent more than thirty years working with environmental challenges. I know they are complex, and I know there are no simple answers. What I have also learned is that people—especially young people—rarely engage deeply with subjects that leave them feeling overwhelmed. Curiosity, humour and hope are not alternatives to good science; they are often what allow people to engage with it in the first place.
If those qualities come across naturally through Captain Polo’s adventures, then I could hardly ask for more rewarding feedback.
Looking ahead
A virtual book tour is, by its nature, a short-lived event. The reviews will gradually disappear into the archives as new books take their place. What I will remember most, however, is not the star ratings or the kind words themselves. It is the quiet confirmation that independent readers recognised the educational philosophy that has shaped the Captain Polo series from the beginning: taking environmental issues seriously without losing sight of adventure, curiosity, humour and hope. For me, that has been the real success of the tour.
One final note: if you’ve been following the tour but haven’t yet entered the giveaway, there’s still time—but only just. Over 3,400 readers have already entered, and the giveaway closes on Saturday, 11th July. Five winners will each receive a signed paperback copy of Polo in Brazil, while one Grand Prize Winner will receive the complete Captain Polo collection—all five paperback adventures.
If you’d like to enter before the giveaway closes, you can do so by clicking on the Book Awareness Tour page here.
