Project Nature

Jina Jeong

by Carol Kim, Ahya Kim (Illustrator)

Jina and her family like to spend time in nature. When Jina learns that a lot of kids don't often experience the great outdoors, she comes up with plans to start her very own nature club. But when Jina's parents put a damper on her plans, Jina has to find another way to make a difference. Can she introduce other kids to the joys of nature?

64 pages, Paperback

Published July 31, 2023

Reviews

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jina and her family are enjoying seeing birds and plants at the arboretum where they find out that many kids in cities don't get enough time in nature and it can have detrimental effects. Jina is determined to help out the whole city get into nature when she gets back, but her parents encourage her to start small. When she finds out her friend Sofia has never been camping or hiking, she decides to convince Sofia to join them on a camping trip next weekend. But will Sofia enjoy it?

A great book that will make young readers aware of the importance of getting out in nature and some of the things they can experience on a camping or hiking trip, like making s'mores or seeing wildlife like deer or alligators. I have never read a kids book that talks about nature deficit disorder (they don't use the term but describe it in kid-friendly terms) and I'm glad that there are books making kids aware of this. I also like that the book depicts a Korean American family camping. I don't know many Korean Americans who camp.

Notes on content:
Language: None
Sexual content: None
Violence: None
Ethnic diversity: Jina is Korean American, Sofia is Latina
LGBTQ+ content: None
Other: Great message on the need to get out in nature. They treat the alligators with the right amount of caution.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jina loves enjoying nature with her family. When she learns that it's actually bad for kids if they don't spend enough time in nature, Jina is inspired to start a nature club of her own. When her mom advises her to start small, and maybe begin by sharing nature with a friend, Jina invites Sofia on a camping trip. It takes some convincing and a brainstormed list of fun activities they could do on their trip, but Sofia eventually relents and goes on the trip with Jina and her family. But when they run out of cooking fuel and don't even have wood for the fire, will the trip be a dismal let down for Sofia?

[Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

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