by Jennifer Ward

Jennifer Ward, $14.00, 155 pages

Even city kids can have fun in nature! It may take some extra creativity, but with Jennifer Ward’s It’s a Jungle Out There! 52 Nature Adventures for City Kids, you’ll have a new idea to try every week of the year. Time spent in nature engages a child’s mind like nothing else. You and the child in your life can find tranquility among honking horns, stop lights, and paved sidewalks. “My Wild Space” encourages young ones to claim a place of their own (a patch of yard, a patio, a block of sidewalk) and to use all their sense to experience the space. In the Fall, try the “Leaf-licious Mobile.” Collect leaves by size, color, and species and find a branch. Assemble the mobile and bring the outdoors in! When it’s raining outside, “Thunderrific” is a fun activity when the weather keeps you indoors. Learn about how lightning and thunder is created, count as a method of measurement, and watch the storm from a window. See your child’s awareness of nature grow before your eyes. Illustrator Susie Ghahremani’s simple sketches compliment Ward’s creative ideas. Grab your adventurous spirit, your inner curiosity, and sense of wonder, and get ready to enjoy nature!

Reviewed by Kathryn Franklin