252 Vegbooks reviews published in 2011.
I watched this movie with my daughter (2 years old) and her friend (3 years old). We were doing overnight babysitting and thought a movie night would be fun. I loved the Care Bears as a kid but knew nothing about…
Tags: BearsCompanion AnimalsGood for ToddlersInsectsJennifer KaliPreschoolersWild Animals
Uncle Andy’s Cats is the imaginative story of artist Andy Warhol’s life with many, many cats. Young cat lovers will giggle at the silliness of 25 cats all named Sam running rampant through Andy Warhol’s home, but…
Tags: Andy WarholCatsCompanion AnimalsEarly ElementaryJames WarholaJennifer GannettPreschoolers
What a great new book! In You Will Be My Friend,young Lucy the bear sets out in the world to find a friend. She is so excited she can barely contain herself. However, her excitement soon turns to disappointment…
Tags: BearsEarly ElementaryFemale ProtagonistFlamingosFriendshipHumorInterspecies FriendshipPeter BrownPreschoolersRobyn Moore
With a story reminiscent of Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax and Bill Peet’s The Wump World, Uno’s Garden features the vivid illustrations of Graeme Base (Animalia) and a story of how plants, animals and humans can either live…
Tags: Andrea ZollmanConservationEarly ElementaryEnvironmentEnvironmental Children's LiteratureGardenGraeme BasePreschoolersUrban SprawlWildlife
I met Andy Runton, the author of the Owly books, at the San Diego Comic Convention in 2005. I had never heard of his books but they had an adorable owl on the cover so I couldn’t resist. They are largely wordless…
Tags: Andy RuntonBest Books for Vegetarian KidsComic BooksEarly ElementaryGraphic NovelsHoma WoodrumOwlsPortrayal of Vegetarians in BooksPreschoolersVegetarian Kids BooksWordless Books
I’m charmed by Carole Boston Weatherford’s picture book on how First Dog Bo became part of the First Family. Living in Washington, DC, my family and I are intimate with the president’s motorcade, helicopters, and…
Tags: Amy BatesBarack ObamaCarole Boston WeatherfordCompanion AnimalsDogsEarly ElementaryFamilyPreschoolersPresidentWashington D.C.White House
You may remember Canadian Peter Christie as being the author of The Curse of Akkad, which we’ve previously reviewed here on Vegbooks. He’s generally well-known in the kid lit world for his fun, accessible books on…
Tags: Animal CourtshipCarolyn M. MullinFliesInsectsMusicOlder ElementaryPeter ChristieSpidersToads
I received this book to review from the publisher. In general, our family is a fan of Todd Parr. The Family Book is on regular rotation in our home. With Todd Parr books, the message is always clear while the…
Tags: Early ElementaryFearHalloweenJennifer KaliOvercoming FearPreschoolersTodd Parr
On vacation recently, I stopped into an independent bookshop that exclusively catered to children’s books and let them know I was looking for charming chapter books. Moments later I had a number of books to choose…
Tags: Books for Vegetarian KidsCatsChapter BooksCompanion AnimalsDepiction of Vegetarian Food in BooksDogsEarly ElementaryFriendshipHoma WoodrumJames HoweMarie-Louise GayPreschoolersVegetarian Characters
I love this book the way I love Goodnight, Moon. I love its simplicity. I love that it touches on the metaphysical, but does not dwell. And above all, I love its illustrations. Margaret Wise Brown wrote both books,…
Tags: 1940s Childrens LiteratureCaldecott MedalCatsEarly ElementaryEnvironmentEnvironmental Children's LiteratureFishGullsIslandsLeonard WeisgardLobstersMargaret Wise BrownMarine AnimalsNatural HistoryPreschoolersSeals
In the same spirit as The Little Prince comes this otherworldly tale of a young girl who befriends an elephant at the local zoo. A vulture, chimps, and of course the elephant look forlorn behind the bars of their…
Tags: AfricaAnimals in CaptivityCarolyn M. MullinCompassionEarly ElementaryEarly ReadersElephantsNicole de CockPicture BooksPreschoolersWild AnimalsWild Animals in CaptivityWildlifeZoos
I recently received a copy of Twist and Ernest to review. I was immediately captivated by the illustrations and thoroughly enjoyed the story of the little donkey who is very earnest indeed. Ernest is a small, lonely…
Tags: Carol A. CamburnDonkeysEarly ElementaryFriendshipHorsesIllustrationsInterspecies FriendshipJennifer GannettLaura T. BarnesPreschoolers
I was really excited about a true farm sanctuary pig story for children. (They are so few and far between considering how many amazing farm animal biographies are out there.) There are some really great farm animal…
Tags: Early Elementaryfactory farmingFarmed AnimalsGestation CratesHuyen MacMichaelPigsPreschoolersSusan Rooker
Ivory isn’t always an easy subject to broach with children, but author Juanita Havill, in retelling the true story of a Japanese carver, does so beautifully and eloquently. Sato was trained by his father, a master…
Tags: Black Market TradeCarolyn M. MullinElephantsEndangered SpeciesIllegal Trade of Animal PartsIvory TradeJuanita HavillUse of Animals
Mo Willems is a favorite children’s author in our house. We have most of the books in his “Elephant and Piggie” series, and they always make for a fun read. In Pigs Make Me Sneeze, when Gerald the elephant is…
Tags: Early ElementaryEarly ReadersElephantsMo WillemsPiggie and ElephantPigsPreschoolersSandi Lancaster
Leo Landry’s new book Grin and Bear It is a good pick for kids interested in a silly book with short chapters and lots of illustrations. Consisting of 7 chapters over 48 pages, the book tells the story of Bear, a…
Tags: BearsChapter BooksComedyEarly ElementaryHumorLeo LandryOvercoming FearWild AnimalsWildlife
Get ready for Vegbooks’ first CD review! I had the pleasure of meeting the ever so talented Paul Helou at HSUS’s Taking Action for Animals Conference this July, and he graciously provided me a copy of his latest…
Tags: Carolyn M. MullinGood for ToddlersMusicNaturePaul HelouPreschoolers
Life isn’t so lucky for most lobsters. Snatched from their habitats, they are kept in crowded tanks until they’re bought and boiled alive. Given new evidence that despite their simple nervous systems, lobsters may…
Tags: Animal Liberationanimal rightsAnimal SufferingBooks for Vegetarian KidsCrustaceansE-BooksGary DorionJennifer TaylorLobstersVegan Childrens Books
What a cute book! My two-year-old daughter received this in her Easter Basket and has enjoyed it for months. We have a pug, so that connection makes the story that much more enjoyable. The pictures are adorable. Some…
Tags: ChickensDogsEarly ElementaryHumorIllustrationJennifer KaliPreschoolersPugs
Unlikely animal friendships has been a popular theme on Vegbooks, as can be seen with the reviews of Owen and Mzee, Tarra and Bella and Dogs Have the Strangest Friends. Author Catherine Thimmesh brings another…
Tags: Carolyn M. MullinCatherine ThimmeshEarly ElementaryFriendshipInterspecies FriendshipPreschoolers
There are so many things I like about Charlie Parker Played Be Bop. My daughter received it for her second birthday and really enjoyed the text and the images. Its simple, rhyming text really held her attention. It’s…
Tags: Baby BookCharlie ParkerChris RaschkaDepictions of Meat in BooksGood for ToddlersJazzJennifer KaliMusicPreschoolers
Pairing rhythmic, sometimes-rhyming prose with expressive illustration, the forthcoming book Magic Trash: A Story of Tyree Guyton and His Art tells the uplifting story of the Detroit native who saved his neighborhood…
Tags: ArtBiographyCommunityDetriotDetroit RiotHeidelberg StreetJ.H. ShapiroPaintingPovertySocial JusticeTrashTyree GuytonVanessa Brantley-Newton
Black Cat is the rhythmic, melodious story of a black cat who moves through the urban environment of New York City — and not the opulent neighborhood that redtailed hawk Pale Male chose as his home. Christopher…
Tags: CatsChristopher MyersCompanion AnimalsEarly ElementaryHomeless AnimalsHomelessnessIllustrationJennifer GannettNew York CityPreschoolers
This is one of those books that I knew I had to review for Vegbooks just to share it with others. It is one of the first nonfiction books to truly capture my daughter’s attention right away and keep it. The…
Tags: AstronautsBrian FlocaDepictions of Meat in BooksEarly ElementaryHoma WoodrumIllustrationMoon LandingNonfictionPreschoolersSpace