252 Vegbooks reviews published in 2011.
I absolutely love this book, and so does my daughter. It’s told from the perspective of a firefly that is captured by a little girl. The girl wants to keep the firefly in a jar by her bedside to serve as a nightlight…
Tags: Animals in CaptivityFirefliesGood for ToddlersInsectsJennifer KaliPreschoolersTwo-Mom Families
Buffalo Music, a fictionalized account the life of Mary Ann Goodnight, chronicles the deeply disturbing annihilation of the American buffalo from the perspective of the woman credited with helping save the species…
Tags: Animal ExploitationBuffaloEarly ElementaryHistoryJennifer GannettMary Ann GoodnightWildlife RehabilitationYellowstone
This colorful picture book by Judy Sierra and Jesse Sweetwater brings to life a folktale from Bali, in which a dancing pig saves twin girls from an ogress. Using bold illustrations and expressive language, The…
Tags: BaliEarly ElementaryFemale ProtagonistFrogsJesse SweetwaterJudy SierraMicePigsPreschoolers
Cruising our local library shelves, my eyes lit upon this ingeniously light-hearted variation of the nursery rhyme Mary had a Little Lamb. Of course my daughter and I took a shine to author Jack Lechner’s descriptive…
Tags: Bob StaakeChild DevelopmentEarly ElementaryHumorHuyen MacMichaelIllustrationJack LechnerPreschoolers
Urban wildlife has long fascinated many, and the story of Pale Male, the red-tailed hawk, and his mates, is no exception. In Pale Male: Citizen Hawk of New York City, we are treated to a thoughtful story about this…
Tags: Early ElementaryHawksJanet SchulmanJennifer GannettMeilo SoNew York CityPale MaleUrban WildlifeWild AnimalsWildlifeWildlife LawWildlife Rehabilitation
With special attention paid to the animals encountered during the travels of Robert Scott, Christopher Columbus, Marco Polo, and Charles Darwin, author Sandra Markle not only created an award-winning book series, but…
Tags: BeetlesCarolyn M. MullinCharles DarwinEarly ElementaryEvolutionFlamingosHistoryHuman-Animal StudiesIllustrationNatural HistoryOlder ElementarySandra MarkleZina Saunders
A plucky little My First I Can Read! book that helped ease my daughter into reading. The repetition, simple storyline, and large font all make it early reader-friendly. Earl and Pearl are two kids who start growing…
Tags: AutumnChickensEarly ElementaryEarly ReadersHuyen MacMichaelJudy Ackerman GrantPreschoolersPumpkinsSue TruesdellSummerThanksgiving
A great introduction to Indian-American culture, this book tells the story of a mother and daughter in an Indian-American family, getting ready for the daughter’s seventh birthday. The mother, who wears a sari for…
Tags: DiwaliEarly ElementaryFemale ProtagonistIndian-American CultureJennifer KaliMothersPreschoolersSaris
Bear-ly Thereis a refreshing look at the now common conflict between wild animals and people (and property). This book has a wonderful message of accountability and respect for all different kinds of human and…
Tags: BearsConflictConflict ResolutionEarly ElementaryGeeseJennifer GannettLiving With WildlifePreschoolersRebekah RayeRespect for NatureRural LivingWild AnimalsWildlife
A Day with No Crayons is likely to inspire you to view the world differently — and I love any book that can do that. This charming picture book by Elizabeth Rusch and Chad Cameron follows budding artist Liza through…
Tags: ArtArtistsChad CameronCreativityDogsEarly ElementaryElizabeth RuschPreschoolers
At some point we all get lost, and, if we’re lucky, we have a canine companion to help see us through…and vice versa. In Jim LaMarche’s triad of tender stories that feature child-dog friendships, he weaves through…
Tags: Carolyn M. MullinCompanion AnimalsDiverse FamiliesDogsEarly ElementaryInterspecies FriendshipJim LaMarchePreschoolers
Kiddo and I love the humorous title of this chapter book by Christine McDonnell, and we now often refer to tofu (one of our favorite foods) as “toad food.” Vegetarian kids will get a kick out of how Leo Nolan, an…
Tags: Chapter BooksChristine McDonnellDepiction of Vegetarian Food in BooksDiane deGroatEarly ElementaryG. Brian KarasOlder ElementaryTofuVegetarian Characters
“I think [bicycling] has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world. I stand and rejoice every time I see a woman ride by on a wheel…” I absolutely love this quote by Susan B. Anthony, but it…
Tags: BicyclesCarolyn M. MullinFeminismHistoryMarguerite GastOlder ElementaryParentsSue MacySusan B. AnthonyWomen's History
A little girl’s visit to the beach is masterfully told without a word (aside from the title). Using only charcoal lines and blue, white, and grey paint, Suzy Lee creates an expressive dialogue between the girl and…
Tags: Huyen MacMichael
June 21st ushered in summer, and nothing is more analogous to this season than spending time at the ocean. While kids explore tide pools and swim in the sandy-bottomed waters, they may start to wonder what lies…
Tags: CareersCarolyn M. MullinEarly ElementaryEric PuybaretIllustrationInventionJacques CousteauJennifer BerneOceanOceanographyPreschoolersScuba DivingSummerSwimming
I tend to oppose zoos and zoo literature for children. As much as zoos try to replicate the natural habitats of exotic animals, an image from a childhood visit to a zoo is indelibly marked in my mind: the eyes of a…
Tags: Animal WelfareBiographyBooksCaptive WildlifeChimpanzeesGeorge Ella LyonHelen MartiniTigersZoo
Year-long Forecast: 100% chance of love. Deborah Lee Rose writes a sweet story of cherishing children through each literal and metaphorical season of the year. She rains poetic descriptions of each season beginning…
Tags: Deborah Lee RoseEarly ElementaryHuyen MacMichaelKay ChoraoLoveParentingPreschoolersSeasonsWeather
Like many Vegbooks readers, Maryan Faresh is a caring and compassionate individual; she’s a children’s advocate and an animal advocate, and the niche she’s carved out for herself in kid lit melds these two areas of…
Tags: Animal AdoptionBooks that Teach CharacterCarolyn M. MullinEarly ElementaryEmpathyFriendshipGail Suzanne WeismannLiving with DisabilitiesMaryam FareshPreschoolersSelf-AcceptanceSensitivitySpecial NeedsTolerance
Six Is So Much Less Than Seven is the thoughtful story of an older farmer with six affectionate cats. The book opens with all of them rising together, heading out to milk the farm’s cow and then moving on to the…
Tags: CatsCompanion AnimalsCowsDeathDeath of a PetEarly ElementaryFarmJennifer GannettLossPreschoolersRonald Himler
Mister Bud had the life that I’d wish for all dogs — a loving home and things of his own. So, he’d be forgiven, even if he weren’t a little gray in the snout, for being resentful about the arrival of a second dog.…
Tags: Carter GoodrichCompanion AnimalsDogsEarly ElementaryNew SiblingPreschoolersPug
Every artist parent should be familiar with Lois Ehlert (author of Growing Vegetable Soup, Caldecott Honor book Color Zoo, and Planting a Rainbow, among others) and if not, Hands is the book to warm any creative…
Tags: ArtCreativityEarly ElementaryHuyen MacMichaelLois EhlertPreschoolers
Two powerhouses team up to bring young readers a sweet and inspiring autobiography of one girl who made her dream a reality. Vegbooks contributors Jennifer and Jessica (not once, but twice!) have fawned over Patrick…
Tags: AfricaALSC Notable Childrens BookAnimalsBiographyCaldecott HonorCarolyn M. MullinCharlotte Zolotow AwardChimpanzeesCybils AwardEarly ElementaryEggsFemale ProtagonistJane GoodallNew York Times Best Illustrated Children's Books of 2011Patrick McDonnellPreschoolers
If you love chicken books like I love chicken books, then Beautiful Yetta: The Yiddish Chicken is one to add to your shelves. When I read a children’s book about chickens, even if it is humorous, I pay attention to…
Tags: Animals as FoodBrooklynChickensDaniel PinkwaterEarly ElementaryFarmed AnimalsHumorJennifer GannettJewish CultureJill PinkwaterParrotsPreschoolersSpanish
Kids will laugh aloud as they turn the pages of Hogwash. It’s silly and funny, and it has an important message about respecting animals for who they are. In the story, Farmer decides to bathe all of his animals…
Tags: DirtEarly ElementaryFarmFarmed AnimalsHumorKarma WilsonPigsPreschoolersRobyn Moore