252 Vegbooks reviews published in 2011.
Based on her own experiences, Cari Best has penned a picture book that is equally heartfelt and thought-provoking. She tells Goose’s Story from the perspective of a girl who first observes and then befriends an…
Tags: BirdsCanada GeeseCari BestFemale ProtagonistGeeseHenry Bergh Award WinnerHolly MeadeIllustrationLiving with DisabilitiesWild AnimalsWildlife
When indoor kitty Nini spies an open door on a beautiful day, she strolls outside, though it can’t be said that she doesn’t look back and fondly recall all of the cozy spots in the house. However, the sensory…
Tags: Anita LobelCaretakingCatsCompanion AnimalsEarly ElementaryIndoor CatsJennifer GannettPreschoolers
I have a very big soft spot for Mark Twain, born Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835 – 1910). His literary works are touchingly raw and honest, and he himself was a unique character with a great affinity for animals,…
Tags: Animal ResearchBarbara KerleyCarolyn M. MullinCatsCybils AwardDewin FotheringhamEarly ElementaryHistoryMark TwainPreschoolersVivisection
I can’t imagine a more ambitious project than creating a book of children’s poems and illustrations to pay tribute to species of animals now extinct — and yet, J. Patrick Lewis and Christopher Wormell have…
Tags: AnimalsChildrens Poet LaureateChristopher WormellEarly AdultEarly ElementaryEco-Friendly Kids BooksEndangered SpeciesEnvironmentEnvironmental Children's LiteratureExtinctionIllustrationsJ. Patrick LewisOlder ElementaryParentsPoetryPreschoolersWoodcut
We discovered the world of the Moomins via this book when my cousin sent it from Finland as a gift for my son (now almost 1) and daughter (now almost 3). It is her daughter’s favorite book and I can see why. It has a…
Tags: 1950s Children LiteratureDie CutEarly ElementaryGood for ToddlersHoma WoodrumIllustrationImaginationOlder ElementaryPreschoolersTove Jansson
(Warning: contents include animal and human trade.) What are two goldfish worth? What is a negligent, newspaper-reading dad worth? A mischievous boy and his friends dicker and deal to trade for what most appeals. One…
Tags: AnimalsDave McKeanEarly ElementaryFather's DayFathersFishHuyen MacMichaelNeil GaimanPreschoolers
As a follow-up to her historical fiction piece on Clara the Rhino, author/ curator/ teacher Mary Tavener Holmes depicts the life and travels of one other influential animal in A Giraffe Goes to Paris. Born in 1824,…
Tags: African AnimalsCarolyn M. MullinEarly ElementaryGiraffesHistoryJon CannellMary Tavener HolmesWild Animals in CaptivityWildlife
The Snail and the Whale was so entertaining that it helped my four-year-old and my friend’s active two-year-old stay seated and riveted during our lengthy lunch at a restaurant. Sure, I had to read between bites but…
Tags: Animal RescueAxel SchefflerEco-Friendly Kids BooksEnvironmental Children's LiteratureHuyen MacMichaelInvertebrate AnimalsJulia DonaldsonMarine AnimalsPreschoolersSnailsWhales
Author, illustrator and Caldecott Honoree Mo Willems brings us What’s Your Sound, Hound the Hound? This simple picture book depicts a number of different adorable animal friends asking each other what sound they…
Tags: Animal SoundsAnimalsBaby BookEarly ElementaryGood for ToddlersJennifer GannettMo WillemsPreschoolers
I have a soft spot for The Poky Little Puppy because it reminds me of my childhood. And since the book was originally published in 1942, my mother probably read it to me because she remembered it from her childhood.…
Tags: 1940s Childrens LiteratureCompanion AnimalsDogsEarly ElementaryFoodGood for ToddlersGustaf TenggrenJanette Sebring LowreyPreschoolers
In Making Good Choices About Renewable Resources, author Jeanne Nagle provides a comprehensive overview of renewable energy: solar, geothermal, wind, hydro and biomass. Each type of power source is discussed in…
Tags: Alternative EnergyConservationEco-Friendly Kids BooksEnergyEnvironmentJeanne NagleJennifer GannettOlder ElementaryRenewable Energy
My daughter and I enjoyed reading about Mr. McGreely’s gardening enthusiasm and battle with the bunnies over his vegetables. G. Brian Karas (whom I recognized from My Crayons Talk and Baby Bug) creates cute little…
Tags: AnimalsCandace FlemingConflictConflict ResolutionEarly ElementaryG. Brian KarasGardenGardeningHumaneHumorHuyen MacMichaelPreschoolersProblem SolvingRabbitsUrban Wildlife
Beginning with the words, “Dads do many things,” this charming book by Sneed B. Collard III and Steve Jenkins draws parallels between the dads of other species and human dads. The use of the first person plural is…
Tags: Animal FamiliesDadsEarly Elementaryemperor penguinsFamilyFather's DayFathersNatural Historyprairie volesPreschoolerssicklebacksSneed B. Collard IIISteve JenkinsWild AnimalsWildlife
When Kitty overhears her caretakers mentioning that they are out of food for her and that she’ll have to eat a delicious (to humans) alphabet of delightfully healthy choices from asparagus to zucchini, she decides at…
Tags: AlphabetCatsCompanion AnimalsFoodFood ChoicesHumorIllustrationJennifer GannettMischiefNick BruelPreschoolersVegetables
Any book that begins with the unlovely depiction of life on a factory farm, such as this one which opens, “once upon a time, there were three thousand three hundred and thirty-three chickens who lived in a great big…
Tags: AnimalsChickensEarly ElementaryEggsfactory farmingFarmFarmed AnimalsHanna JohansenHensIndustrial FarmingJennifer GannettKathi Bhend
Kiddo and I were surprised that I hadn’t reviewed Tuesday for Vegbooks. We love this book, because as kiddo puts it, “It’s funny and strange.” With few words and very detailed illustrations, David Wiesner has crafted…
Tags: 1990s BooksCaldecott MedalDavid WeisnerDogsEarly ElementaryFrogsHumorIllustrationMysteryNearly Wordless BooksPigsPreschoolers
They’re magnificent and majestic, generally easy going and easily taken advantage of. As large and as intimidating as they once were, whales have come a long way in our cultural and societal portrayals and…
Tags: Animal Exploitationanimal intelligenceBiologyCarolyn M. MullinCharles SiebertMarine AnimalsMarine MammalsMoralityOlder ElementaryWhalesWhaling
A Dazzling Display of Dogs is dazzling indeed! The book is comprised of non-linear poems that are set within bright illustrations. Michael Wertz’s graphic illustrations makes each poem sparkle and dance. Author Betsy…
Tags: Animal SheltersBetsy FrancoCompanion AnimalsDogsEarly ElementaryIllustrationJennifer GannettMichael WertzPoetryPreschoolers
In the affecting spirit of Japanese nature poetry (like that of Basho), comes Wild Horse Winter, a flowing and dramatic tale of a colt and his mother who survive four seasons on the island of Hokkaido, Japan.…
Tags: Carolyn M. MullinEarly ElementaryGood for ToddlersHistoryHorsesIllustrationJapanMothersNaturePoetryPreschoolersSeasonsSnowTestuya HondaWinter
If you’re ready for a quirky adventure story told from the perspective of a clam, then Necks Out for Adventure! by Timothy Basil Ering is the book for you. “For as long as anyone could remember, the wiggleskins would…
Tags: AdventureAnimal RescueAnimalsAnimals as FoodBest Books for Vegetarian KidsClamsEarly ElementaryInvertebrate AnimalsMarine AnimalsMollusksPreschoolersTimothy Basil EringVegetarian Kids Books
Operation Redwood is a delightful, fast-paced and absorbing novel about twelve-year old Julian Carter-Li. Julian’s complicated family situation finds him living with his uncle, head of giant investment company, IPX,…
Tags: Early AdultEco-Friendly Kids BooksEnvironmentEnvironmental Children's LiteratureEnvironmental LawForestOld Growth ForestOlder ElementaryS. Terrell FrenchTrees
The Curse of Akkad may seem like an ancient Egyptian legend, but it reflects the demise of another of the world’s greatest civilizations; the first one in fact, dating some 4,000 years ago. Due largely to changes in…
Tags: Carolyn M. MullinClimate ChangeEarly ElementaryEnvironmentHistoryMesopotamiaNonfictionPeter Christie
I’d first heard of Lorna Balian’s picture book Sometimes It’s Turkey, Sometimes It’s Feathers because it was recommended on the Vegetarian Resource Group’s veg parents listserv. Then I noticed that readers had also…
Tags: Best Books for Vegetarian KidsBooks for Vegetarian KidsCatsEarly ElementaryLorna BalianPreschoolersThanksgivingThanksgiving Books for Vegetarian KidsTurkeysVegetarianVegetarian Kids BooksVegetarian Thanksgiving
I am in a period of major bunny dreaming, even occasionally cruising over to Petfinder so that I can gaze adoringly at bunnies available at a local rescue (adopting one is a dream deferred since my place is already…
Tags: Animal AdoptionAnimal CareAnimal FamiliesCaretakingCompanion AnimalsDr. Bernie SiegalEarly ElementaryEasterJennifer GannettLaura J. BryantPet StoresRabbits