224 Vegbooks reviews by Jessica Almy.
Barack Obama’s inspiring children’s book Of Thee I Sing is part love song to his daughters and part ode to the heroes who made this country great. Many of the historical figures featured in this book — such as Helen…
Tags: Barack ObamaEarly ElementaryGeorge WashingtonGeronimoHelen KellerHistoryJackie RobinsonLoren LongPreschoolersSitting BullUnited States
It’s hard to believe that people have called It’s a Book by Lane Smith subversive, simply because it uses a mild expletive. I can see calling this picture book (which I suspect is geared more to adults than children)…
Tags: Controversial Kids BooksDonkeysEarly ElementaryHumorLane SmithLanguageMiceMonkeysOlder Elementary
I have to admit that a good part of my enchantment with Disney’s 2009 flick “The Princess and the Frog” has to do with its toe-tapping soundtrack, and the role that jazz plays in the New Orleans-based storyline. This…
Tags: Animated MoviesCrocodilesDisneyEarly ElementaryFemale ProtagonistFrogsJazzMusicOlder ElementaryPrincess
What’s an out-of-work bulldog to do when he’s too afraid of heights to wash windows, too allergic to flowers to assist a painter who’s capturing their beauty, and too enthralled by books to shelve instead of read…
Tags: AnimalsBakingCookiesDogsEarly ElementaryForthcoming BooksPreschoolersRaising Vegan KidsRecipesSweetsveganVegan BakingWork
Whether you’ll like this book depends on the reason that you pick it up. If your family consumes a lot of packaged food, or eats out frequently, and you’re looking for new approaches to eating that incorporate whole…
Tags: CookingHealthy LivingJeannette BessingerNutritionParentsTracee Yablon-Brenner
There’s not much to say about “Toy Story” from a vegetarian perspective. Chances are most kids will enjoy the simple but fun plot line, and there’s certainly very little that would offend anyone, much less…
Tags: 1990s MoviesChained DogsCompanion AnimalsDisneyDogsEarly ElementaryJunk FoodPixarPreschoolers
Accompanied by striking linocut illustrations, Hilda Hen’s Search is a cute story of a hen’s hunt for the perfect place to lay her eggs. After finding several appealing places that aren’t quite right — such as the…
Tags: 1990s BooksAnimal EmotionAnimal FamiliesChickensFarmed AnimalsFemale ProtagonistIllustrationMary WormellPreschoolers
Ready for a quirky, silly, veggie read? Then dig your fangs, I mean teeth, into J.otto Seibold and Siobhan Vivian’s picture book Vunce Upon a Time, starring a gentle soul named Dagmar who just so happens to be a…
Tags: Early ElementaryGardeningHalloweenHumorJ.otto SeiboldPreschoolersSiobhan VivianVampiresVegetarianVegetarian CharactersVegetarian Protagonist
My goodness, I love dogs! So too does the adorable pajama-clad boy in Barney Saltzberg’s aptly titled picture book I Love Dogs. Depicting dogs of various colors, sizes, and temperaments, this simple book is a…
Tags: Barney SaltzbergCompanion AnimalsDogsPreschoolersToddlers
Children’s literature is notoriously easy on the zoo industry. Zoos are depicted as places that animals want to be — with little mention of whether it’s natural for elephants to stand on concrete, or whether lions…
Tags: Animals in CaptivityBirdsCharlotte ZolotowCityEarly ElementaryLionsMartine GourbaultPigeonsPreschoolersUrbanZoo
Climate change is not just a difficult problem, but difficult to understand as well. Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen attempt to make the causes and effects of global warming accessible to children in The Magic School Bus…
Tags: Alternative EnergyBruce DegenClimate ChangeEarly ElementaryEco-Friendly Kids BooksEnvironmentEnvironmental Children's LiteratureGlobal WarmingGreen LivingJoanna ColeMagic School BusSeries
By JESSICA ALMY If you’re making a list and checking it twice, consider these titles for the kids in your life. They’ve all gotten positive reviews on Vegbooks in the past year. Granny Gomez and Jigsawby Deborah…
Tags: Animated MoviesASPCABest Books for Vegetarian KidsBooks for Vegetarian KidsDeborah UnderwoodEarly ElementaryEnvironmental Kids MoviesFarm SanctuaryMelvin BergerNancy FurstingerNatural Resources Defense CouncilOceanaOlder ElementaryParentsPCRMPETAPreschoolersScott MagoonSheryl L. PipeVegan OutreachZoe Weil
Joining Princess Smartypants and Do Princesses Wear Hiking Books? in the growing genre of anti-/ alterna-princess lit is the English translation of the German book Princess Pigsty. Fiesty and funny, Cornelia Funke’s…
Tags: animal intelligenceCornelia FunkeEarly ElementaryFemale ProtagonistHumorPreschoolersPrincess
Best Friends: The True Story of Owen and Mzee allows emerging readers to discover the touching real-life tale of an unlikely companionship. (You may have seen the duo on CNN or NBC.) While there is a sad side to this…
Tags: AfricaCarol SchwartzEarly ElementaryEarly ReadersFriendshipHippopotamusInterspecies FriendshipRoberta EdwardsTortoisesZoo
Silly Tilly is a sweet, and yes silly, mole who invites her friends over for Thanksgiving dinner. She inadvertently a) forgets to make the dinner; and b) gives them recipes instead of invitations. Thinking they’ve…
Tags: Early ElementaryEarly ReadersFemale ProtagonistHoliday BooksLillian HobanThanksgivingThanksgiving Books for Vegetarian KidsVegan ThanksgivingVegetarian Thanksgiving
As I’ve previously alluded, I am not a huge fan of the Disney princess franchise. Not only am I concerned that we’re inculcating young girls with stories about privilege and a certain brand of feminine beauty – not…
Tags: Animated MoviesButterfliesDisneyEarly ElementaryFairiesFamilyFemale ProtagonistFriendshipPreschoolers
Readers of the Martha Speaks book series — or viewers of the PBS show — will enjoy reading that Martha has a new puppy in her life, Skits. The lovable pup is nothing but energy, and he tests Martha’s patience when he…
Tags: DifferencesDogsEarly ElementaryFriendshipInclusionIntelligencePreschoolersSusan MeddaughTalent
Review By HUYEN MACMICHAEL Old Man Wilkerson is a grumpy, rude, sloppy-looking old man with a discerning obsession for perfect pumpkin pie. His surly attitude and determination to eat pumpkin pie makes for a…
Tags: AutumnBakingBooks that Teach CharacterBraveryBullyingCookingDeathDenys CazetEarly ElementaryFearGhost StoriesGrandparentsHalloweenHuyen MacMichaelOlder ElementaryParentsPiePreschoolersPumpkins
The Stray Dog recounts a true story of rescuing a homeless dog. With a stunning backdrop of Manhattan, the Brooklyn Bridge, and what I would venture to guess is Prospect Park, Marc Simont’s Caldecott Honor Book…
Tags: ActivitiesAdoptionAnimal RescueCaldecott HonorCompanion AnimalsDogsEarly ElementaryIllustrationMarc SimontNew York CityPreschoolers
My daughter is just learning to read, and she gets easily discouraged when it takes too long to sound out words or figure out a sentence. Luckily, Alyssa Satin Capucilli’s Biscuit books are just about right. While…
Tags: Alyssa Satin CapucilliAnimal RescueDogsDucksEarly ElementaryEarly ReadersPreschoolersWildlife
Prolific children’s author Lesléa Newman has penned a poignant tale of love and loss — themes that are familiar to readers of her work — that will help children grieve the death of a companion and learn to love…
Tags: CatsCompanion AnimalsDeathEarly ElementaryGriefLesléa NewmanLossPreschoolersRonald Himler
ByJESSICA ALMY Vegbooks turns one today! In honor of our baby’s birthday, Vegbooks contributors have their top picks for the babies in your life. I posed this question to them: Imagine that you’re attending a…
Tags: Baby BookBest Books for Vegetarian KidsBoard BookCarolyn M. MullinEric CarleHealthy EatingHuyen MacMichaelJennifer GannettLois EhlertMo WillemsVegetarian Kids Books
Parents, get the tissues for this heartwarming (and heartbreaking) family flick! Based on the same true story as Lesléa Newman’s Hachiko Waits, this movie is about the faithfulness of a dog who accompanies the man he…
Tags: Companion AnimalsDeathDogsEarly ElementaryFamily MoviesLive Action MoviesLossOlder Elementary
If you are in the NYC area this Sunday, October 17, don’t miss A Morning of Compassionate Children’s Literature with Farm Sanctuary, hosted by The Community Bookstore in Park Slope. Maya Gottfried will read and sign…