224 Vegbooks reviews by Jessica Almy.
Kathryn Lasky and David Catrow’s award-winning book She’s Wearing a Dead Bird on Her Head!tells the true story of the founding of the Audubon Society. I, for one, had no idea that the venerable bird organization had…
Tags: 1990s BooksActivismAudubonBirdsDavid CatrowFemale ProtagonistKathryn LaskyLegislationNew York Times Best Illustrated Children's BookPolitical ProcessSuffrage
Jane Thayer and Lisa McCue’s picture book The Puppy Who Wanted a Boyis a tribute to the love between dogs and their boys. All Petey, the puppy-protagonist of the book, wants for Christmas is a boy — but his mother…
Tags: ChristmasCompanion AnimalsDogsEarly ElementaryHoliday BooksJane ThayerLisa McCuePreschoolers
All I’d heard about Pixar’s animated film “Up” was that it was about the loss of a loved one, so was I surprised when I discovered that it’s also about the protection of endangered animals! When widower Carl (voiced…
Tags: Animal AbuseBirdsEarly ElementaryEndangered SpeciesEnvironmentEnvironmental Kids MoviesOlder ElementaryPixarWildlife
When I found out my daughter’s camp was taking a field trip to the National Zoo, a facility that still keeps elephants and uses free contact to handle them, I knew I had to take action. Happily, the wonderful parents…
Tags: ActivismAndy Ellisanimal rightsAnimal SufferingAnimal Welfare Books for KidsAnimals in CaptivityFemale ProtagonistPreschoolersZoo
Carl Hiaasen is probably best known for his beach-worthy page turners, which combine the environmental ethics of Edward Abbey with the fluff of a novel you might pick up in an airport bookstore. Happily for…
Tags: Carl HiaasenEco-Friendly Kids BooksEnvironmentEnvironmental Children's LiteratureFishFishingGreen Earth Book Award WinnerOlder ElementaryPollution
As someone who believes that at the very least animals deserve rights equal to, say, corporations, I’m disturbed that our legal system treats them as property. So when I read Mary Ann Hoberman’s Whose Garden Is It?,…
Tags: Early ElementaryEco-Friendly Kids BooksGardenGardeningIllustrationInsectsJane DyerMary Ann HobermanPreschoolersRabbitsUrban Wildlife
Anne Miranda’s brilliant spoof of Mother Goose’s not-so-vegetarian-friendly nursery rhyme “To Market, To Market” is full of humor and compassion, teaching kids that animals make better companions than they do food.…
Tags: ALA Notable Children's booksAnne MirandaBest Books for Vegetarian KidsFarmed AnimalsFemale ProtagonistGood for ToddlersHealthy LivingJanet StevensPreschoolersveganVegetarianVegetarian Kids Books
As a mom and a feminist, I’m not crazy that “The Little Mermaid” is premised on Ariel’s decision to leave her family and literally give up her voice for a man she’s only just met. I worry what this teaches our…
Tags: 1980s Childrens MoviesCrabsDisneyEarly ElementaryFemale ProtagonistFishFishingMermaids
This beautifully illustrated book by Stephen Huneck follows Sally the black dog as she accidentally embarks on a hot air balloon adventure. It’s hard not to fall in love with Mr. Huneck’s technique, which he…
Tags: AdventureBraveryDepictions of Meat in BooksDogsEarly ElementaryFemale ProtagonistPreschoolersStephen Huneck
Silver Dolphin Books has published the equivalent of a coffee table book for the elementary crowd. The Wonders Inside: Bugs and Spiders is gigantic, glossy, and gorgeous. Featuring see-through plastic overlays and…
Tags: AnatomyButterfliesInsectsMetamorphosisNatural HistoryOlder ElementaryPredatorsScience BooksSpiderWildlifeWildlife Books for Kids
Fans of Patrick McDonnell’s Wag!will love The Gift of Nothing. Featuring the adorable characters from his comic strip Mutts, the plot of this story can be summed up in a ten-word riddle. Q: What do you give a friend…
Tags: CatsCompanion AnimalsConsumerismDogsEarly ElementaryEco-Friendly Kids BooksEnvironmentEnvironmental Children's LiteratureIllustrationMuttsPatrick McDonnellPreschoolers
Steven Guarnaccia’s fresh take on the three little pigs will delight parents with an eye to design or architecture. Basing the pigs on Frank Gehry, Phillip Johnson, and Frank Lloyd Wright, Mr. Guarnaccia’s work also…
Tags: ArchitectureDesignFairy TalesPigsSteven GuarnacciaThree Little PigsWolves
A wide range of dinosaurs — from Euoplocephalus to Parasaurolophus — model behavior, good and bad, toward their cats. Kids will learn to clean the litter box, pay attention to their feline friends, and be gentle. The…
Tags: CatsCompanion AnimalsCompassion. KindnessDinosaursGood for ToddlersJane YolenMark TeaguePreschoolers
Billy the baby bunny is on the hunt for a “magical flying creature” called a butterfly. Together with his friends — a nuthatch, field mouse, and a black-nosed mole — he looks in the daffodils and the sweetbriar bush,…
Tags: Good for ToddlersGrasshoppersLadybugsNature BooksPreschoolersRabbitsRespect for Nature
I cringe to find out how Jennifer Gannett, avowed Nikki McClure fan and avid contributor to Vegbooks, will respond when she finds out I snatched up Ms. McClure’s charming new book for myself to review on the site.…
Tags: Early ElementaryEco-Friendly Kids BooksEnvironmentEnvironmental Children's LiteratureIllustrationNatural LivingNature BooksNikki McClurePreschoolersSeasonsWildlife
Jackie Urbanovic‘s lighthearted Duck at the Door is sure to tickle readers who love animals. When there’s a knock at the door late at night, all of the furry and feathered inhabitants of the house wake their person…
Tags: Animal RescueDucksEarly ElementaryHumaneHumorMigrationPreschoolersWildlifeWildlife Books for KidsWildlife Rehabilitation
Lesléa Newman, author of Hachiko Waits, wrote a lovely book entitled Just Like Mamathat hit bookstores last month. She collaborates with illustrator Julia Gorton on a tribute to motherhood, which is narrated by a…
Tags: Early ElementaryFemale ProtagonistFrogsGardeningJulia GortonLesléa NewmanMothersPreschoolersVegetarian
Granny Gomez is an unlikely but formidable hero. The story opens with her enjoying her life and her peaceful house but craving a little companionship. She sets her sights on a traditional “pet” like a cat when her…
Tags: animal rightsBest Books for Vegetarian KidsDeborah UnderwoodEarly ElementaryFemale ProtagonistInterspecies FriendshipPigsPreschoolersRole ModelScott MagoonVegan Childrens Books
This new title from Alyssa Satin Capucilli introduces kids to the concept of Earth Day and provides suggestions for how kids can take care of the earth. I appreciate that the author considers caring for animals to be…
Tags: BiscuitEarth DayEco-Friendly Kids BooksEnvironmentEnvironmental Children's LiteratureGood for ToddlersPreschoolers
Wife-and-husband team Jacky Davis and David Soman have collaborated on a delightful book that follows preschool-aged Lulu through a morning when she must entertain herself. Proclaiming herself Ladybug Girl and…
Tags: AntsDavid SomanDogsEarly ElementaryFemale ProtagonistJacky DavisNatural LivingNaturePreschoolersSharks
Mary Casanova and Ard Hoyt’s picture book Some Dog! tells the story of George, a quiet but faithful canine companion who is suddenly displaced by the arrival of an energetic stray named Zippity. One night, a thunder…
Tags: Ard HoytBasset HoundCompanion AnimalsDogsEarly ElementaryFishingIllustrationMary CasanovaPreschoolersStray
It’s no wonder that Bears Barge In by Joni Sensel and Chris Bivins won an ASPCA Henry Bergh award. The book is fun and educational, and has a wonderful message about our relationship with other animals. Years ago, I…
Tags: BearsChris BivinsEarly ElementaryHenry Bergh Award WinnerJoni SenselPreschoolersWildlife
I’m just crazy about Dr. Seuss’s elephant Horton. Horton Hatches the Egg is quintessential Horton. He’s heroic, true to his word, and unwavering in his commitment to do good. When a momma bird needs a break from her…
Tags: 1940s Childrens LiteratureBraveryCircusCompassionDr. SeussEarly ElementaryElephantsHortonHuntingLesson PlansLoyaltyPreschoolers
Why does Earl’s tail wag – fwip fwip fwip? Young readers will love the simple storyline of this book and its use of repetition, and parents will adore Patrick McDonnell’s sweet little mutt and his appreciation of…
Tags: CatsDogsEarly ElementaryGood for ToddlersMuttsPatrick McDonnellPreschoolers