Every review published by Vegbooks from 2009 through 2021.
Spike Lee – yes, the famous filmmaker and the man with his own cable channel – is a children’s author! Giant Steps to Change the World isn’t his first work, but it sure is a heavy hitting one. Its message is solid,…
Tags: Albert EinsteinBarack ObamaCarolyn M. MullinEarly ElementaryHeroesHistoryInspirationJean-Michel BasquiatLangston HughesPreschoolersSean QuallsSpike LeeTonya Lee
The angle that brought this book to us at Vegbooks (a free review copy) is that the protagonist in the story is vegan and a vegan vampire also is featured, so I will focus on those aspects as well as the claim that…
Tags: Blair RichmondFemale ProtagonistHoma WoodrumOlder ElementaryPortrayal of Vegetarians in BooksVampiresveganvegan teensYoung Adult
It’s about time for an honest, open, factual, and focused discussion with older children about how animals suffer in our society. Rob Laidlaw, author of Wild Animals in Captivity and founder of Zoocheck Canada,…
Tags: Animals in EntertainmentCaptive WildlifeCarolyn M. MullinCircusOlder ElementaryRob LaidlawWild Animals in CaptivityZoo
The girl in this book has long curly red hair. Each day of the week she wears it differently – she’ll dress it up with barrettes, give it bangs like spaghetti, and adorn it with headbands, gold dust, and confetti.…
Tags: Beginning ReadersEarly ElementaryEarly ReadersJennifer KaliPreschoolersTamara PetrosinoWhale WatchingWhales
In order to prove to the masses that animals are intelligent, scientists have spent countless hours – decades even (think: Jane Goodall) – observing their behavior or carrying out experiments. On a personal level,…
Tags: animal intelligenceAnimalsCarolyn M. MullinCockroachesDiane SwansonDolphinsElephantsGorillasNonfictionOlder ElementaryParrotsPythonsScience
Miss Spider wants to have a tea party. She sets a beautiful table and waits for someone to fly by. She invites ladybugs, ants, bees, and other insects that fly by, but none of them “would dare to share a tea with…
Tags: David KirkFemale ProtagonistGood for ToddlersInsectsJennifer KaliPortrayal of Vegetarians in BooksPreschoolersSpiders
Dishearteningly, a recent survey indicated that more than three-quarters of adults in the United States are not educated about the origins of most puppies available for sale in pet stores. A Home for Dakota, a title…
Tags: Animal AbuseDogsEarly ElementaryFoster CareIllnessJan Zita GroverJennifer GannettPuppy Mills
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