Every review published by Vegbooks from 2009 through 2021.
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
From the author of The Curious Garden comes this “first pet story” where the tables are turned and a ballerina-looking bear by the name of Lucy finds a boy named “Squeaker” to be her first companion animal. Named for…
Tags: BearsCarolyn M. MullinCompanion AnimalsDomesticationEarly ElementaryIllustrationNew York Times Best Illustrated Children's Books of 2010Peter BrownPreschoolersWildlife
Several years ago, Nubs was living in a remote border fort in Western Iraq when he developed a relationship with members of a U.S. Border Transition Team stationed there — in particular, Major Brian Dennis. Nubs: The…
Tags: Animal RescueAnimal WelfareCompanion AnimalsDevotionDogsEarly ElementaryJennifer GannettKindness to AnimalsLoyaltyMilitaryWar
For the growing preschooler and early elementary student is this introductory look at adopting green habits and keeping green promises. A perfect mix of multicultural kids, colorful photographs, and enchanting…
Tags: Carolyn M. MullinConservationEarly ElementaryEco-Friendly Kids BooksEnvironmentGardeningGreen LivingNatural LivingPreschoolersRecycling
Australian Elizabeth Stanley writes from the heart and from her travels through Turkey and Greece in The Deliverance of Dancing Bears. Written in the calming tone of an old folk tale, the story tells of Yusuf, an…
Tags: Animal AbuseAnimal RescueBearsCarolyn M. MullinEarly ElementaryHenry Bergh Award Winner
When talking to kids about animals, something I like to ask them is how they can help creatures big and small. “I can be a veterinarian.” “I adopted my dog from the shelter.” These are the more common responses. But…
Tags: ActivismAnimal RescueAnimal Rights Books for KidsAnimals in NeedCarolyn M. MullinCompanion AnimalsHelping AnimalsKindness to AnimalsMarine MammalsOlder Elementary
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
Artfully selected and compiled as a delightful compilation, the seven folktales of Australia, Nigeria, the American Southwest, Bali, Kazakhstan, India, and Wales featured in this Barefoot Books’ publication showcase…
Tags: AfricaAnne WilsonAsiaAustraliaCarolyn M. MullinDawn CaseyEarly ElementaryEco-Friendly Kids BooksEnvironmentEuropeFolk Tales
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…
Note: To honor Blog Action Day 2010: Water, Vegbooks is reviewing a book on water conservation and related issues. The scarcity of clean water has particularly harsh consequences for children — some estimates suggest…
Tags: Blog Action DayConservationEarly ElementaryEco-Friendly Kids BooksEnvironmentIssues Facing ChildrenJennifer GannettPreschoolersWater
This is a strange and mysterious Zen ghost story within a ghost story that is perfect for Halloween. Jon J. Muth’s third book about Stillwater the Zen panda bear and his friends Addy, Michael, and Karl continues to…
Sarah Rudy’s slim paperback portrays a school-age boy’s crisis of faith in vegetarianism. While this book is likely to appeal only to a narrow subsection of vegetarians, it could serve as a helpful tool for parents…
Tags: ChickensCowsEarly ElementaryFarmed AnimalsHealthy LivingPeer PressurePigsSarah RudyveganVegetarian
I’m truly impressed by the inspired actions and activities Kim McKay and Jenny Bonnin challenge youngsters to incorporate into their daily lives in True Green Kids. Running the gamut from “in your room” to “on…
Tags: Carolyn M. MullinEco-Friendly Kids BooksEnvironmentGreen LivingJenny BonninKim McKayOlder Elementary
Jon J. Muth amuses and teaches again through the character of Stillwater the Zen panda in this second children’s book of Buddhist teachings. Just like in Zen Shorts, the giant panda is introduced by a child who…
Tags: BuddhismCompassionEarly ElementaryHuyen MacMichaelIllustrationNeighborsPandasPreschoolersZen Teachings
In City Dog, Country Frog, Caldecott Honoree Mo Willems has penned a tale about friendship and change. When City Dog arrives in the country for a springtime visit, he runs as fast and as far as he can (without a…
Tags: ALA Notable Children's booksDogsEarly ElementaryFriendshipFrogsIllustrationInterspecies FriendshipJon J. MuthLossMo WillemsNature
Part of the “Exploring Tough Issues” series, Why Do People Harm Animals? is a great introductory look at animal rights issues, organizations striving to protect animals, and a few of the opposition’s arguments.…
Tags: animal rightsCarolyn M. MullinChris MasonCircusCompanion AnimalsFarmed AnimalsFishingHuntingOlder ElementaryVivisection
My family and I were thrilled when we discovered this book about a Zen Buddhist giant panda named Stillwater and his friendship with the neighboring children Addy, Michael, and Karl. It’s rare to find a children’s…
Tags: AngerBuddhismCaldecott HonorEarly ElementaryHuyen MacMichaelJon J. MuthMaterialismOlder ElementaryPandasPreschoolersZen Teachings
In our house we love cats, and playing Cat Adoption Center is a favorite activity in our home, so I was happy to get a chance to review I Don’t Want a Cool Cat! — a silly, fun read. With its clever, simple rhymes and…
Tags: CatsCompanion AnimalsEmma DoddGood for ToddlersHumorJennifer GannettPreschoolersRhyming Books
Once I Was a Cardboard Box … But Now I’m a Book About Polar Bears! is a clever book designed not only to inform children about the biology and status of polar bears but also give them a detailed look at what happens…
Tags: Climate ChangeEarly ElementaryEco-Friendly Kids BooksEnvironmentGlobal WarmingJennifer GannettPolar BearsPreschoolersRecycling
All kids can use the message in The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Junk Food— that healthy, nourishing foods are better than candy and processed snacks — but vegetarian and vegan families might have some heavy editing…
Tags: Animals as FoodBerenstain BearsEarly ElementaryFood ChoicesHealthy ChoicesHealthy LivingJan BerenstainPreschoolersStan BerenstainveganVegetarian
In addition to its own aesthetic worth, art is a wonderful vehicle for investigating history, culture, mathematics, and science. But how does one teach art appreciation to little tikes? Through an “I Spy” tactic,…
Tags: Animals and SocietyArtCarolyn M. MullinDepictions of AnimalsEarly ElementaryGood for ToddlersLucy MicklethwaitPreschoolers
A Garden for Pigis a new title that encourages kids to grow and eat their veggies. Based on a true story, in which a pig breaks into a neighboring garden, eats some squash, and “delivers” the seeds to his own pen,…
Tags: CompostingEarly ElementaryFruitGardenGardeningIllustrationKathryn ThurmanLindsay WardOrganicPigsPreschoolersVegetables
It’s hard to sum up and analyze a novel in just a few short paragraphs, much less a work that is so perfectly complex and layered in its character development, plot, and thematic elements. Award-winning Hurt Go Happy…
Tags: AbuseAnimals in ResearchBush MeatCarolyn M. MullinChimpanzeesCommunicationCommunityFemale ProtagonistGinny RorbyOlder ElementaryPrimatesSign LanguageVivisection
Anyone who has ever visited a farm animal sanctuary is touched by the stories and personalities of the animals. The next best thing to visiting a farm sanctuary, is reading Ninety-Five: Meeting America’s Farmed…