Every review published by Vegbooks from 2009 through 2021.
Janet Morgan Stoeke writes and illustrates an unusual Easter story from a chicken’s perspective. Minerva Louise is a compassionate chicken with a personality. As she enjoys the sights of spring, she discovers…
Tags: ChickensEarly ElementaryEasterEggsFarmed AnimalsFemale ProtagonistGood SamaritanHuyen MacMichaelJanet Morgan StoekeMinerva LouisePreschoolers
To say the very least, Easter-themed books are not animal-friendly (think: dyed eggs, ham-based feasts, and marshmallow “peeps”, although you can find these vegan from Sweet & Sara). I scoured the library bookshelves…
Tags: Carolyn M. MullinChickensEarly ElementaryEasterPreschoolersTerry Golson
Author Geraldine Elschner and illustrator Alexandra Junge have put together a brilliantly multi-faceted book in The Easter Chick. Not only does book tell the story of an egg that wants to hatch on Easter, but it…
Tags: Alexandra JungeEarly ElementaryEasterEggsGeraldine ElschnerHuyen MacMichaelIllustrationPreschoolersSpring
I’m sporting a rather splotchy face and puffy, bloodshot eyes for the second time today. Should’ve known better than to read HachikoWaits by Lesléa Newman and watch “Hachi: A Dog’s Tale” in the same day. I’m…
Tags: Carolyn M. MullinCompanion AnimalsDogsJapanLesléa NewmanLoyaltyOlder ElementaryRichard Gere
Big Cat Conservation starts off on shaky ground when early on, author Peggy Thomas exclaims how happy she is that she can see a beautiful tiger in his enclosure in the Buffalo Zoo. However, from there she goes on to…
Tags: ConservationEco-Friendly Kids BooksJennifer GannettOlder ElementaryPanthersPeggy ThomasTigerWildlifeZoo
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
When you think of pumpkins, you might not think of them as a way to stop urban sprawl. But in this story by Mary Lyn Ray, a man who is about to lose his beautiful mountainous view of nature, due to a “for sale” sign…
Tags: Early ElementaryEnvironmental Children's LiteratureJacqueline BodnarMary Lyn RayPreschoolersPumpkinsUrban Sprawl
My love for Nikki McClure’s work is no secret, and I was thrilled to read this small volume. There are no words to the story of The Great Chicken Escape, only Ms. McClure’s expressive, charming papercut illustrations…
Tags: ChickensEarly ElementaryEggsGood for ToddlersIllustrationJennifer GannettNikki McClurePreschoolersWordless Books
This Winnie the Pooh book by Caroline Kenneth is a great addition to any young vegetarian’s book collection. The book takes kids on a journey of discovery, finding out what happens when we don’t treat the bees,…
Tags: Baby BookCaroline KennethGood for ToddlersJacqueline BodnarPoohPreschoolers
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
What would your dog say if he or she could talk human? Like the main canine character in Martha Speaks by Susan Meddaugh, your pup would probably have endless commentary on favorite foods and on life before becoming…
Tags: animal intelligenceAnimal SentienceCarolyn M. MullinCompanion AnimalsDogsEarly ElementaryFemale ProtagonistPreschoolersSusan Meddaugh
Opening to the song “Born Free,” “Madagascar” follows the adventures of Marty the zebra, Alex the lion, Gloria the hippopotamus and Melman the giraffe. Denizens of the Central Park Zoo, they and their neighbors have…
Tags: Early ElementaryGiraffesHippopotamusJennifer GannettLionOlder ElementaryZebraZoo
The text and illustrations in Ellen Jackson’s Earth Motherare a dramatic change of pace in light of the more action-packed page-turners I’ve been reading. To be honest, the tone and tempo are polar opposites of the…
Tags: Carolyn M. MullinEarly ElementaryEco-Friendly Kids BooksEllen JacksonEnvironmental Children's LiteratureHenry Bergh Award WinnerNatural LivingPreschoolers
“Fish are friends, not food!” No wonder PETA loved this animated flick aimed at the preschool and early elementary crowd. While parts were scary for my kiddo, she empathized with the plight of fish in captivity,…
Tags: Animals as FoodAnimals in CaptivityEarly ElementaryFishFishingMovies for Vegetarian KidsOlder ElementaryPETAPortrayal of Vegetarians in FilmVegetarian Characters
It’s Raining Cats and Cats illustrates– literally– how many kitties an unspayed cat can be responsible for! Jim and his mom bring their cat Molly home after she’s been spayed. Concerned when he notices her shaved…
Tags: Animal Welfare Books for KidsCat OverpopulationCatsGood for ToddlersJennifer GannettKIND Children's Honor BooksPet OverpopulationPreschoolersSpay
Finding Thanksgiving-themed children’s books that are vegetarian-friendly can be a daunting task. Most are focused on dinner themes and images that most vegetarian parents would rather avoid, if at all possible. With…
Tags: Diane deGroatEve BuntingGoatsJacqueline BodnarMooseRabbitsThanksgivingThanksgiving Books for Vegetarian KidsTurkeysVegetarian Kids Books
I must admit that I’m a fan of dumpster diving, the act of venturing into dumpsters (or other similar venues) to salvage other peoples’ trash that I would consider treasure. Much of the furniture outfitting my…
Tags: Carolyn M. MullinDavid RobertsEarly ElementaryEnvironmental Children's LiteratureJanet S. WongPreschoolers
“Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs” brings us more silliness from prehistory’s most unusual herd. Ellie and Manny are on the verge of welcoming a baby mammoth, and we’re introduced to Buck, short for Buckminster, long…
Tags: Animated MoviesDinosaursIce AgeJennifer GannettPortrayal of Vegetarians in FilmT RexVegetarian
“Ice Age 2: The Meltdown” continues where “Ice Age” left off– Manny (mammoth), Sid (sloth) and Diego (smilodon) are an unlikely but bonded herd. They learn of a flood threatening their valley and the film follows…
Tags: Animated MoviesIce AgeJennifer GannettMammothsPortrayal of Vegetarians in FilmPossumsSlothsSmilodon
Slated for release in May, Art Corriveau‘s middle-grade novel How I, Nicky Flynn, Finally Get a Life (and a Dog) deals in equal measure with the pain of divorce and the trials of adopting a dog. When Nicky’s parents…
Tags: AdoptionAnimal SheltersArt CorriveauCompanion AnimalsDivorceDogsGerman ShepherdOlder ElementaryService DogTransformation
If you are familiar with the Laura Ingalls Wilder stories, then you know the setting of this book, which focuses on the Little House family. In this story, Pa sets out to go deer hunting so that the family will have…
Tags: Early ElementaryHuntingJacqueline BodnarLaura Ingalls WilderPreschoolersThe Deer in the Wood
Prolific, award-winning author and illustrator Jan Brett’s Annie and the Wild Animals is the lushly illustrated winter tale of a girl and her cat Taffy. When Taffy begins acting strangely and disappears in the deep…
Tags: ActivitiesAnimal Welfare Books for KidsCompanion AnimalsFemale ProtagonistGood for ToddlersJan BrettJennifer GannettPreschoolersSpayWildlife
John Lithgow takes a different approach in writing this story about a young boy who dreams he is a manatee and believes that somewhere a manatee is dreaming that he is the boy. This is a fun and unique storybook,…
Tags: Books that Teach EmpathyJacqueline BodnarJohn LithgrowMarine Mammals
Think of Eco-Women: Protectors of the Earth by Willow Ann Sirch as an Ecofeminism 101 course book meets short biographical compilation for pre-teens. Profiling eight highly influential female movers and shakers…
Tags: BiographyCarolyn M. MullinEco-Friendly Kids BooksEcofeminismFemale ProtagonistFeminismOlder ElementaryRachel Carson