Every review published by Vegbooks from 2009 through 2021.
This year, Santa is bringing kiddo books! In celebration of the winter holidays, I’ve compiled two lists for you: one of the books that have gotten top reviews on Vegbooks and the other of online storefronts that…
Tags: ASPCABest Books for Vegetarian KidsFarm SanctuaryHoliday ShoppingHortonHumane SocietyNRDCVegan Action
Our dog is supposed to be dead. Picked up as a skin-and-bones stray, he was scheduled to be euthanized in a high-kill shelter a few days before a rescue transport van arrived. A shelter worker hid him, hoping the…
Tags: Amy BatesAmy HestAnimal RescueAnimals in NeedDogsEarly ElementaryHomeless AnimalsIllustrationJennifer GannettPreschoolers
Published in 1941, Robert McCloskey‘s well-known picture book conveys respect for animals and kindness toward them. Mr. and Mrs. Mallard set up their home in Boston, carefully selecting a safe location, building…
Tags: 1940s Childrens LiteratureAnimal FamiliesClassic BooksDucksEarly ElementaryPreschoolersRobert McCloskeyWildlife
The Lady and the Spider has a warm and important message: despite a common revulsion for spiders they have a “tiny, very important life.” This timeless book written by Faith McNulty and gorgeously illustrated by Bob…
Tags: Bob MarstallEarly ElementaryFaith McNultyFemale ProtagonistGardenIllustrationKindness to AnimalsPreschoolersSharon YoungSpiderWildlifeWildlife Books for Kids
Ever get so mad at someone that you see red? When that happens to the narrator of Roald Dahl and Quentin Blake’s book The Magic Finger, she points her magic finger and well … things happen. Veg kids will probably…
Tags: 1960s Childrens LiteratureAnimal Familiesanimal rightsAnti-HuntingDeerDucksHuntingOlder ElementaryQuentin BlakeRoald Dahlvegan kidsvegetarian kids
I have admired the beautiful work of artist Nikki McClure for many years, so I was excited to get my hands on a book she had illustrated with her gorgeous, original style of paper cutting. When we got it, I found…
Tags: ChickensCynthia RylantEarly ElementaryIllustrationJennifer GannettNatural LivingNikki McClurePaper CuttingPreschoolers
I absolutely adore Dr. Seuss’s storybook Horton Hears a Who! and the 1970 animated short of the same name (sometimes included with the old Grinch on DVD). So when I heard that talents Jim Carrey, Steve Carell, and…
Written by poet Eve Merriam and illustrated by Pam Paparone, Low Song is a rhythmic ode to all things small and low. The narrator sings the praises of dachshunds, a cow’s tongue licking clover, sleeping giraffes, and…
Tags: CowsDachshundsDogsEarly ElementaryFarmed AnimalsGiraffesPreschoolersRaccoonsSeasonsvegan kidsWildlife
Inspired by the fact that a baby spiny anteater is a puggle (!), Pam Munoz Ryanwrote A Pinky Is a Baby Mouseto introduce young children to animal families ranging from spiders to lions. Her delightful text is…
Tags: Animal FamiliesBirdsDiane deGroatEarly ElementaryFishFrogsGoatsLionMaine Animal CoalitiionMoms and BabiesMousePam Munoz RyanPigPigeonPreschoolersSnakesSpiny AnteaterWildlifeWildlife Books for KidsZoo
This old movie, available on DVD, uses the character of Alice in Wonderland to present a variety of classic children’s stories including one featuring the French orphan Madeline. Veg parents should know that while…
Tags: Animated MoviesCircusMadelineMeat-eatingvegetarian kidsZoo
Little kids seem to love Sandra Boynton’s board books. Of all of that kiddo had, this is my favorite, in part because it teaches about the sounds animals make (albeit from a pretty anglo perspective) but also because…
Tags: Baby BookBoard BookCatsCowsDogsFarmed AnimalsIllustrationPigSandra BoyntonSheep
Cynthia Rylant’s work suggests that she knows what it’s like to grieve for an animal companion. In this beautifully illustrated book, she envisions an afterlife for dogs, complete with angel children to play with,…
Tags: CatsCynthia RylantDeath of a PetDogsEarly ElementaryGrievingIllustrationPreschoolers
Dav Pilkey, creator of Captain Underpants, wrote and illustrated a decidedly pro-vegetarian children’s book for publishing behemoth Scholastic. In a playful parody on the classic Christmas poem, Pilkey brings a…
Tags: ActivitiesDav PilkeyEarly ElementaryFarmed AnimalsHoliday BooksLesson PlansPreschoolersThanksgivingThanksgiving Books for Vegetarian KidsTurkeysveganVegan Authorvegan kidsVegan ThanksgivingVegetarianvegetarian kidsVegetarian Kids BooksVegetarian Thanksgiving
This rhyming board book by John Schindel and Sean Franzen is a great primer on cat behavior for little ones. The kitties stroll, roll, hiss, kiss, think, and drink. The photos are delightful, showing a variety of…
Tags: Baby BookBoard BookCatsGood for ToddlersJohn SchindelPhotographySean Franzen
Dr. Seuss’s classic is a fantastic way to teach your kids about the importance of sticking up for the defenseless. When Horton the Elephant hears the microscopic Whos on a speck of dust, he doesn’t stop to question…
Tags: 1950s Children LiteratureAnimal Emotionanimal intelligenceanimal rightsDr. SeussEarly ElementaryElephantsHortonInterspecies FriendshipPreschoolersRead AloudVegetarian Kids Books
Kids who have read Pinkaliciousby Victoria Kahn and Elizabeth Kahn know that Pinkalicious loves the color pink! In Purplicious, our bedazzled heroine must decide what to do when all the girls at school decide black…
Tags: Early ElementaryElizabeth KahnFemale ProtagonistPinkVictoria Kahn
This book by Henrik Drescher doesn’t beat around the bush. It’s the story of a horrible pudge processing farm where the animals are kept confined until it’s time for slaughter. Happily, one small pudge named Hubert…
Tags: animal rightsEarly Elementaryfactory farmingHealthy LivingHenrik DrescherIllustrationPigveganVegan Childrens BooksVegetarianVegetarian ChildrenVegetarian Kids Books
This hardcover book from Flowerpot Press talks about the natural history, conservation status, and threats to endangered animals all over the world. In addition to discussing environmental threats, such as toxic…
Tags: AlligatorsClimate ChangeEco-Friendly Kids BooksEndangered SpeciesEnvironmentOlder ElementaryParrotsPet TradePolar BearsRaptorsWildlife
This is a book where the publisher compiled adorable photos of animals – with some close-ups worthy of Cute Overload – and added simple text. Each page is told from an animal’s perspective. How you’ll feel about this…
Tags: Baby BookBoard BookChickensCowsfactory farmingFarmed AnimalsHorsesMomma AnimalsMoms and BabiesPhotosPigSheepVegetarian
This is a sweet board book that’s funny and touching – and only peripherally about animals. But what it does say is good: animals love their families just as people do. Big Nutbrown Hare and Little Nutbrown Hare, the…
Tags: Anita JeramBaby BookBedtimeBoard BookGood for ToddlersPreschoolersRabbitsSam McBratney
When kiddo was a baby, this was my favorite of her board books. Keith Baker’s lush jungle scenes combine with a powerful message that applies in equal force to people and other animals. The first half of the book –…
Tags: Baby BookBoard BookCatfishGood for ToddlersJungleKeith BakerPreschoolersRainforestSnailSnakeSpeciesismTigerWildlife
We love Olivia! This piglet is smart, funny, and just a little mischievous. She admires Degas, imitates Pollock, and dreams of performing in an opera. Adult readers will surely catch on that Ian Falconer’s…
Tags: animal intelligenceEarly Elementaryfactory farmingFemale ProtagonistIan FalconerOliviaPigPreschoolersVegetarian
I’ve got mixed feelings about the Fancy Nancy series by Jane O’Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser. On one hand, Nancy is a bright, confident girl who likes learning new words and being thoughtful to her friends. On the…
Tags: Animal SheltersCompanion AnimalsDogsEarly ElementaryFancy NancyFemale ProtagonistJane O'ConnorMuttsPinkPreschoolersRobin Preiss Glasser
This beautifully illustrated book by Eric Rohmann portrays the journey of a boy who traverses the sky to dance in the night with wild cats and a vast array of sea animals. Kids will enjoy looking for signs of the…
Tags: AdventureCatsEarly ElementaryEric RohmannIllustrationPreschoolersWildlife