Every review published by Vegbooks from 2009 through 2021.
Former elementary school teacher, Cindy Olejar, has developed a line of books that hone in on an early elementary student’s use of different words, whether they’re the prepositions in Find the Cat and More or the…
Tags: Carolyn M. MullinCindy OlejarDogsEarly ElementaryEducationGrammarHomeschooling
I received a review copy of Letters of the West: An ABC Book of the Many Plants, Animals, and Other Curious Features of the West from the publisher just after we returned from a road trip that took us alone the…
Tags: AlphabetAnimalsEarly ElementaryHoma WoodrumNatureNature BooksPlantsPreschoolersUnited StatesWild AnimalsWildlife
This book is by Barbara Jean Hicks, the same author as my 4-year old’s favorite book, The Secret Life of Walter Kitty. I love Hicks’ books because they are about encouraging children to use their imagination and see…
Tags: Barbara Jean HicksDiane VukovicImaginationMonstersPreschoolersSue HendraVegetable BooksVegetables
A gorgeous and detailed new book from Dawn Publications makes sure that we know it’s not only “still waters” that run deep — prairies have a lot going on beneath the surface as well! The Prairie That Nature Built…
Tags: AnimalsBirdsCathy MorrisonEarly ElementaryEcosystemsKristin WaldMarybeth LorbieckiNatureNature Booksnature books for kidsPrairie DogsPrairiesPreschoolers
This tenacious little seed never gives up hope despite its bumpy path in life. The Dandelion Seed’s Big Dream (received as a review copy from the publisher) sends an inspiring message – with a little determination…
Tags: Cris ArboEarly ElementaryGoalsIllustrationInspirationJane CowlesJoseph AnthonyNatureNature BooksPicture BooksPreschoolers
The story takes place in Vegitopia, a land where humans and animals live in peace together and no one would ever dream of eating animals. One day, a little girl named Lena who has her own lettuce patch learns that…
Tags: Animal RescueCarlos PatinoConsumption of MeatDepiction of Vegetarian Food in BooksDepictions of Meat in BooksDiane VukovicEarly ElementaryFairy TalesPrincessSybil SeverinVegan Children's BookVegan Fairytale
Last year, I had the distinct pleasure of meeting author Tami Crupi Zeman, wife of Vermont radio personality Bruce Zeman, Jr. at the National Animal Rights Conference in DC. The animal-welfare activist pair had…
Tags: Animal WelfareBruce ZemanDogsEarly ElementaryPicture BooksPreschoolersShaunna PetersonTami Crupi Zeman
What more can be said about Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone? The obsessively beloved first book of the seven book series has been dissected and read and re-read since it first burst onto the Young Adult…
Tags: Animals in CaptivityBullyingCaptive WildlifeDepictions of Meat in BooksEmpathyFantasyJ.K. RowlingKristin WaldMagicOlder ElementarySeriesWizards
For those longtime Vegbooks readers, you’re fully aware of my deep appreciation and respect for the children’s titles written by Canadian animal activist, Rob Laidlaw. The man is not only a writing machine (new…
Tags: Animal RescueAnimal SanctuariesAnimal WelfareAnimal Welfare Books for KidsCarolyn M. MullinHumane EducationNonfictionOlder ElementaryRob Laidlaw
I love Sara Gillingham’s illustrations, so it was with high expectations that I checked out this interactive board book. Designed for toddlers and preschoolers, the book incorporates flaps and pop-outs that allow the…
Tags: Board BookCaretakingGood for ToddlersNew SiblingPreschoolersSara Gillingham
A Boy and His Jaguar is one of the sweetest, most honest, and fragile works of children’s literature I’ve come across in a while. Rabinowitz candidly, yet innocently paints us a picture of his young life as a…
Tags: Alan RabinowitzAnimals in CaptivityCarolyn M. MullinCaTia ChienDifferencesJaguarsPicture BooksSpeechWild Animals in CaptivityZoos
I’d love to hear what folks in the Montessori community think of this new board book, which teaches preschoolers the basics about continents. (Please leave your thoughts in the comments!) The book is visually…
Tags: Board BooksGeographyHomeschoolingMontessoriNonfictionPreschoolersWild AnimalsWildlife
This book has the makings of a hit – I read through my review copy of Julia’s House for Lost Creatures by Ben Hatke and everything just suits the book so well. The illustrations, the colors, and the titular Julia…
Tags: Ben HatkeEarly ElementaryFemale ProtagonistGraphic NovelsHoma WoodrumKindnessKindness to Animals
The author-illustrator team that brought us the adorable board book I Know A Lot!is back at it with the new title I Am So Brave! Every time I look at this book (received as a review copy from the publisher), I find…
Tags: Board BooksBraveryGood for ToddlersOvercoming FearPreschoolersSara GillinghamStephen Krensky
Vegbooks readers will rejoice that The Zoo Box by Ariel Cohn and Aron Nels Steinke gets kids thinking about what it would mean to be on the other side of a zoo exhibit without being preachy or making conclusions on…
Tags: Ariel CohnAron Nels SteinkeCaptive WildlifeEarly ElementaryGraphic NovelsHoma WoodrumPreschoolersWild AnimalsWild Animals in CaptivityZoos
I love this book. We got it from the library and though it is wordless, it has a fantastic message and beautiful illustrations. I enjoyed Mark Pett’s last book, The Boy and the Airplane, but this book (Amazon…
Tags: BicyclesEarly ElementaryFemale ProtagonistHoma WoodrumMark PettPreschoolersSavingWordless BooksWorking
There is a lot of buzz for GoldieBlox these days, mostly due to a great marketing campaign. Their first commercial made a big splash, but their latest commercial is my favorite. Winner of the 2014 Toy of the Year,…
Tags: Early ElementaryEngineeringFemale ProtagonistGirlsJennifer KaliScienceTechnologyToys
This unique read covers the life and times of the dung beetle, an insect that builds its life around the waste of others. Author Cheryl Bardoe packs a lot of information into the text, perhaps a bit too much at…
Tags: Alan MarksBeetlesCherly BardoeEarly ElementaryHeather ClarkIllustrationInsectsNonfictionScienceScience Books
What a cute book! My nine-month-old received this as a gift recently and he loves it. It’s a finger puppet book of the classic rhyme. My son alternates between giggling at the wiggly piggies and wanting to eat them.…
Tags: Baby BookBooks for Vegetarian KidsGood for ToddlersJennifer KaliNursery RhymesPigs
My family has started to really look forward to the block of Saturday morning programming on ABC called “Litton’s Weekend Adventure.” This group of six shows, which starts at 8am in my neighborhood, can be enjoyed by…
Tags: Captive WildlifeConservationFamily ProgrammingJeff CorwinJennifer KaliMarine AnimalsOceansWildlife
Proving that bears are much more than inspiration for cuddly stuffed animals to fall asleep with, Wild About Bears,a beautiful nonfiction children’s book by Jeannie Brett, sets out to educate readers about the eight…
Tags: BearsBrown BearsEarly ElementaryIllustrationJeannie BrettKristin WaldNonfictionPolar Bears
If you are looking for new options for your little ones, I highly recommend “Peep and the Big Wide World,” available on PBS, Netflix, and Hulu Plus. Each episode includes a mix of animation and real life stories all…
For any child who has compared herself to an older sibling or cousin and felt letdown, there is Prickly Rose. As a follow-up to Sitka Rose, a tall-tale about an adventurous young woman in rhyming verse, Prickly…
Tags: Early ElementaryJudy LoveKristin WaldPicture BookPreschoolersShelley GillTall Tales
For a recent family movie night, I settled down with my kiddo and husband (and a big bowl of popcorn) to watch the 2012 Tim Burton flick “Frankenweenie.” Spoofing on Frankenstein, the plot revolves around a boy’s…
Tags: Companion AnimalsDeathDeath of a PetDogsFamily FilmsFamily MoviesLossOlder ElementaryTim Burton