Review By HOMA WOODRUM

I read this lift a flap board book (a review copy from the publisher) to both my 1 year old and my 3 year old.  My 1 year old was interested in pulling at the flaps which, sadly, are a structural weak point in a book with otherwise sturdy pages (which is the case with most lift-the-flap books in the hands of babies, I’ve found).  My 3 year old loved the word play and had me read it several times to her before “reading” it to her brother by herself.

Each two page spread features animals making varied statements of love.  The birds sing about “tweethearts,” a cow says “I moo you,” an owl says “owl always love you,” and puppies say “we ruff you.”  At the end of the book the reader says “I love you, I love you” to a child.  The artwork is bright and, in what I presume is the artist’s signature style (we already own another book of hers, Peek-a-Boo, I Love You!), the animals are all depicted with hidden hearts (for example, the cow’s spots are heart-shaped).

A cheerful read aloud for ages as old as 3.

Review By JENNIFER GANNETT

Six Is So Much Less Than Seven is the thoughtful story of an older farmer with six affectionate cats.  The book opens with all of them rising together, heading out to milk the farm’s cow and then moving on to the occupations of the day.

It is clear that the farmer derives a great deal of satisfaction and joy from the cats, and they from him.  The end of the story is especially poignant as the six felines and one human gather at the end of the day at a small grave marked “Scruffy Cat.” We feel for the man (and the kitties), who keenly miss their friend.  The last page depicts what is likely meant to be an uplifting ending: one of the cats has kittens, and the farmer is illustrated gazing at them contentedly.  Folks who aren’t knowledgeable about the extent of animal overpopulation will probably not bat an eyelash, but even a cursory knowledge about animal overpopulation issues leads to disappointment at the depiction of a litter of kittens as a happy ending — in children’s stories or in life. Shelters and rescues are overflowing with adoptable homeless cats, so it would have been preferable to see the main character visit a shelter to pick out a new friend.

Your mileage will vary in terms of how acceptable it is to see a cow kept and milked. This is clearly a small farm and the illustration with the cow shows a tender moment between the cow and a cat while the cow is being milked.  Between this and the kitten depiction, you may choose not to introduce this story to your children.  If you do, however, you will be rewarded with a lot to discuss and illustrations which quietly match the simple story.  It is also a book that could be used to help young children learn about and discuss the topic of the death of a loved one– it is so evident that the deceased Scruffy is remembered and cherished. It is likely that little kitty lovers will enjoy this book if you choose to read it to them.

For ages 4 and up.

Review By CAROLYN M. MULLIN

Introduce little ones to the ideas of worker’s rights, justice and compromise through the 32 funny and colorful pages of Click, Clack, Moo. The cold farm cows are on strike until they receive electric blankets and they let Farmer Brown know through type-written memos. Brown is agitated by the typewriter-using, racket-making cows and is rather obstinate about meeting their demands. Once the chickens become involved in the protest and there are no eggs or milk to be had, Farmer Brown concedes on the blankets so long as the barn typewriter is forfeited. Let’s just say Duck, the neutral go-between for those on either side of the fence, has his own interests in mind and his antics make for a humorous ending.

In addition to the Vegbooks-friendly premise of the book, children will enjoy participating in the story’s telling by piping in with frequent “Click, Clack, Moos.” The watercolor illustrations by award-winning Betsy Lewin also make this an inviting text.

To get the biggest bang from this book, implement PBS’ lesson plans for Click, Clack, Moo which happen to be designed for students who are deaf and hard of hearing.

Ages 3-7.

Review By JENNIFER GANNETT

14 Cows for America is the true story of a Maasai village’s response to the September 11, 2001 attacks.  One of the villagers, Wilson Kimeli Ole-Naiyomah, was in Manhattan on that day, and when he returned to his remote village in Africa months later, he brought news of the devastation and recounted the American experience of the tragedy.  The elders, distressed by Kimeli’s news, ponder how to best offer their condolences. Kimeli mentions that he would be willing to give the grieving Americans his cow.  Since cows are an extremely important part of Maasai culture, this declaration was taken very seriously, and others also offered up their cows.  A total of fourteen cows were “given” to America, a token of the Maasai villagers’ sympathy for the tragedies that they had endured.  A U.S. diplomat traveled to the village to accept the gift. (It was eventually decided that the cows would remain with the Maasai, for logistical reasons. Members of the Massai continue to tend to the original animals and their offspring.)

This book raises a lot of hard issues and questions.  The underlying subject matter about the terrorist attacks is of course tragic and scary and many adults are still processing the events and aftermath themselves.  Additionally, the background of much of the Maasai culture, such as their style of keeping cattle, is at odds with vegetarian and vegan lifestyle.  Maasai are also known for killing lions in their territory, part of the decline in lion populations (though some Maasai are now trained to track and protect lions). A healthy dose of cultural relativism is in order.

As an interesting aside, Kimeli notes in the epilogue that as a boy, his mother told him that he was too gentle to become a fierce Maasai warrior because he cared for nestlings and attempted to rescue ants.  Consequently, he was put onto a path of scholarship, studied in the United States and now studies peace and conflict resolution in Austrailia.

“To the Masaii, the cow is life, ” reads the back of this book.  For some veg parents who work to demonstrate to their children that we do not need to take lives to live our own, the underlying differences in the way cattle and other animals are treated by the Maasai culture may overshadow the powerful message of compassion toward other humans.  For others, this book may be perfectly appropriate to illustrate how there can many different, heartfelt responses to support people who have experienced disaster.

Ages 4-8.

Review By CAROLYN M. MULLIN

If Deformed Frogs sounded pretty bad, get ready for Onion Juice, Poop, and Other Surprising Sources of Alternative Energy. Repugnant as it may be, these energy sources reel kids into learning about our global reliance on soon-to-be-dried-up fossil fuels and the numerous alternatives that are either on the market or currently under development. Staunch vegetarians will likely be appalled by the first two “solutions”: fecal matter from factory-farmed cattle and pigs. Their excretions are collected in “digesters” or large holding tanks (similar to the manure lagoons we may be more familiar with), where the temperature is raised high enough so that bacteria can eat their fill and, in turn, produce methane gas.

The book clearly depicts factory sheds and pigs in barren pens. I suppose it’s a good thing they’re not perpetuating the red barn, grassy pasture myth. On the flipside, there is a large sidebar on how unstinky this whole process is, with the author stating that the smell disappears once converted to gas. But of course it’s going to be stinky! It’s concentrated poop! I don’t think any attempt at explaining away (read: the tanks are covered) or minimizing the impact of such an aroma will sit well with the communities that endure such odorous pollution on a daily basis.

Diatribe over. I was much happier and at ease with seeing human poop digesters utilized by families in India or in Vancouver’s waste treatment facilities. Other neat profiled solutions included using food scraps from onion farms and other locales, with the same break-down by bacteria in the farm animal scenario.

Diatribe not over. I forgot to mention that the text speaks of scientists who are looking to make biodiesel through a mixture of animal fat (?!$#@), pine tree oil and methanol and others who are harvesting the innards of termites to assess their success in turning plant cellulose into energy.

Really, this was a mixed bag of information and gut reactions for me. But in my humble opinion, it is good to be in the know of what’s in the works and where we’re heading. I would have loved to see more emphasis made on the self-sustaining solutions for energy, like that of the Indian home digesters, or even solar power.

Ages 9-12.

Review By

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 responding to peer pressure to eat meat.

The plot is simple. Bullied because of his family’s lifestyle, Benji announces to his parents that he would like to try a hamburger. In response, Dad brings Benji to an animal sanctuary, where he has the opportunity to meet the animals who would otherwise have become meat, and Mom prepares Neat Loaf, a vegan entree, and mashed potatoes for Benji’s class. As a result, Benji decides to stay veg and his former tormentors become open-minded friends.

There are a couple things about this book I don’t quite get. The title is one. Benji Bean Sprout is the nickname that the bullies give Benji — why use it in the title? Further, while meeting individual cows, pigs, and chickens can be a powerful reminder of why we choose vegetarianism and veganism, I’m less confident that making a big batch of casserole is enough to sway kids intent on picking on another child. (Bullies usually care less about what makes the other kid different, and more about feeling powerful.)

Some readers won’t like this simple resolution of a complex problem. And others will cringe at Rudy’s depiction of bullying — Benji is actually pushed against a wall in one scene. Still, for kids in Benji’s situation, and their parents, this book could help bolster their confidence that other kids have felt the same way and that other vegetarians are out there. (And the recipe for Nut Loaf is included in the book!)

Because this book is geared to school-aged children subject to peer pressure, I’d recommend it for vegetarian kids ages 6-8.

Review By

Ninety-Five is an introduction to some of those animals and stories and pictures that will make you laugh and cry. Eighteen essays are included by a variety of caretakers honoring and describing the individual chickens, pigs, cows, turkeys, goats, sheep, ducks, geese, and rabbits. Once I started reading, I found it hard to put down because the animals have such a spirit of survival and the stories are so uplifting and inspiring that they capture the essence of why so many choose to go vegan and stay vegan.

Also included are an editorial style essay on a day at an animal sanctuary, a brief section addressing farmed fish and “seafood,” a sanctuary information page, as well as a very intimate forward and afterward. A unique photo index gives additional information about the subject of the portraits as well as how farming industry practices negatively affect the health of animals of the species. Ninety-Five is edited by No Voice Unheard (Marilee Geyer, Diane Leigh, and Windi Wojdak) and includes contributions by 18 animal advocate contributors (sanctuary directors and volunteers, photographers/photojournalists, veterinarians, writers, and educators) with brief bios and the participation of six animal sanctuaries whose descriptions and contact information are listed. On the final pages, several resources and descriptions provide more information on diet, farming practices, and support organizations.

My preschooler enjoyed the full color, close-up photos of the animals and listened to readings of some of their stories, but parents should note that this is not intended to be a children’s book. It is geared more towards an adult, although mature adolescents may appreciate it and school age children could learn a lot about farm animals from it. The numerous farm animal portraits are all benign and attractive to children and the stories are mostly about the animal personalities which may run too long for short-attention-span younger children. However, parents should preview the contents of each story because although mostly positive-focused, the histories of the animals include brief but honest descriptions about the horrifying conditions the animals were found in and how the rescuers, volunteers, foster parents witnessed the spark that helped the animals survive and recover from their previous cruel treatment. Facts and statistics about current farming practices and how they affect the animal’s welfare are down-played yet seamlessly included in the telling of each story. In some stories, the animal’s passing is described because many farming practices cause animals to gain a lot of weight fast, drastically endangering their health and abbreviating their lives for the sake of meat production.

Even excluding a paragraph or two from the reading for children, this book is positive reinforcement and incentive for animal rights advocates, vegetarians, and vegans of all ages to stay active however they can, whether it’s in daily eating habits, volunteering, fostering, donating or some other avenue.

]]> http://vegbooks.org/index.php/2010/09/25/ninety-five/feed/ 1 http://vegbooks.org/index.php/2010/07/28/cow/ http://vegbooks.org/index.php/2010/07/28/cow/#comments Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:00:51 +0000 Jessica http://vegbooks.org/?p=2693 Review By JACQUELINE BODNAR

The reality that most vegetarian parents face when it comes to the way cows are treated is that the vast majority of these animals don’t have it good, to put it mildly. Pumped full of growth hormone and antibiotics, and then hooked up to mechanical milking machines, they live a production-line life that leaves a lot to be desired. But you wouldn’t learn that by reading Cow to your children.

This book focuses on dairy cows on a traditional dairy farm, the kind that no longer exists on a large scale today. The book starts out by asking the question, “What is it like to be a dairy cow?” The answers it provides to that question focus only on the fading image of a traditional farm, filled with loving providers and an idyllic setting.

From grazing the days away, to happy farmers who “gently” clean the udders before milking the cows, the entire book paints a picture that life as a dairy cow is serene and enjoyable. Unfortunately, parents who care about animal rights know this to not be true, and will likely want to steer their child clear of this misleading fairytale image.

Geared to ages 4-8, but not recommended.

Review By CAROLYN M. MULLIN

Farm animals are nothing short of magnificent. Seemingly, they’re more esoteric than our household companion animals, but friendlier and more approachable than say wildlife from the African savannah. Perhaps that’s why we are so enchanted with them. They’re a bit foreign to us city-dwellers, yet at the same time we grew up with them- their faces dotting our picture books, plush toys and favorite TV shows.

Enlightening Farm Sanctuary visitors to the dynamic personalities of these loveable animals was my absolute favorite thing to do while I was working at the California Shelter. (I still blab about their fascinating lives to anyone who will listen, in hopes of making them think twice about eating my farm animal friends). Goats relish a good scratch between the horns. Perky porcines will flop over in an instant for a satisfying belly rub. But beyond these traits you’ll find in most well-treated farm animals, Maya Gottfried has captured the exceptional natures of a handful of sanctuary residents. You’ll meet Maya, also known as “Grandmama Moo,” who ensures that newly arrived bovine orphans find their way in the herd and pastures. Mayfly rooster, in his very protective poem about his hens, declares “A true rooster knows: it is always ladies first,” when it comes to dust baths and feeding. The Turkey Girl flock likens themselves to a ballet class, with such fluid, graceful moves in the green grasslands.

This publication is a must have in every animal lover’s library. And like Ms. Gottfried’s other work, Good Dog, this one also makes a fine coffee table addition!

Ages: All!

Review By HUYEN MACMICHAEL

Pamela the clever cow will stop at nothing for her favorite fruit: pears. This is a cute story about a determined cow who overcomes all efforts to restrain her. The people (from whom Pamela steals the pears) try various methods of containing Pamela, without luck. Finally, the young girl Amy outsmarts Pamela with an idea that resolves her pear addiction.

Jackie French creates a fun story with unique characters and an unusual dilemma. Bruce Whatley’s illustrations are hilarious and expressive and understandably why this book was a winner of a 2004 Benjamin Franklin Award under the children’s picture book category. My preschooler loved the illustrations and I especially liked the cute little details like Pamela’s facial expressions and the cow spots in shapes of pears and hearts.

Ages 3-8.