Review By CAROLYN M. MULLIN

Capstone now has a new wonderful imprint, Heinemann-Raintree, that’s solely dedicated to publishing curriculum-driven nonfiction “that encourages inquiry and satisfies curiosity” for students in grades PreK-8. In their “Grow It Yourself!” series, children are challenged to cultivate something with a tangible result – catnip for a cat toy, tomatoes for a tomato and cheese (who says it can’t be Daiya, Follow Your Heart or even slices of Tofutti?) sandwich, pumpkins for soup, plants for a butterfly farm (why they didn’t title it a garden is beyond my comprehension!), and more.

Generally these titles are pretty veg-friendly with a few minor tweaks; e.g. – soy yogurt in place of the “natural yogurt” and agave vs. the honey called for in the Grow Your Own Smoothie text.

The text is of course age appropriate and the photography colorful and inviting. A glossary in each book ensures that young ones are expanding their vocabulary. All in all, these are a great find. I particularly enjoyed Grow Your Own Catnip Toy, but then again who couldn’t resist a book with cute kitties being silly? It made me want to plow my yard and get my hands dirty, just like the kids in the book. Good job, author John Malam, for showing kids they don’t need a so-called green thumb to just follow basic instructions and realize the fruits of their labor.

Ages 6-8.

Review By CAROLYN M. MULLIN

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 cartoons lures young readers into the myriad of ways to help the world, including buying secondhand, turning off the lights, gardening, and make arts and crafts from recycled materials, among the more standard eco- actions.

A “promise” checklist at the end of the book tracks a child’s green progress. Flip the page and you’ll find a Super Green Star Award to certify that your child has accomplished a handful of eco-friendly behaviors. All in all, a vibrant publication that any youngster will enjoy perusing and applying to daily life.

Ages 3-8.

Review By

With a title like Cows Are Vegetarians, you would expect this book to tell you all about how cows eat grass all their lives. Fortunately, inside its cover is a message much more exciting and profound.

Educating your kids about the vegan or vegetarian lifestyle can be tough at times, which is where this book steps in. It explains the difference between vegetarian and vegan and goes into the environmental effects of meat production. You’ll also find a good explanation of the health aspects.

Cows are Vegetarians cleverly explains the reasons to be vegetarian and will provide your kids with answers to the probing questions they are undoubtedly asked. Kids are often asked why they are vegetarian (or vegan!) at school and now they’ll have something important to say.

One thing it needs more of is inviting illustrations. Sadly, there a only a few black and white images.

It’s quite a quick read too at 24 pages, but it manages to get the point across without getting lost in the details. At the end of the day, Cows Are Vegetarians is a great book to add to your kid’s collection.

Ages 8-12.

Review By CAROLYN M. MULLIN

In the hum drum of suburbia, Wesley is an inharmonious presence, disliking pizza, soda and, goodness gracious, even professional football! Let’s root for the ambitious young underdog as he subtly sticks it to his more normal classmates in this tale about a special summertime project.

Utilizing knowledge he soaked up in school, Wesley decides to establish his own civilization, Weslandia. Harnessing the raw materials provided by an extraordinary crop, our hero breakfasts on the fruit, whole or juiced, boils, fries and roasts the tubers, weaves fibers from the woody bark to fashion a robe, and grinds the seeds to produce oil, which serves as a viable bug repellent. In more grandiose accomplishments, Wesley devises a new counting system, creates his own sporting event, engineers suitable housing, and even develops a native language. More importantly, through the rise of his culture, Wesley becomes a happier, morale-boosted youth and attracts friends on his own terms, in his own way.

A great book for any misfit, budding “founding father,” or back-to-nature enthusiast. Look here for related activities.

Ages 4-8.

Review By CAROLYN M. MULLIN

The storyline and imagery may seem to border on the chimerical, but what takes place in Amy’s Light is a summertime occasion that adults can recollect with the same childlike wonder, joy and fascination as the main character, Amy. Considering that fireflies live mere weeks (a fact I picked up in the book’s “Did you know?” section), it really is incredibly exciting to see these bioluminescent insects flicker their goods in the evening air.

Set to soothing rhyme, the narrative situates Amy as a young girl scared of the shadows on her bedroom wall. Light emanating from outside her window lures her to the yard, where she captures lightning bugs in a mason jar. Taking them to her room, the glowing insects help dispel her fear of the shadows. At this point, animal ethics come into play as captivity wanes the fireflies’ radiance and Amy…

…ran to the window
Jumping for joy,
took the lid off to see
Amy watched with delight
and the lights became brighter
as they flickered and flackered
now suddenly set free
and flew out of sight.

Overall, this is a whimsical, attractive picture book with a sound message that will inspire your kids to explore nature’s nocturnal gifts. Robert Nutt is not only the author, but also the artist and his picturesque, doctored photographs are simply gorgeous. See a flash video of Amy’s Light and discover other “Connecting Children with Nature” titles through Dawn Publications.

Ages 4-8.

Review By JENNIFER GANNETT

I Heard It From Alice Zucchini: Poems About the Garden spans the course of all four seasons. The poems are narrated by various garden denizens at different places and times in their growing grounds, and the book offers the opportunity to contemplate gardening from a perspective other than that of a human gardener. One of our favorite poems was the first one, entitled “When I Grow Up,” in which we listen in on the chatter of seeds as they envision what lies ahead– especially enjoyable because at the time we were sprouting our own seeds for our small garden.  Cinderella fans will enjoy a poetic retelling of an aspect of the fairy tale in this volume.

The enjoyable illustrations round out the short poetry pieces and feature an expressive little fairy in each one.  I recommend this book for ages 4 and up.

I cringe to find out how Jennifer Gannett, avowed Nikki McClure fan and avid contributor to Vegbooks, will respond when she finds out I snatched up Ms. McClure’s charming new book for myself to review on the site.  But I felt we owed it to you, our readers, to provide another perspective.  We’ve all read Jennifer gush about All in a Day and The Great Chicken Escape.  It’s time for another view.

Sorry to say, I can’t deliver.  When my husband casually asked me about this title, he had to interrupt me five minutes later to ask me to stop raving about it.  So I handed him a copy, and now he’s got the bug too.

While it’s true that what initially drew me to this book was the exquisite artwork and attention to detail — things important in any children’s book — I do think this is a particularly good title for vegetarian and vegan kids.  While there’s no mention of dietary issues (as Ms. McClure puts it, “There are no eggs, just berries this time”), the mother and child’s connection to the natural world is a tribute to environmentalism and natural living.  It has been fun to notice the details as the seasons progress in the book from winter to summer, and then to go outside and see many of the same signs here in Washington, DC.

Ages 3-7.

Wife-and-husband team Jacky Davis and David Soman have collaborated on a delightful book that follows preschool-aged Lulu through a morning when she must entertain herself.  Proclaiming herself Ladybug Girl and flanked by her loyal dog Bingo, Lulu discovers that she’s fearless and powerful.  She skips through a “lake” that may or may not have sharks beneath its surface and rescues ants from having to climb over a rock.

This lovely book is priceless not only for its portrayal of a young girl but also for its depiction of a child in harmony with nature and her animal companion.  And it’s a book parents and kids alike will enjoy reading and rereading.

Ages 4-8.

Review By JACQUELINE BODNAR

Not many books about vegetarianism are aimed specifically at the younger crowd. But I’m a Vegetarian: Amazing Facts and Ideas for Healthy Vegetarians by Ellen Schwartz does just that, being a book about vegetarianism specifically written for those ages 9-12.

If you have a child in this age group, it may be a good idea to pick up a copy. Not only can it come in handy for your child, but it may be a good book to keep on the shelf for their inquisitive friends to borrow.

The book explains the types of vegetarians, discusses why people choose vegetarianism, offers advice on how to deal with parents who oppose vegetarianism, and provides information on healthy vegetarian eating. These pre-teens will even learn about genetically modified foods, ocean farming, and the history of lentils and quinoa!

Filled with information that supports their decision to be vegetarian, as well as tips on the ins and outs of vegetarian nutrition, this book is a helpful tool for those who are being raised vegetarian, who have chosen it for themselves, or who just want to learn more about vegetarianism.

The book also includes some vegetarian recipes, with tips on how to veganize them.

Ages 9-12.

Review By MAUREEN MCDOWELL

The Carrot Seed is a board book about a little boy who plants a seed and patiently awaits its sprout. While not pertaining to animals, the book illustrates the sense of awe for and love of the earth natural to children.

The little boy ignores his parents and older sibling when they explain that the seed will not sprout. Instead, he lovingly tends to the plot of earth where the seed lies each day despite there being no sign of growth. When a carrot finally comes up, the heretofore monochromatic and delightfully simple illustrations sprout with color. The carrot comes up “just as the little boy had known it would.” The confidence that the boy displays is an important reminder to children to trust themselves–and nature.

Ages 0-3.