Review By CAROLYN M. MULLIN

Who doesn’t love a John Muir story? Every year that I visit the always impressive and stupefying Yosemite, I make it a point to attend one of the monologues put on by Lee Stetson. I don’t want to call him an impersonator per se; he’s far too talented for that, but I suppose actor might be appropriate. He’s a dead ringer for Muir and talks in this quaint, pioneer-like tone, something that harkens images of Muir’s treks in the rugged wilderness cloaked in his solitude. I highly recommend getting a ticket yourself for his show, if you’re ever out this way. If not, you’ll enjoy the tale of Stickeen, one that was certainly new to me, but apparently was Muir’s favorite to tell.

Donnell Rubey serves as an interpreter of sorts in presenting Muir’s languid, verbose and antiquated recounting of the tale to children, but she stays true to Muir’s style and knack for storytelling. The plot is a simple, but highly dramatic one. Stickeen was a little dog (named after an Indian tribe) lent to Muir for one his travels in the glacier-filled world of Alaska. One particular journey that took the better part of a day led them over crevasses, deep canyon-like cavities in the glaciers (let’s just say you don’t want to fall down into one of the bottomless-looking pits). While most were passable there was one that proved quite treacherous, one that even stopped eager beaver Stickeen from attempting to cross. It was too late to turn back, but Muir and Stickeen were uncertain if they would even be able to cross safely.  How did they do? You’ll have to read to find out.

This book is an absolute gem. Christopher Canyon’s illustrations are simply lifelike. I could just see myself reach through the book to touch Muir’s coarse, wiry, frigid beard or feel the snowflakes hitting my face (I sure am glad to live in Southern California !) as I watch the mountains giants in the background. Equally effective in this book is the presentation of a unique, temporary friendship between a man and a dog, a friendship that dramatically changed in the face of adversity. The short-lived nature of their friendship will have children questioning what is in the best interest of our companion animals, a question they should always entertain.

Ages 6+.

Review By JESSICA ALMY

Through poetry and illustration, Joyce Sidman and Beth Krommes explore all the diverse places — from snail shells to hibernating chipmunks – that spirals appear in the natural world in Swirl by Swirl.

This stunning book brings readers underground to woodchuck burrows, up close to observe snails, and into a torrent of ocean. While the text is simple enough for a toddler, the illustrations and endpapers of the book teem with details, certain to hold the attention of an older child (or even an adult, if you’re anything like me). We learn both that a spiral “reaches out . . . exploring the world” (presented along with images of common octopus and spiny sea horse), and also that the “number of sprial rows of florets in a sunflower — or scales on a pinecome, or bumps on a pineapple — follow a patter called the Fibonacci sequence” (in the end notes).

People concerned with animal rights will delight to see free-roaming merino sheep engaged in social interactions and elephants and monkeys in their native habitats.

I highly recommend this book for kids ages 3 to 8.

Review By HUYEN MACMICHAEL

This adorable take on “Old MacDonald Had a Farm” made me and my daughter want to clap our hands and sing the story. We thoroughly enjoyed reading and rereading it. My daughter got a kick out of the surprise element near the end of the book (you’re going to have to read it to find out!) and she’ll pick this book out to read/sing on her own.

Jo is a girl who happens to be a little naturalist, observing and sketching the wildlife such as fish, birds, and dragonflies around a pond (coincidentally, my daughter and I have been attending a local children’s Audubon Naturalist Society activity which has a pond where we identified dragonfly nymphs and other wildlife).

Laura Bryant’s illustrations are clean and colorful and give hints of the next animal to make an appearance. I loved the way the author Mary Quattlebaum connected Jo to Old MacDonald and included Jo’s nature sketches in the story. The repetition and illustrations can help early readers begin to recognize words and the animal noises are appealing to even very young kids. Jo is inquisitive, observant, respectful of wildlife, and artistic to boot. I have high hopes my daughter can be just like Jo!

A couple pages at the end of the book offer information about pond flora and fauna as well as additional activities for kids and resources.

With a growing movement for kids to get “plugged into nature” (versus staring at a TV or computer all day) and the latest concern that kids have what author Richard Louv dubs “Nature Deficit Disorder,” this story introduces a way to get outside to explore. I’m planning on taking it out in the spring to read to my daughter (or she can read it to me) and any of our outdoor pals. It fits right in with some research I had begun this past spring and summer about progressive approaches for teaching children such as outdoor education and the forest schools of Europe. I believe experiential learning is one of the best way kids (and many adults) learn, and nature studies help kids gain a better understanding, as well as appreciation, of the bigger world around them. Young kids already have a natural interest in wildlife and Jo MacDonald models more nature exploration as well as an exciting, benevolent look at the great outdoors.

Ages 3-8.

Review By CAROLYN M. MULLIN

Get ready for Vegbooks’ first CD review! I had the pleasure of meeting the ever so talented Paul Helou at HSUS’s Taking Action for Animals Conference this July, and he graciously provided me a copy of his latest album of nature-inspired songs for children: Bears, Bees & Butterflies. Paul is not only a theatrical improviser and actor, but a gifted musician and songwriter, which certainly shines through in this 20-track production geared towards preschoolers.

The three-year-old that I care for from time to time really enjoyed listening to Paul’s musical stylings on our car trips around town this week, but I’ll admit that I even started to sing along with Paul. The lyrics and arrangements are so catchy, creative and fun, that you just can’t help it! And each song is quite unique from any other, not only in subject matter, but rhythm and style too. “The Legend of Black Bear Lake” reminds me a sleep-away campfire song, while “Dancing Bumblebee” is the perfect dance tune for preschoolers who want to imagine themselves as these magnificent insects flying around in a garden setting. The entire album is a testament to the beauty of nature, a celebration of our connection to it, and a reminder that we need to take care of it.

Pick up a copy and enjoy the sound of acoustic guitars, percussion, fiddle, and even a mandolin on Bears, Bees & Butterflies! For a preview of the songs, visit Paul Helou’s website.

Ages 2+

Review By CAROLYN M. MULLIN

In the affecting spirit of Japanese nature poetry (like that of Basho), comes Wild Horse Winter, a flowing and dramatic tale of a colt and his mother who survive four seasons on the island of Hokkaido, Japan. Author-artist Testuya Honda beautifully portrays – in a cold color palette (blues, whites) – the harsh winter they and the other horses in the herd must endure. The horses resort to tree bark for sustenance and live through a terrible blizzard by allowing the snow to engulf them. We learn in a note from the editor that the horses maintain a warmer body temperature by doing this instead of facing the ferocious, bustling winds. But the journey to carry on does not end here,

“At the edge of the forest they crossed a river. The water was cold and the current was strong, but the colt swam close to his mother, and together they made it to the other side.”

On the other side is a marshland, and just beyond that, the sea. Colt and mother feast on kelp and gallop along the seashore. This tale is a testament to the bond between mother and child, and the reassurance that a mother will always look out and be there for her young. Between the lines, one can read into the dichotomy of dark/light, trial/triumph and death/rebirth. Wild Horse Winter is a powerful work that can be used in many ways either in the classroom or at home.

For those interested in history and human-animal studies, the editor’s notes are fascinating. Three hundred years ago, visiting merchants and fisherman brought Nambu horses to Hokkaido, and left them there during the winter to fend for themselves. While many died, those Darwinian-survival-of-the-fittest-horses became their own breed, the Dosanko horses: shorter in height, longer hair, and tougher hooves. They adapted to blizzard-like conditions by doing what is portrayed in the text and images: lying down and letting the snow cover them entirely.

Quite a unique subject!

Ages 2-8.

Review By CAROLYN M. MULLIN

You won’t find flashy graphics, cartoon characters or even comedy in this work by award-winning children’s author Douglas Wood. Instead, you’ll stumble upon a refuge of peaceful moments that only nature, animals and people can provide.

The “secret” hinted at in the book’s title is the simple observation, satisfaction or joy glimmered from a sunrise or in flowers that color your path and remind you how easy it is to smile. A girl and her golden retriever-looking companion encounter page after page of scenes (swinging underneath a starlit sky), emotions (grateful for a tree’s shade) and interactions (sharing dinner with loved ones) to be thankful for. As Wood summarizes,”We don’t give thanks because we’re happy. We are happy because we give thanks.”

This book and its soft, calming artwork do a beautiful job promoting those sentiments. It does make a brief mention of prayer, but that remains generic enough for any religious or spiritual practice, denominational or otherwise. Veg families will greatly appreciate the equality and respect shown to animals within the text.

Ages 4-8.

Review By JENNIFER KALI

Quiet Bunny sees the beautiful spring colors around him – the red tulips, the yellow sun, the blue jays, the green frogs – and is sad that he is the dull brown and white color of winter.  Quiet Bunny rolls in red clay, covers himself in honey and yellow dandelions, squishes blueberries all over his fur, and wraps himself in green lily pads, all in an attempt to change his color to be more beautiful. Nothing works. He can’t walk with the red clay, rain washes away the blueberry stain, and the lily pads fall off as he hops around.  No matter what he tries, Quiet Bunny cannot change himself to become as beautiful as the spring colors he sees everywhere he looks, and he is sad. The wise old owl, also brown like the winter trees, tells Quiet Bunny that he is indeed quite beautiful. All of the colors of the spring forest contribute equally to making the forest beautiful – including brown and white. The book ends with a very happy bunny saying, “We are all different colors and we are all beautiful!”

This book is beautiful. The illustrations of the spring forest are bright and bold and so full of detail. Each page is a different color showing in detail the many beautiful sights of spring. My toddler enjoys finding the hidden gems on each page, such as the tiny lady bug crawling on the red flower. For the pictures in this book alone, this book is worth a read.

The message of this book is obvious and stated clearly on the last page. Every color of the world is beautiful and all of the colors together are needed to make the world a beautiful place.  Also, there is no sense in trying to be something you are not – it won’t work.  Good messages to teach our children.

Recommended. Ages 2-6.

Review By CAROLYN M. MULLIN

February is National Bird-Feeding Month! What better way to get in the mood than with trivia and folklore about one of the smallest and most intriguing creatures of flight, the hummingbird? Like any reputable non-fiction animal book, Hummingbirds explores their physical attributes (size, plumage, color), diet, habitat, vocalizations, and predators. I found the section on migration to be particularly captivating. The Rufous hummingbird flies 2,500 miles from Central America to Alaska each way, while the Ruby-throated hummingbird will make a non-stop 500 mile voyage across the Gulf of Mexico! Even neater is that this bird’s feathers are a bit more lackluster than we think; their brilliant coloration really stems from light refracting on his or her plumage.

What this book does best is to stitch together scientific inquiry, cultural nuances and fabric collage illustrations into an attractive literary quilt for its readers. Juxtaposed with each sub-category is an allegorical tale from a different society (Aztec, Navajo, Taino) explaining in a fanciful manner why hummingbirds drink nectar, are attracted to the color red or live in the mountains, etc. And fabric artist Adrienne Yoinks brings these friends-in-flight to life through her realistic textile renderings, likely a new medium for this book’s readers. Unfortunately, she does use silk in some of her pieces.

For a simple nectar recipe you can make at home this Bird-Feeding Month, visit the National Museum of Animals & Society. Hummingbirds will return year after year to enjoy your nectar. Make a big batch!

Ages 9-11.

Review By ROBYN MOORE

Old Turtle and the Broken Truth is a beautifully written book, with beautiful watercolor illustrations to match.

In this story, a “truth” falls from the sky. The creatures of the land all pick up the “truth,” but abandon it after discovering it’s broken—it’s only part of the whole truth. Along comes a human who takes the truth for himself and his people—it makes them feel proud and gives them strength and power. However, this “truth” isolates them and causes them to feel more important and better than the other people they share the Earth with. It becomes a possession that others want. This causes chaos on Earth, and many wars are fought. “The stones and trees suffered, the breezes and water suffered, and the animals and the earth suffered … and most of all the people suffered.” One day, a young girl goes on a mission to find the missing part of the truth—she seeks out wise Old Turtle, who tells her that the people do not understand that their “truth” is broken and incomplete. He gives her a mysterious stone, and followed by all her animal friends, she takes the stone and this wisdom back to the people. The truth is now whole, and people everywhere unite as one. The natural wonders on Earth come alive again (“the trees climbed like ladders to the stars” and “the waters shone like mirrors”).

This book nicely highlights the issue of “us vs. them.” It can encourage conversations about inclusion, acceptance of others, and seeing others as similar rather than different.

Ages 8-11.

Review By JESSICA ALMY

Liz Garton Scanlon and Marla Frazee teamed up to create All the World, a book so beautiful that it received the Caldecott Honor last year. (The Caldecott Medal went to The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney.)

Capturing the magic of everyday moments , this book boasts several scenes that vegetarian and vegan families will enjoy. Among my favorite are the depiction of play along the shore (“A moat to dig, a shell to keep/ All the world is wide and deep”) and a bustling farmer’s market (“Tomato blossom, fruit so red/ All the world’s a garden bed”).  I also appreciate the diversity of families portrayed — or I should say family, as one of the delightful surprises is discovering that all of the characters are related (“Nanas, papas, cousins, kin/ Piano, harp and violin”).

There’s a serenity to both the words and illustrations that is reassuring and makes this an ideal bedtime book. Vegan parents, however, should be aware that the book portrays both honey production for human consumption and the use of butter in cooking.

Ages 3-7.