In today’s technological climate, kids now are looking for new and exciting books to entertain them! Silly little books about cute puppies and kittens just aren’t enough for modern savvy readers. They want action, adventure, time travel, monsters, interactive books, and more. How is a vegan parent supposed to educate about veganism when our kids are surrounded by books full of meat-eating, and ones that aren’t vegan friendly? We seek out vegan books and create more!
I’m so excited to see websites like VegBooks.org. Their mission is to be “a resource for parents and teachers who want to support the vegetarian and vegan kids in their lives.” Now that’s a fantastic resource for vegan kids, their parents, and those who love them!
Some fun books my own children love include:
- My own Wright on Time series of children’s chapter books (for ages 5-12+, the most overlooked group of readers) by Lisa M. Cottrell-Bentley; This series is about an RV-living, vegan, homeschooling family who travels across the USA. Each book finds the Wright family in a different state, each with a different fun and educational theme; the family shows how easy it is to live a vegan lifestyle. Wright on Time: South Dakota, Book 4 comes out in early April 2011.
- That’s Why We Don’t Eat Animals: A Book About Vegans, Vegetarians, and All Things Living by Ruth Roth; The illustrations in this picture book are fabulous!
- Garlic-Onion-Beet-Spinach-Mango-Carrot-Grapefruit Juice by Nathalie VanBalen; The cute hand-made puppets add spark and are fun for the little ones.
- Benji Beansprout Doesn’t Eat Meat by Sarah Rudy (my family loves the recipes in this book, too); This cute picture book finds little Benji needing to bring in a favorite food to school. He takes his mother’s “Neat Loaf” and it’s a huge hit.
- Cody Greene and Rainbow Mystery by Linda Fields (published by my publishing company, Do Life Right, Inc.); This children’s chapter book is about a nine-year-old vegan, Cody, who lives in an art gallery in northern New Mexico. When art pieces are mysteriously stolen, he’s the only one who can solve the mystery.
The key is to read what you enjoy and share these books with the children in your lives. Subscribe to magazines such as VegNews or show them the fun vegan cookbooks you use. There are many ways to literacy other than books!
As an author and homeschooling mother of two, I encourage all people to produce the product they most want to see in the world. If you have a story idea that you haven’t found, go write it! Future generations will thank you.
