What do Franz Kafka, Leo Tolstoy, Isaac B. Singer, G.B. Shaw, William Shakespeare, and J.M. Coetzee have in common, besides being genius writers? They were all animal rights advocates who didn’t eat meat. It is especially surprising that Shakespeare wrote about animal...
If you want to choose the right book for your child, don’t let the child choose the book. I’m kidding, of course! It is nice when a child wants to choose a colorful book independently as this often means they are willing to read it. However, the role of parents in choosing books that children will read is also very important. There are many criteria by which parents can choose books, and when it comes to choosing the right vegan children’s books, it is important to pay special attention to two things.
Although external motivation can be very effective, psychologists warn that it can be counterproductive in children. Because of external motivations, play and fun activities such as reading picture books can be turned into a task or job to get that reward. Just as factory workers do a multitude of jobs they don’t like because they know a paycheck is waiting for them, so too can a child treat reading or learning in this way because a pancake or cell phone are waiting for them.
Although there are serious, thoughtful, and heartbreaking poems written in rhyme that is based on good old poetic tradition, rhyme in children’s literature is still associated with humorous and entertaining content. Such rhyming stories and songs lift the mood and bring a smile to the face; not only for children but also for the adults that read with them.
“Who has not seen a child and an animal talking and understanding each other, sharing the same games and the same psychological needs (…) cannot understand that this mutual friendship is the cause of a child’s affinity for animal stories.” – F. Caradec.
People are always amazed when they find out that animals are intelligent. They are especially amazed when they hear that cows are even smarter than dogs, but sadly, these insights do not prevent them from eating these intelligent beings. They are stunned to hear that cows can talk, cry, and even travel, but that doesn’t seem to make these animals any less of a delicious lunch. Human intelligence is truly surprising! Can you imagine a conversation between two cows? Perhaps they are talking about the weather, food, annoying flies, a torturous life, or even planning an escape.
People don’t want to know much about pigs because they are aware that it could then be harder to eat someone you know. It could be difficult for them to eat a pig if they knew that pigs could be artists, therapists, detectives, actors, and finally, companions. It is impossible to imagine that pig flesh is found in more than 500 products that people consume and use. About 1.5 million pigs are killed every year, and some have been lucky enough to escape that fate and show the world that pigs are indeed amazing creatures. Let’s meet a pig artist, pig therapist, pig policewoman, and pig actor.
Humorous children’s stories are not intended solely to entertain the reader, but often contain sophisticated elements of satire, irony, and parody that make young readers think and use their imagination. What may at first seem like a simple, funny book may actually require the reader to think in a more complex and sophisticated way, considering the acts and emotions of characters in relation to their own experiences.
Vegan parents are faced with the task of choosing the best vegan picture books for their children. What are the criteria by which we buy particular vegan children’s books? The selection criteria for a vegan children’s book should not be different from the selection criteria for any other children’s book, that is books that do not contain violence, the language of adults, encourage consumerism, but have certain literary value.
There are many polemics between vegans and omnivores. One that appears more often than not is the claim by omnivores that humans have the right to kill animals because we are intellectually and morally superior to them. They also claim that it is fair that those who are stronger and more dominant survive in the food chain. Let’s take a deep breath and discuss these two “arguments”.
What do Nikola Tesla, Leonardo Da Vinci, Leo Tolstoy, Franz Kafka, Emile Zola, Mahatma Gandhi, George Bernard Shaw, Albert Einstein, Pythagoras and Berta von Suttner have in common, except that they were geniuses in their fields? They were all advocates of animal rights. They had a great love and respect for animals of all kinds.
I was Nela, an intelligent, curious, affectionate, and sociable pig. Because of your decision to eat meat, I’m now a pork chop. By buying this product, you are supporting the torture and killing of animals, and endangering your own health and nature.