What are the messages about cows in children’s books?
Vegan children’s books about cows teach kids that cows are sensitive, social, and intelligent beings, which deserves to be treated with respect and tenderness. These books explain why it’s important to be kind to cows and how eating meat and dairy can hurt them and the environment. Vegan stories with cows as main characters can also inspire kids to make better choices about what they eat.
Compassion
The main message of vegan children’s books about cows is compassion. These books teach the importance of treating animals with kindness and respect. They portray cows as sentient beings who are capable of experiencing a wide range of emotions and who deserve to be treated with dignity and empathy. These books often describe the inhumane conditions in which cows live, such as overcrowding, lack of veterinary care, being separated from their babies, and the use of growth hormones and antibiotics. Factory farms are not depicted idyllically as they are in advertisements, but are realistically described as an environment that is harmful to the health and well-being of cows. Also in these books, young readers can learn the facts about the negative effects of factory farming in a way that is appropriate for them.
Benefits of a vegan diet
Vegan books about cows also teach readers about the benefits of a vegan diet. Through an interesting story, children more easily accept information and messages that plant food is beneficial for health and the environment. Such messages, told in an imaginative way, can encourage children to be more compassionate and to make rational decisions when it comes to food choices. By reading books about cows, children will understand that a cow’s milk is not made for humans, but that it is intended for her young, and that man is the only being that drinks milk of another species.
Sustainability and environmental protection
One of the important topics of vegan picture books about cows is sustainability and environmental protection. These books often convey a message about protecting the environment and living a more sustainable lifestyle. They educate children about how industrial animal farming has a devastating impact on the environment and how a plant-based diet contributes to reducing their carbon footprint. Cows produce large amounts of methane during digestion. Methane is one of the main gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect, and therefore it is important to reduce methane emissions into the atmosphere. Farming cows creates water pollution due to excessive excretion of urine and faeces. These contaminants can lead to the pollution of rivers, lakes, and other water sources, which can have harmful consequences for aquatic organisms and the environment.
How children can help cows
Many of these books portray cows as beings that can form strong bonds with other animals and people, making us aware of the fact that we are all more connected than we think. In addition to encouraging compassion for cows and understanding the situation in which these animals find themselves, some books can inspire children to take action. Children can understand that they don’t need to have special powers to be someone’s hero, but can help animals with their everyday actions and choices. Small changes, such as choosing plant-based alternatives to milk and cheese, make a big difference.
In helping cows, children will understand that they are doing three good deeds: 1. by choosing plant-based foods they help animals, 2. they eat healthier foods and therefore, 3. they positively affect their own health and contribute to the protection of the environment. Changes do not happen overnight, but by reading compassionate literature with common sense messages, it certainly helps to raise new generations who will be more aware of health, nature, and its relationship to animals.
A picture book about a cow recommended by PETA KIDS
One of the books recommended by PETA kids in which cows are shown as individuals who think and feel is The Not-So Crazy Cow. This is a vegan rhyming story about a cow who believes that the grass is greener somewhere else. Despite receiving the royal treatment in her homeland of India, she longs to discover the big, wide world. One day, she packs her bags, puts on her best hat, and sails from India to Europe. One wise stork tries to warn her of the upcoming challenges, but the cow follows her adventurous spirit to discover this for herself. Her journey is full of unexpected situations and very soon, the cow starts missing her homeland. This amusing book also presents an important question: who is crazy here? The cow or the world who treats her as though her life doesn’t matter?
