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10 Books That Teach Compassion for Children’s Book Week

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To celebrate Children’s Book Week from May 3 - 9, we’ve compiled a list of books that include a message of compassion for all living beings that even the youngest of readers can enjoy.




That’s Why We Don’t Eat Animals

This book includes beautiful illustrations to emphasize the stark contrast between the lives of animals in their natural state and those who suffer on factory farms. This informative book also includes tips for the entire family to live a more compassionate lifestyle.

 


Steven the Vegan

Steven is vegan and explains what this means to his classmates while on a school trip to an animal sanctuary. This important book explains the basics of making compassionate lifestyle choices while showing young vegans how to communicate their lifestyles with their peers. 


 

The True Adventures of Esther the Wonder Pig

This picture book depicts the journey of Esther the Wonder Pig! Esther — originally believed to be a mini pig by her adopters — grew to epic proportions, both in real life and online! This book documents the social media phenomenon’s journey from a small apartment to an animal sanctuary named after her where she lives peacefully with other animal friends.  

 

 

Gwen the Rescue Hen

Gwen the Rescue Hen features a witty chicken who escapes the confines of a hen house and befriends a boy named Mateo to discover just how extraordinary chickens really are. This book includes a “More about Chickens” section with interesting and fun facts that emphasize that all animals are special and deserving of kindness and respect. 

 


Charlotte’s Web 

E.B. White’s classic tale features the friendship between Wilbur the pig and a spider named Charlotte. After learning that Wilbur will be slaughtered for meat, Charlotte vows to help her dear friend escape his cruel, heartbreaking fate, proving that all creatures big and small deserve love and compassion. 



Horton Hears a Who

This Dr. Suess classic features a large, well-meaning elephant named Horton who discovers Whoville: a tiny community that is so small it fits on a speck of dust. Horton does everything in his power to protect the community from harm despite massive challenges and ridicule from his peers. The massive elephant protects the microscopic town, teaching us that the small and vulnerable must be protected and we must stick up for our beliefs when encountering challenges and adversity. 

 


I am Jane Goodall

This New York Times bestselling picture book biography series documents the awe-inspiring life of world-renowned chimpanzee scientist, Jane Goodall. Goodall’s contributions to the field of animal protection prove that every person on Earth can make the world a better place for animals.



V is for Vegan

Through memorable rhymes and adorable illustrations, this book teaches the basics of veganism for every letter of the alphabet. This valuable educational resource includes crucial information about what vegans eat, animal protection, the environment, and more. 

 


Bambi

Disney’s Bambi has been perhaps one of the most effective methods of communicating the callousness and destruction of hunting innocent animals in a child-friendly, age-appropriate way. The heartbreak we all experienced when Bambi’s mother was killed by hunters is an important message (and feeling) that can influence children’s attitudes and foster compassion towards wild animals into their adult lives. 



The Three Little Pigs Save the Earth!

This eco-conscious rendition of The Three Little Pigs will educate and inspire! The central concepts of love for all creatures, healthy, plant-based lifestyles, sustainable living, and much more are portrayed with full-color illustrations and engaging rhymes to encourage compassion for ourselves, animals, and the planet!


Happy Children’s Book Week!

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