Our Animal Neighbors
Compassion for Every Furry, Slimy, Prickly Creature on Earth
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- $16.99
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
Winner of the Moonbeam Children's Animals/Pets Non-Fiction Gold Medal!
A story about the fundamental connection between animals and people and how we can treat all of Earth's creatures with compassion and empathy.
Furry polar bears, playful sea otters, slow sloths, prickly porcupines, and slimy snakes are just a few of the many animals we share our world with. And even though we might not look the same or have the same needs as our animal neighbors, we have more in common with them than we might think. Our Animal Neighbors introduces children to the importance of treating all animals with the care and compassion they deserve. We all want to experience love, safety, and respect and this book is the first step to instilling those values at an early age. This planet is our home, and we should all be free to live a prosperous life regardless of whether we have hands, hooves, scales, or fur.
“A serious message delivered with humor, simplicity, and charm makes this book an excellent purchase for families that value open-ended discussions. Also a good resource for classrooms and libraries that welcome diverse opinions and points of view.”—School Library Journal
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Ricard and Gruhl make a case for animal rights and ethical veganism by metaphorically framing Earth's residents as neighbors equally deserving of respect and care. They begin by pointing out the "wildly different likes and needs" of these neighbors who "feel at home in very different places." Their argument hits snags, though, when they pivot to unifying similarities: do even solo creatures require "family and friendship," as the book suggests? A more persuasive claim centers on human actions: "when we look with our eyes and our hearts, we can act with love and compassion toward all beings." Hall's cartoonlike, sometimes heavy-handed illustrations make implied meanings plain, showing happily swimming dolphins alongside smiling humans, and later, huddling monkeys scarred by medical experiments, and trembling cows heading into a "Fast Food Factory." Closes with a discussion of the benefits of a plant-based diet. Ages 4 8.
