V is for Vegan: The ABCs of Being Kind
Child-approved, again and again
While reading V is for Vegan -whether alone or to another person- I found myself smiling at the rhymes, enjoying the illustrations, and even laughing out loud. The whimsical rhyming of the phrases in V is for Vegan keeps the pages turning. Popular everyday issues regarding choices in food, animal treatment, clothing, pets, protein, and more are all addressed. Within the first couple days of receiving V is for Vegan in the mail my son requested I read it to him several times. I have since read the book many times to many different people. My son, as well as other children with whom I have read the book, are intrigued by the pictures, fun rhymes, and information. Reading V is for Vegan to children provoked inquiries that provided me opportunities to educate them on important issues otherwise difficult to describe to a young child.
Not just for kids and other great bonuses
Due to the humorous and fun nature of V is for Vegan I have even dared to show the book to adults who are not vegan and they enjoyed reading it too. In fact, I found the book gave these people a better overall perspective of the choices I make regarding my diet and lifestyle than they had previously understood while delivering the information in a manner that is positively received.
Also, I must admit the page with a picture of people making a green smoothie was one of my favourites as it struck a personal chord with me regarding health and promoting simple healthy eating. As an added bonus, and perhaps one of the most important aspects in printed books today, V is for Vegan is printed on 30% recycled material (although 100% would be even more awesome).
The negative thing about a negative
My only reservation is the use of a couple negative phrases that are telling a child what to NOT do rather than what they should do. Children tend to respond better to action words or phrases of what is appropriate behaviour. I only found a couple of these instances in the book and admire the creativity and flow of the positive action phrases in the majority of the book. That being said, even the negative action phrases sparked important questions from my child and showed him why we make some of the choices we do. For example, he could not fathom the idea of wearing an animal’s skin for clothing. Negative action phrases aside, there is still the scientific inaccuracy of where eggs come from –but again, the humour cannot be dismissed on this page and it fits the whimsical nature of the book.
The bottom line
V is for Vegan: The ABCs of Being Kind is the best kid’s book I have ever read that introduces children to such a wide range of topics surrounding the vegan lifestyle. It is a whimsical read with playful pictures and great messages about living a compassionate life. The light-heartedness of the book through its rhymes and pictures is a great example of the results of living a kind lifestyle and it creates the image of a compassionate loving person who is vegan by choice and recognizes how their decisions affect other beings and the planet as a whole. I would not hesitate to recommend this book to anyone looking to show children (or adults!) what living a compassionate lifestyle is all about.
You can purchase the book here:
Visit Ruby Roth’s website.
Reviewed by Amanda Lily Grant
Amanda “Lily†Grant is a mother, raw food chef, and entrepreneur dedicated to empowering others about their health. She provides lectures and workshops that promote living foods and a balanced holistic lifestyle. You can connect with her through email at orangelilyfoods [at] gmaill.com.
