By Amy Burger

Books can be a great way to teach young children about kindness, caring for others, and living thoughtfully. If you’re raising vegan children, picture books are perfect for helping them develop compassion for animals and the environment. The following books tell engaging, age-appropriate stories that naturally introduce the values behind veganism. Through fun rhymes, sweet animal stories, or colorful adventures, these books give parents easy opportunities to talk with their kids about important values during reading time.

• V is for Vegan by Ruby Roth: An ABC-style book that teaches children the core values of veganism with fun rhymes and colorful images. Roth has written additional vegan titles, including The Help Yourself Cookbook for Kids.
• Junebug: No Life Too Small by Nicole Daniels: The plot follows a young girl who discovers the emotional depth of animals and begins to ask questions about eating them.
• Steven the Vegan by Dan Bodenstein: Main character Steven goes on a school trip to a farm and explains his veganism to classmates with empathy and humor.
• Dave Loves Chickens by Carlos Patiño: A silly yet informative book featuring Dave, a blue alien, who learns why animals like chickens deserve kindness.
• The True Adventures of Esther the Wonder Pig by Steve Jenkins, Derek Walter & Caprice Crane: A charming tale based on a real animal who became a vegan icon, this story is about a micro pig who grew larger than expected and changed her humans’ lives.
• A Boy and a Jaguar by Alan Rabinowitz: The story of Alan, who wants to be a voice for the big cats at the zoo but struggles to do so due to a stutter.

These books help kids develop a caring outlook that values kindness, fairness, and respect for all living creatures. If you’re looking to teach your child compassion, these stories provide a way to introduce children to important ideas about how we treat others.