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50 Awesome Ways Kids Can Help Animals
Fun and Easy Ways to be a Kind Kid

by Ingrid Newkirk



      50 Awesome Ways to Help Animals is the perfect book for parents to share with their children to promote an awareness of humane treatment of all animals. Written by the cofounder and president of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), Ingrid Newkirk, the book is filled with examples and information to help children learn how to help prevent or eliminate the needless suffering of animals.

50 Awesome Ways to Help Animals begins with a brief overview of how to care for a variety of pets to keep them happy and healthy. Expanding from there, the remaining chapters cover everything from not scaring the pigeons to why vegetarians/vegans don't eat meat or animal byproducts such as milk and eggs. Celebrity endorsements and essays by children are scattered throughout the book to emphasize the benefits of finding alternatives to many common practices to eliminate all forms of animal cruelty. Ranging from altering science projects to animal-free ones, to changing typical household products to ones that are free of animal testing, to learning about bugs instead of squishing them, this book shows the reader how easy it is practice what the author is preaching. Dotted with jokes, fun quizzes and excellent resources, 50 Awesome Ways to Help Animals is a complete program for teaching and/or learning about the many ways to prevent animal cruelty in our world.

Ingrid Newkirk is never heavy-handed with her message to children. Rather, she encourages them to talk with their parents and make gradual changes in their lifestyles. Some of the descriptions in the book, however, might be disturbing to younger children (i.e. how farm animal babies are taken away from their mothers and are never allowed "to play, stretch or feel the sunlight.") In addition, children who explore the PETA website (listed as a reference) on their own might find the videos horrifyingly graphic. Parents might want to read through the book and share what they feel is appropriate for their children. 50 Awesome Ways to Help Animals delivers its message well. While it may not change the your eating habits, once you've read it, you may never look at your dinner the same way again.

The Book

Warner Books
November 2006
Paperback
0446698288
Non-fiction, Age Group tween/teen
More at Amazon.com
Excerpt
NOTE: written by cofounder of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals)

The Reviewer

Marcia Berneger
Reviewed 2007
NOTE:
© 2006 MyShelf.com