Not A Nugget

by Stephanie Dreyer, Jack Veda (Illustrator)

Food or friend? Through fun animal facts and charming illustrations, "Not A Nugget" shows children a different way to view animals and their food. With a special foreword by Gene Baur, founder of Farm Sanctuary, this book is an educational resource for parents and teachers to introduce children to plant-based living.

Genres: Vegan, Childrens, Animals, Picture Books

38 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 10, 2015

Reviews

[Peacegal · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars -- NOT A NUGGET is a sweet and charming little book that veg*n families with young kids won't want to miss.

This upbeat little book shows a cute illustration of a particular farm animal, the line that the animal is not a nugget, a burger, a hot dog, etc., and then a fact about that animal's intelligence and abilities. It's all very positive, and doesn't contain the potentially overwhelming or upsetting info that is included in titles such as THAT'S WHY WE DON'T EAT ANIMALS. Therefore, it's ideal for younger or more sensitive kids in explaining veg*n values.

There's also a brief section in the back of "insteads," which suggest that instead of eating this animal-based food, we choose this plant-based food instead.

I do wish NOT A NUGGET was a sturdier book. The print edition is a skinny, flimsy paperback that is easy to overlook and won't survive long in a public library. I like books to be tough enough to stick around for awhile, especially if they fill a neglected niche and promote humane values in a positive way.

[Mymcbooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Review: The author has explained in her book that animals are our friends, not food. She goes on to show with the illustrations by Jack Veda showing how chickens like to play games, cows making best friends by walking together, that pigs are super smart by playing video games with a joystick, fish communicating like friends and have memories like humans and many more. She gave fun facts and listed the alternatives like instead of eating hot dog, eat a veggie wrap, instead of bacon, eat tempeh bacon, instead of sushi roll, eat cucumber and avocado roll.

I understand the vegetarian lifestyle that the author wants to convey to the parents and children, but I can not truly agree that animal are not food.



FTC Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from author in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was not monetarily compensated for my opinion in any way.

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book for vegan children, it tells us that animals are many things but not food. The beauty of this book is that it's not preachy; it simply offers interesting facts about animals that show that they are sentient beings who learn, feel and play just like human children do. Even if you're not vegan, this is a great book to encourage children to bond with other animals.

[Julianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

My little one really liked this book. It's interesting and informative without being intense, graphic, judgy, or scary.
It helps to realize the things we think of as uniquely human are actually pretty common in many creatures.

[Meagan Landa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great

My kids and I read this book all the time. We love it. To the point & entertaining. I'd buy more books from this author.

[Kathy Heare Watts · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed emotions about this book. I love the fun facts about the various animals, chickens, pigs, cows, horses, rabbits, etc., and the illustrations are very nice. I am not a fan of teaching children that we don't eat animals. I believe it is a personal choice on whether to be vegetarian or not, this story even goes into not eating eggs. I have friends who have chosen the lifestyle and did not persuade their children one way or another. Education is ok, just as long as one does not impose their principles on another. Disclosure: I won a copy of this book in a giveaway. All thoughts, opinions, and ratings are my own.

[Kathy Heare Watts · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed emotions about this book. I love the fun facts about the various animals, chickens, pigs, cows, horses, rabbits, etc., and the illustrations are very nice. I am not a fan of teaching children that we don't eat animals. I believe it is a personal choice on whether to be vegetarian or not, this story even goes into not eating eggs. I have friends who have chosen the lifestyle and did not persuade their children one way or another. Education is ok, just as long as one does not impose their principles on another. Disclosure: I won a copy of this book in a giveaway. All thoughts, opinions, and ratings are my own.

[D. Thrush · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good illustrations. I would’ve liked more fun facts about each animal and eating alternatives on the page about that animal as opposed to added at the end. I also think the language could’ve been simpler. I don’t think terms like “retain information” are easily understood by younger children. Being aware of where your “food” comes from is important and thinking of animals as living creatures with emotions and making them more relatable is a good message for children and teaches compassion which we need more of in the world.