Currently on our planet there is a major awakening in the collective consciousness taking place. And it comes not a moment too soon, as at the same time our planet is undergoing serious changes due to our numerous destructive actions.
As a result of all this, more and more people are becoming very aware of the lifestyle choices they are making each day. However for many of us, what we eat and how we live can be a very sensitive topic, and one not open for discussion. As we can imagine, things get even more heated when those choices and topics deal with our children.
In her second book, released in 2012, Vegan Is Love: Having Heart and Taking Action, author Ruby Roth courageously and conscientiously shares the bare truth when it comes to how our everyday choices impact the lives of animals. In this illustrated book for children, Ruby presents the sobering facts around using animal products in our everyday life, and how to make more love and heart-centered choices.
Being someone who not only fully realizes the health and environmental benefits of a plant-based diet, but also as someone who strongly supports compassion for all life, I found Ruby’s book to be timely for a generation of kids who are ready to live a new way. However, I also fully realize that not all who come across Ruby’s book will feel the same, or are ready to examine their personal choices, and how those impact the lives of billions of animals today. In the following review, I will share with you more about this book, and its potential for our life, if we are only open enough to consider it.
About the Author
Vegan Is Love: Having Heart and Taking Action is written by Ruby Roth and newly released April 2012.
Ruby is an artist, designer, writer, speaker, vegan consultant and author, who lives in California. Her first book in the series is That’s Why We Don’t Eat Animals: A Book About Vegans, Vegetarians, and All Living Things, which was published in 2009. Her third book in the series is V is For Vegan - The ABCs of Being Kind was published in 2013.
Ruby has degrees in Art and American Studies, and has researched animal agriculture, health, nutrition, and the benefits of a plant-based diet for nearly a decade. She also offers presentations such as “The Transformative Power of Veganism” and “A New Generation: Teaching Kids to Love Deeply, Think Critically, and Act Responsibly.”
To learn more about Ruby and her work visit WeDontEatAnimals.com
Book Content & Personal Commentary
Being a children’s book, Vegan is Love is a very straightforward and to the point kind of book. It gets right to the heart of the matter, exploring the lifestyle choices that are commonly dependent on animals, and how we can make those be most reflective of love and compassion.
The book begins with a very empowering message of how everyone “big and small” has the power to change the world in a positive way.
It covers clothing choices, personal care choices (animal testing), entertainment choices (zoo, sea parks and aquariums, circuses, animal races, fishing, hunting, bull fights and rodeos), health choices, environmental choices (pollution from animal farms of forests, oceans, arctic and land, organic food), and social justice issues.
The book also ends with an empowering message, driving the message home again that it simply takes living with awareness as to what we choose daily, and how powerful those choices are to drive change for the better. It lovingly concludes that the choice of how to live and eat is always ours, and we just have to ask ourselves “what kind of a person do we want to be?”
The book is beautifully illustrated by Ruby herself, with bright, rich in detail and realistic images. When it comes to the images specifically, from my perspective there is nothing for parents to fear, or anything offensive that a child would be scared or scarred by. Ruby is simply illustrating everyday life, like an image of meat found in a typical deli, or an image of animals in cages. The images in this book are gentle and pale in comparison to the type and amount of violence the average child sees due to the television programming they are allowed to watch, animated movies, other children’s books, video games, family outings such as fishing and everyday life interactions depending on personal circumstances.
What else I really enjoyed about the book is the frank language in which it is written. It exposes the truth, without being too soft or too hard around the edges. In fact, the tone is suitable for anyone from 7 to 97 (and beyond). It shares the facts with honesty, in a way that can inspire us all to live from the heart. There is no guilt induced or berating. There is just stating the facts as they are, and giving options as to better choices that we can make to not hurt the animals, our planet and ourselves.
When it comes to the downside of this book, there is just one that I can think of. This being that many parents will simply not be open to sharing it with their kids, and examining as a family how to live with more conscious awareness and compassion for all life on this planet today. It is unfortunate, but I understand that each person is at their own level of personal and spiritual evolution. We say we love our kids and we want the best for them, yet even though plant-based diets are healthier for us and our kids, and the environment in which our kids will be growing up in, we don’t always connect the dots to see the full consequences of our actions.
To learn more about Ruby, her work and the valuable tips she provides for kids and parents, I invite you to watch the following video interviews I had the pleasure of doing with Ruby.
In Having Heart to Take Action, she shared about her personal journey, inspiration for writing her books and information to help people understand veganism as a way of life that is optimal from a health perspective for both adults and children. Ruby also spoke about the common reasons why parents, or individuals are not open to a vegan lifestyle and the role our modern society plays in this, how to overcome common obstacles and more.
In Family, School and Holiday Tips for Inclusivity of Vegan Children, Ruby shares about current trends toward the vegan lifestyle, and how to approach veganism with children. She provides numerous tips and practical advice for holidays, meals and gift giving ideas where vegan children are involved.
Conclusion
In the end, although I would recommend this book for all parents to explore with their children, I know that each person has to be ready for this topic to become part of their life. This is also why, as much as I would love to gift this book to friends and family with kids, I fully realize that doing so at the present time would be crossing a line of leaving most of them greatly offended and having the book go to waste.
It is too bad that this is how it is currently on our planet, but the bright and positive side that leaves me filled with hope is that more people are awakening each day to a more heart-centered way of life on all levels, with no discrimination amidst the animal species. More people are taking accountability for their choices, and realizing the consequences of their actions. And for many others, the change is being forced upon them whether due to health or environmental reasons.
This is a timely book that offers excellent solutions for everyday life, as well as reading and reflection material for those families who are ready to be the change they wish to see.
Check out more more great book choices to inspire and empower kids on a mind, body and spirit level.