Who is this board book perfect for?

It's great for Plant Based Parents, Teachers with Vegan and Vegetarian Kids in Class and Kids who love animals. Since it's a Board Book (like all the books on here) it is perfect for babies from 0-4 years old.

How did this story come about?

When we decided to raise our one year old baby boy ( his name is Sai ) as a Vegetarian I knew I needed a way to start the conversation with him on our reasons for not eating meat.

My partner was a lifelong Vegetarian so for him it was for spiritual reasons, myself, having tried to go Vegan and a few failed attempts of maintaining the lifestyle, I decided it wasn't right for my body type. But we both agreed we would raise Sai with Rishi's beliefs. I wanted a way to speak to Sai about why Dada doesn't eat meat, and why it's okay that Mama does.

I bought every children’s book that had a Vegan focus and read each one, they were good but I found some of them to be too heavy and not always age appropriate. Sometimes the illustrations were too dark or the message was too preachy. I wanted a book that would help explain to other kids who do eat meat why baby Sai doesn’t. I want him to not feel like he is missing out by being a Vegetarian and actually see what a powerful impact his choice has on the world. I also love to rhyme and have always had a very vivid, whimsical imagination - this playful, rhyme came to me one night just before bed and I was inspired to write this book!

What do you love most about the book?

Well first of all, I love the message that Reggie has for kids—that it is cool to care. The illustrations are beautiful and colorful making it easy to follow along and you can tell the story just through the pictures. We have some hidden surprises in the book -like Veggie treats you can point out to baby while reading.

Why Rhyme?

Babies love the way books sound when they have rhythm and rhyme. According to Scholastic, by emphasizing rhyming poems and games with your infant or toddler, you're also helping his emerging literacy. It's great because the instinct to rhyme comes somewhat naturally to children. Becoming aware of rhyming sounds boosts brain activity and early literacy ability in children, which is why all of our featured Board Books have rhyme.

Why is this book important to have in a classroom?

There are more vegan kids and more plant based parents than ever and kids need to understand what that means and the why. I wanted to start the conversation NOW! Children begin absorbing words, ideas even before they can speak, so why not start planting the seed! (pun intended:)

What is your wish for this book?

I hope that every preschool and Kindergarten class will have a copy of this book, so whoever may be a little Veggie Bear in class will feel proud to be like Reggie the Veggie Bear and their classmates will understand the reason for their choice. Ultimately to practice kindness to all animals and help the World become a better place makes you a cool kid.