For two consecutive months the most popular story at Violet’s Vegan Comics is: The King’s Three Sons!
Closely followed by Reflecto Girl: Incidental
And Where are you going Deidra? – In rhyme. š
Have you read them yet?
What will you read next? There are tonnes of vegan children’s stories, with lovely vegan characters, to choose from on our stories and comics page. Read them for free, any time you like. š
Animal Resistance in the Global Capitalist Era is an academic text book filled with examples of animal resistance. These individuals’ stories will profoundly touch the reader’s heart and prove that the billions of people* kept by mainstream society as slaves, and murdered when they are no longer useful, are as desperate to escape their bonds as any of us would be in their situation.
* I define the word people as anyone with an individual personality.
This is a fantastic book, though hard to read at times. It is an invaluable resource for writing letters which demand change to the government bodies and animal welfare establishment who remain stubbornly, and criminally, resistant to it.
The stories shared in this book of individuals who escaped their cages and, in some cases, went back later and risked their lives to release others, are stories that will be with me forever. I see them in the eyes of the adolescent calves in the field, torn from their mothers and looking for comfort. I see them in the eyes of the sheep, steadfastly guarding her lamb, insisting that I do not approach. And every time I see a film with Clint Eastwood in, I remember Buddha, the orangutan.
“When the orangutan, who had once co-starred with Clint Eastwood, stopped working on
a Hollywood set in 1980, he was repeatedly clubbed by his trainer. The crew witnessed Buddha
being beaten with a hard cane, yet he was still forced onto the set and expected to perform. One
day, when Buddha helped himself to some doughnuts on set, his trainer beat him to death with
an axe handle. These last moments were in his cage. The film left Buddha out of the credits.
Buddha deserved better than these atrocities during his life and his final moments.”
Animal Resistance in the Global Capitalist Era by Sarat Colling, page 68
*
This book demonstrates why most humans are so blind to the institutionalised exploitation and extreme cruelty to other animals. Animal exploitation industries not only hide their violence, but also somehow manage to cash in on their hypnotised customers’ affection for the ones who get away.
“When a pigās escape from a slaughterhouse made headlines in the city of Red Deer, Alberta, his infamy was not only used to promote tourism, but also to symbolize the āimportanceā of animal agriculture in the city. In the summer of 1990, at the time known only by his captors as āKH27,ā Francis made his exit from the C/A Meats slaughterhouse. As Francis was being forced towards the kill floor, he turned and fled. He jumped a fence nearly four feet high, snuck through the processing area, and pushed through the back door. He then took off running towards the parklands of Red Deer River Valley.
“For several months, Francis lived alone in the forest, sheltering in dens and foraging for grass. He was also known to emerge from the forest to rummage through neighborhood garbage cans. As a descendant of the European wild boar, he had the ability to thrive in the wild. Once free, his resourceful nature shone through. Like his ancestors, who could live in harmony with nature for twenty years, Francis possessed the ability to reason, sense danger, understand his environment, adapt to change, and travel long distances when necessary. When the media caught on to his escape in late October, after he was regularly sighted in park areas and bike trails, Francis became a household name.
“Citing concern about Francisās ability to survive the cold weather, the slaughterhouse sent a hunter to track him. Yet, Francis was cunning; he eluded capture by never returning to the den that the farmer had discovered. One time the man came close, but Francis took off again, despite having been hit with a tranquilizer dart. On November 29, the hunter located Francis again and shot him with three tranquilizer darts. Unfortunately, one of them injured his bowel. Francis died two days later. C/A Meats, which slaughters countless pigs, had likely been more concerned about liability due to potential injury to humans (or property) than Francisās ability to survive in the cold.
“After his death, Francis was memorialized as one of the seven bronze statues in the Red Deer Downtown Business Associationās Ghosts project, which pays homage to individuals, actions, and events that have shaped Red Deer. The sad irony of this story is that, after his death, the city used Francisās bid for freedom to promote tourism and animal agribusiness. Relying on cognitive dissonance, the Downtown Business Association stated in the write-up about the statue: ‘Francis reminds us that hog production and processing are important parts of the Red Deer economy.’ Thus, the statue was a Potemkin gesture: it performed a deceptive function as propaganda that capitalized on the citizensā love for animals and the escaped pig, while trying to profit from Francisās notoriety. Neglecting the suffering of pigs killed for their flesh, the industry that caused and profited from Francisās misery appropriated his struggle.”
Animal Resistance in the Global Capitalist Era, by Sarat Colling, page 95-97
***
This book is not cheap. Sadly at the moment it’s only available in hardback at Ā£47.24, although there is a Kindle version available for Ā£26.53, but I strongly recommend you ask your local library to buy a copy. Everybody should read this book. Everybody needs to understand the individuals whose stories are shared here so that, in the future, they will understand the billions of animals who were born to fill their plates, and know how abhorrent it is that this horrific trade is allowed to continue in our global capitalist system.
Will you continue to congratulate the emperor on his magnificent garments, or will you join us and tell him he’s naked?
Thank you Sarat. I love your book.
We have a tie! The winners are Reflecto Girl #7 Incidental and The King’s Three Sons.
Have you read them yet? What will you read next? There’s tonnes of stories with lovely vegan characters to choose from on our stories and comics page. Read them for free, any time you like. š
Shepherd is an innovative site to explore if you’re looking for something to read. It’s a new approach which uses authors to recommend their favourite books, thus creating a vast library of recommendations. Whatever you’re interested in, fiction or non-fiction, just type the topic into their search and it will suggest some lists that might interest you. For example, if you search for veganism, it suggests –
So you never know what you’re going to find š Each one of the Best Books lists has been written by an author who will recommend their own book and five others by different authors which fit under that heading.
But that’s not all. The search for veganism also triggers suggestions of other bookshelves:
The best books about …
Veganism
Japan
Minimalism
Pizza
The Amazon Rainforest
On the other hand, you might search for an author or a specific book. If you search for The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder, the results give you five different Best Books lists which include it, and suggests bookshelves about The American Frontier, Europe, Jewish History, The Roman Empire, and Preschool. I know why The American Frontier came up, and Preschool, but I wonder why those other subjects did š
It can be so hard to find something you want to read because you don’t always know what you’re looking for. Shepherd gets it! Their unique library system gives you access to a diverse range of recommendations that you might not otherwise have discovered.
I was thrilled to be asked to write a Shepherd page and mine is called The best books for children which are also loved by adults. Check it out – see what I recommended! š And share it as well, if you don’t mind š
We give a box of our books to one lucky school every month. If youād like to suggest a school, please fill in the form on our free books for schools page š
Thank you ā¤
More chapters out loud coming soon! š
All the Luke Walker: animal stick up for-er stories are available in paperback and free to read here !
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vegan storybook, vegan books for children, short stories, books on tape, audiobooks, childrenās books, animal rights,
Shop now to get 15% off on all purchases from the Violet’s Vegan Comics bookshop!
Use code TREAT15 at the checkout.
Hurry! š
Offer ends Friday 23 October at 23:59 UTC
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vegan, vegan books, vegan children’s books, vegan books for children, vegan storybooks, books, discount books, special offer,
Come back tomorrow for chapter four! ā¤
All theĀ Luke Walker: animal stick up for-erĀ stories are available in paperback and free to readĀ here š
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vegan storybook, vegan books for children, short stories, books on tape, audiobooks, childrenās books,
And the story continues …
Come back tomorrow for chapter 3! ā¤
All the Luke Walker: animal stick up for-er stories are available in paperback and free to read here š
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vegan storybook, vegan books for children, short stories, books on tape, audiobooks, childrenās books,
Let me tell you a story ….
Come back tomorrow for chapter two! ā¤
All the Luke Walker: animal stick up for-er stories are available in paperback and free to read here š
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vegan storybook, vegan books for children, short stories, books on tape, audiobooks, children’s books,
I’m sure I must have told you that The Two Little Pigs is available in paperback but what’s new is that you can now get it in hardback!
This would make a beautiful vegan birthday present for a little one who likes stories about animals š
And with that we wish you many happy storytimes ā¤
The Two Little Pigs
is available in hardback for Ā£12.50,
*
in paperback for Ā£3.50,
*
and can be read for free right here š
Have a great day! š
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Prices correct at time of writing.
vegan, vegan storybook, vegan books, vegan children, vegan children’s books, juvenile fiction, vegan fiction, vegan rhyming story, books, stories, vegan children’s stories, animals, animal rights,
The Be The Future market is back!
Full of stalls selling exclusively vegan products – eg toiletries, make up, clothes, chocolates, food and drink, and of course VEGAN CHILDREN’S BOOKS!
The prices of our books range from Ā£2.50 to Ā£10
but they’re free to book fairies! š
So come on, spend Sunday with lots of other lovely vegans!
Head over to Stoke Newington and treat yourself!
Abney Public Hall, 73A Church Street, Stoke Newington, LONDON, N16 0AS
Sunday 16th August 2020
10 ’til 5
Click here for more info and how to get there
and go to @bethefuture_market on Instagram to see who’s going to be there š
See you soon! ā¤
Here is a wonderful educational colouring book:Ā Colour By Nutrients.
ItĀ is at once a resource for artistic indulgence and an educational tool.Ā Divided into chapters of different vitamins and minerals, the book illustrates which foods contain significant amounts of each.Ā The authors are happy for teachers and parents to photocopy the colouring pages for use in the classroom.Ā All in all a delightful way to learn about nutrition.
This 120-page book is approximately 19 x 25 cm.
You can buy it here, it’s not expensive š
Or if you’d rather get the e-version and copy or print the pages yourself, it’s free to download here:Ā Colour By Nutrients pdfĀ
We think that learning about good nutrition to build a strong immune system is more important than ever, so we’re thrilled to be able to do this.
Stay well.Ā Stay clean.Ā Stay compassionate ā¤
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vegan, plant-based, vegan children, nutrition, school, home-education,
Reflecto Girl #7 is now available in paperback!
And not only does it have a great story,
there’s the added bonus of a yummy cake recipe at the end š
Get yours now while stocks last! š
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vegan comics, vegan storybooks, vegan children’s books, animal rights comic,
Our butch friend, Kurt, is eager to share the new Maddicts paperback with you š
This portable little A5 book is available from our Lulu shop and, for a limited time only, you can get 40% off!
It can be yours for just Ā£3!!!!
Ok, gotta run – I know a few library shelves that are screaming out for these babies! šĀ Thanks Kurt, you were great š
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psĀ When you go to our Lulu shop, if the prices are not displayed in your country’s currency, just click on the Cart at the top right of the screen and then you can click the flag and select which country you’re shopping from š
Maddicts is a vegan graphic novel, suitable for readers aged 12 and up, also available to read here.
vegan, vegetarian, animals, animal rights, satire, horror, thriller, vegan books, vegan children’s books, vegan story books, books, vegan comics,
Listen to The Two Little Pigs š
Want more stories?Ā Check out the Story Time page š
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vegan, vegan story, vegan story books, vegan children’s story, read aloud, audio books, books, children’s books, animals, pigs,
Tomorrow, 23rd November,
10 ’til 4
Come to the seaside to buy some vegan story books and/or lots of other books!Ā There’s going to be something for everyone so they say!
What fun! š
The Brighton and Hove Book Fayre returns on November 23rd to the Brighton Unitarian Church, New Road. Come and meet local authors and browse the huge selection of books on offer, from children’s books to self-help, crime to horror, cookery to romance.
Brighton Unitarian Church is situated at the north end of New Road, close to the Brighton Dome, Royal Pavilion and the Theatre Royal.Ā Exit the library and walk straight ahead until you reach Church Street.Ā Cross it and you will be in New Road which is a restricted access zone and a pedestrianised area.
There is a multi-storey car park nearby in Church Street, although the Churchill Square shoppers’ car park is often more cost effective during the day – the entrance is in Regency Road.
Maybe we’ll see you there?
If you enjoyed The Two Little Pigs you might like it in paperback š
It’s very cute š
If you do, you can buy it our little Lulu shop š
(if the link takes you to a shop with foreign currency, just click on ‘cart’ and then on the flag and you can choose what country you’re shopping from)
Have a lovely weekend š
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vegan, vegan children’s book, vegan children’s story, rhyming story, books, children’s books
The story continues from yesterday š
Story continues tomorrow š
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The two little pigs met a heron,
A wise and dignified bird,
āHelp us please, to find our way home,ā
And she listened to every word.
***
āThatās not what Iād do,ā said the heron,
āIf I had a dilemma like yours.
If I were you Iād get off by myself,
Donāt get stuck behind closed doors.ā
***
The butcher was near so the pigs ran on
While the heron tried to distract him.
He paused for breath, returning her gaze
And she prayed he would never catch them.
Here is another bright and fun rhyming story for little children from Dragana Vucic Dekic (author of The Not-So Crazy Cow).
It’s about a lion who, unable to hunt due to an injured paw, is forced to sit still and watch the world go by.Ā In doing so he notices that the other animals around him, those he used to call prey, fuel their bodies with plants.
The more he watches his neighbours, the more he admires them.
So much so that he decides to follow their example and adopt a plant-based diet himself š
An Unordinary LionĀ is a very enjoyable happy story, beautifully illustrated by Szucher Agnes.
Of course the writer doesn’t believe that a lion could just choose to go vegan, but by using the lion as the central character in this story she makes the subliminal point that, unlike natural carnivores, we can choose.
I woke up this morning with this story in my head and it struck me – the reason we find it so hard to convince the human population to go vegan, despite the fact that doing so would solve so many world crises, is because those in charge, those in control of education and mainstream media, consider the idea unthinkable.
In 2006 Al Gore, former American Vice President, made the film An Inconvenient Truth about the human impact on climate change.Ā In the same year the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation published the results of an investigation which concluded that animal agriculture produced more greenhouse gases than all transport put together.
The preface to the UN FAO report begins:
“The in-depth assessment presented in this document of the various significant impacts of the world’s livestock sector on the environment is deliberately termed Livestock’s Long Shadow so as to help raise the attention of both the technical and the general public to the very substantial contribution of animal agriculture to climate change and air pollution, to land, soil and water degradation and to the reduction of biodiversity.Ā This is not done simply to blame the rapidly growing and intensifying global livestock sector for severely damaging the environment but to encourage decisive measures at the technical and political levels for mitigating such damage.”
Of course there have been no decisive measures taken at the political level.Ā No one wants to touch it.Ā An Inconvenient Truth doesn’t mention animal farming or suggest transitioning to a plant based diet, but perhaps that’s because Al Gore didn’t know then.Ā Perhaps he hadn’t read the UN report yet.Ā People were hopeful, therefore, that the issue would be front and centre in his 2017 sequelĀ An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth To Power. Ā Tragically it isn’t.
Rachel Krantz, lead writer for Mercy for Animals, criticised Gore for not highlighting the easiest and most effective thing people could do to save the planet:
“The link between our diet and the environment is both direct and strong.Ā To give you an idea, if every American committed to just one meat-free day a week, the impact would be equivalent to switching all our gas-powered cars to hybrids. … Important facts about the link between animal agriculture and the environment are left out of the documentary.Ā Perhaps the filmmakers thought that mainstream viewers couldnāt handle the truth,”
According to a discussion between plant-based advocates which I saw on television some years ago, that’s exactly right.Ā One of them met Al Gore, who himself went vegan for environmental reasons, and he asked him why he hadn’t drawn attention to animal agriculture’s devastating effects on the environment in the film.Ā He was told – because people wouldn’t be able to handle it.
So that’s it?Ā The planet must die because people cannot conceive of a bacon-buttie-less world?
Come on Al Gore, make a new film – a completely honest one.Ā You couldĀ call itĀ An Unthinkable Truth.
I understand that lions, except the Unordinary Lion, can’t live without meat.Ā But humans?Ā Come ohn!Ā Many of us have already proved that we can.Ā And if the rest of us don’t do it, that’ll be the end of that.
Let the Unordinary Lion be your inspiration.Ā Eat plants to save the world š
Here is a gorgeous children’s book by Sarat Colling, with beautiful illustrations by Vicky Bowes and published by Vegan Publishers
Chickpea is a darling baby on a dairy farm who has been taken away from her mother and kept confined in a barn with others like her until it’s time for a frightening journey to somewhere bad.Ā Inspired by numerous real-life tales of cows fleeing captivity, Sarat’s story describes Chickpea’s split second decision to leap the fence and run for her life.
This heart rending story ends happily when Chickpea finds new friends and embarks on a new free and natural life.Ā A touching tale which shines a light on the harsh reality of animal farming without being too graphic, and inspires compassion for all animals.
This copy is available to borrow at Oh My Goodness vegan cafe library, Eastbourne š
Available in hardback (40 pages) and as an eBook
Price: $17.99 hardback, $7.49 eBook
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1940184487
ISBN-13: 978-1940184487
Available from Vegan Publishers and all good booksellers.
Here is an adorable book for little ones:Ā The Not-So Crazy CowĀ by Dragana Vucic Dekic.
The Not-So Crazy CowĀ is a humorous, rhyming story about a cow who believes that the grass is greener somewhere else. Despite having royal treatment in her homeland of India, she longs to discover the big world. One day, she packs her bags, puts on her best hat, and sails from India to Europe. One wise stork tries to warn her of the upcoming challenges, but the cow follows her adventurous spirit to discover this for herself. Her journey is full of unexpected situations and very soon, the cow starts missing her homeland. This amusing book also presents an important question: who is crazy here? The cow or the world who treats her as if her life doesnāt matter?
This bright and colourful, energetic tale, told entirely in rhyme and filled with beautifully quirky illustrations by Szucher Agnes, is an absolute delight.
A gem for tiny tots who will love the funny, happy pictures and pick up the subliminal message that cows deserve to be valued and esteemed the whole world over.Ā Donāt worry, the not-so crazy cow returns home safely at the endĀ š
I think this book would make an ideal gift for little non-vegans because the storyās not overtly vegan but it sows a precious seed that might inspire them to question the choices of their non-vegan caregivers in the future.
You can find out more about the author and her humorous picture books that bring across a positive message by encouraging empathy between all living beings, by going to her website:Ā momthemuse.com
Author:Ā Dragana Vucic Dekic
Illustrator:Ā Szucher Agnes
Genre:Ā picture book/stories in rhyme
Recommended for pre-schoolers
Published July 2019
Format:Ā Ā Paperback (43 pages)Ā andĀ Kindle Edition (20 pages)
ASIN:Ā B07VD6YGN5 (Kindle)
ISBN-10: 1077863551
ISBN-13: 978-1077863552
Paperback Dimensions: 21.6 x 0.3 x 21.6 cm
Paperback Price:Ā Ā£8.22
Available from AmazonĀ š
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vegan, vegan book, vegan childrenās book, vegan picture book, vegan rhyming story, vegan children, animals, animal rights, cows, humour, illustration, books
If you want to read this chapter from the beginning, click here š
Story continues from yesterday:
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āWhat are you doing?ā said an angry man.
āWhat areĀ youĀ doing?ā returned Luke.
āDid you move my horse?ā
āSheās your horse?ā asked Luke, āyou should look after her better! She donāt like it by the road!ā
The man slammed his car door and climbed over the fence. āI know she doesnāt like it,ā he said angrily, āthatās why I tied her there, so she can get used to it!ā
āWhy does she have to get used to it?ā asked Luke, equally angry.
āIām training her to pull a buggy,ā said the man, āand if sheās easily spooked by traffic she could get us both killed!ā
āYou shunāt make her pull the buggy then!ā said Luke, stating the obvious, āyou shunāt make āer do anything she donāt wanna do!ā
The man was livid. āShouldnāt you be in school? What have you done with her bridle?ā
āDonāt you tie her up again, thatās illegal!ā said Luke, desperately, āanā I should know, coz me mum and dad are police!ā
āWhat?ā
āYeah, anā they just arrested someone last week for leavinā his horse tied up by the road!ā
āWhat? Thatās ridiculous!ā
āOh, is it?ā said Luke with increasing confidence, āIād have to disagree with you on that coz it happened. They arrested him on charges of ā¦.. bad animal welfare.ā
āThe Animal Welfare Act?ā
āYes!ā said Luke, thankful for the help. āThe Animal Welfare Act makes it illegal to tie horses by the road because they donāt like it and itās cruel!ā
āI would never ā¦!ā the man was offended. āI have always taken exemplary care of my horses,ā said the man, a little quieter, āIāve done this training many times and none of them have ever been hurt.ā
āWell, I wunāt do it again if I were you,ā said Luke, ācoz theyāre crackinā down.ā
The man was uncertain whether to believe him but the boy seemed confident of his information. He decided to test him. āWhat police force do your parents work for?ā
āBelton,ā said Luke without hesitation.
āWhat are their badge numbers?ā
āMy mumās is 2357, and my dadās is 111317.ā Mrs Cassidy was right, it is important to remember the prime numbers.
āIāll check,ā threatened the man.
āDāyou wanna borra a pencil?ā asked Luke.
The man shook his head and commenced retrieval of the bridle. āStupid law!ā he grumbled, āhow am I supposed to train her now?ā
āWell, I mean, whoād look after āer if you got arrested?ā
The man didnāt answer, he just put her bridle back on.
āHas she got any friends?ā Luke asked, sad that she wouldnāt be able to go to the horse sanctuary.
āIāve got two other horses,ā said the man, which was something of a relief.
āBye Cocoa,ā said Luke as the man led her into his trailer.
Luke watched wistfully as his new friend departed before his mind was brought sharply back into focus by the sight of his school bag on the ground. He looked at his watch. It was 9.25. The bell had gone almost an hour ago and his plight seemed hopeless. School was still half an hour away. Hopefully that was enough time for him to think of something.
He walked briskly, coming up with ideas and then dismissing them almost immediately. When he was just ten minutes away he was annoyed by a plastic carrier bag in the hedge.
āFlaminā litter bugs!ā he said with disgust, āI am sick anā tired of clearinā up other peopleās mess!ā He yanked the bag angrily from its roost and stuffed it into his pocket. Then he had an idea. A good one. He smiled. No need to worry. He wouldnāt have to stay after school today.
Twenty five minutes later Luke entered the school gates and made his way directly to the Deputy Headās office. The Deputy Head, Mr Paxton, had been a teacher at Graywood Comp for over thirty years. Heād been there when Mum was there. She remembered him. According to her he was just as horrible in her day. He was one of those teachers who sorely missed corporal punishment. Inflicting it, not receiving it. He told them that every time someone talked in Assembly. Another important thing to note about Mr Paxton was his bad memory. He was always forgetting things ā even things that had only just happened half an hour earlier ā and he was very embarrassed about it. He seemed to think it would show weakness if he admitted his lapses so he never did. He always pretended to remember, even when it was obvious he didnāt. Luke knocked on his door.
āCome in!ā
Luke entered with a carrier bag full of litter. āIāve done it sir,ā he said.
āDone what?ā Mr Paxton scowled.
āPicked up the litter.ā
Mr Paxton had no idea what Luke was talking about but, assuming he must have forgotten, he faked understanding. āAhh, good!ā he said gruffly, āand I hope youāve learned your lesson!ā
āYes sir,ā said Luke.
āAlright, go on with you, get to class!ā
āBut sir, ā¦.ā said Luke with feigned timidity.
āWhat? What now?ā
āWell, you said youād write me a note for Mr Flanagan. To explain why I was late.ā
āAhh, yes, quite right, I did,ā said Paxton, almost remembering it himself. āQuite right,ā he said again as he began to scrawl a brief explanation for Lukeās form tutor. āAnd your name? Come on come on, a thousand kids in this school and they expect me to remember all their names!ā
āLuke Walker.ā
āYes, of course,ā he said, finishing the note. āHere you go ā now get to class!ā
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For more Luke Walker chapters click here š
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vegan, vegetarian, veggie kids, vegan children, animals, horse, vegan childrenās story, vegan childrenās book, humour,
For all the Luke Walker chapters clickĀ hereĀ š
Chapter 18 continues from last week:
He stepped off the bus and looked up just in time to see Joe peering down at him from the top deck asking inaudibly what was going on. When the bus pulled away Luke felt like going home to bed. Why not? he thought. After all, heād made every effort to catch the bus; it wasnāt his fault the driver was unreasonable. If he went to school now heād be in trouble for being late whereas if he called in sick he could avoid that and have a day in bed. It was very tempting. However, today was woodwork and he didnāt want to miss that. It was the final day for working on his toolbox. Next week theyād got to start making picture frames. His toolbox was brilliant. He already had a padlock for it. It would fit his walkie talkies, the wire cutters heād bought with his Christmas gift voucher and Jaredās Swiss Army knife for which he was currently in negotiations. With obvious effort, Luke hitched up his heavy rucksack and set off at a brisk pace. It was quarter past eight. If someone gave him a lift, he might still make it before the bell.
As he walked past the village shops, the pub, the cemetery and the allotments, he noticed that there was an unusual amount of traffic coming through the village, but his hoped-for offer of a lift didnāt materialise. Normally, since the dual carriageway had been built, the only vehicles entering the village belonged to residents or delivery vans. It was quicker now for drivers to bypass Gingham if they were headed anywhere else. But as Luke approached the northern edge of the village it was clear that today, for some reason, the main road was closed. Not only cars but vans, lorries, even ambulances, were taking the slower route, too fast, through the village. It was noisy and smelly. Luke kept walking.
When he crossed the boundary into the adjacent town he saw, across the road, a horse, tethered on the grass verge. She recoiled every time a vehicle rushed past her and if it was something big like a lorry she tugged and pulled at her reins, trying desperately to get away. She was tied to a wooden fence on the other side of the grass verge. She had no room to retreat from the traffic and was in considerable distress. Luke, no longer caring how late he was, crossed the road towards her at the first opportunity.
āEasy girl, easy,ā he spoke soothingly in an effort to calm her and carefully took hold of the reins under her chin. Thanks to a brief lull in traffic she calmed and watched Luke as he smilingly whispered these same words to her over and over. He rested the heel of his left hand between her nostrils and softly stroked her beautiful nose. The next few passing cars were considerate, giving the horse a wide berth and driving slowly. Now that she was more relaxed, Luke took the opportunity to drop his bag to the floor and rummage in it for his apple. When he turned to look back up at her he was startled by a huge lorry that came out of nowhere. The horse panicked again, pulling her head up and back, trying desperately to free herself. Luke knew he had to get her away from the road. On the other side of the fence was a meadow. No crops, no animals. She would be much happier in there. Luke unbolted the gate and pushed it wide open. Then he stood with the mare, stroking her and talking to her to keep her calm while he waited for the traffic to die down again. Once he was sure she was calm, he untied her from the fence and encouraged her to come with him. Happy to move away from the road she followed him into the field.
āThis is better isnāt it?ā he smiled, āyouāre safe from the traffic in here. The grass is short but thereās plenty of it. Oh, and thereās this,ā he offered her his apple and she took it eagerly.
As the traffic built up again Luke was relieved to see that she remained relaxed. When sheād finished the apple, she bent her head to the grass at her feet and grazed comfortably. In this position her reigns dragged on the floor so Luke was worried she might trip on them. Best to take them off, he thought. He gently unfastened all the straps and lifted the bridle over her ears. She dropped the bit from her mouth and was free. Luke disposed of the tack over the fence, out of harmās way. Now she looked happy and so was he.
He wondered how someone could just abandon her on the side of the road.
āI should think of a name for you,ā said Luke, āerm, how about Cocoa? Yeah, that suits you.ā He realised he was going to have to come up with a very persuasive argument to get his parents to let him keep her. Then again, maybe that wasnāt the best idea because sheād be lonely without another horse to keep her company. A better idea would be to ask the horse sanctuary to take her. The one that Isabel had told him about. Yes. Then she would have friends.
Just as Luke was deciding that he couldnāt possibly go to school now, a car pulled up at the gate.
āWhat are you doing?ā said an angry man.
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Story concludes tomorrow but if you don’t want to wait you can read it here now š
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vegan, vegetarian, veggie kids, vegan children, animals, horse, vegan childrenās story, vegan childrenās book, humour,
For all the Luke Walker chapters clickĀ hereĀ š
Chapter 18:Ā Late
āKatie Treacle.ā
āYes.ā
āMichael Vickers.ā
āYes.ā
āJustine Waits.ā
āHere.ā
āLuke Walker.ā Mr Flanagan looked up from the register. āLuke Walker,ā he said again.
Luke still hadnāt gotten used to catching the bus to school. He didnāt like rushing but he also didnāt like getting up early, and one or the other was now necessary. Graywood Comprehensive began its day at an uncivilised 8.30 am. What was even worse was that everyone was supposed to be on the premises ten minutes before that. The school bus, therefore, arrived at Gingham village square at 8 am every weekday morning and thirty two eager minds were supposed to meet it there. It was rare that all of them did. Luke, for one, would have preferred to make the two and a half mile journey by bike, but Mum said no because the roads were dangerous at that time of day. Then he thought he might walk, but when Dad told him heād have to leave home at quarter past seven he was forced to reconsider and accept his fate on the noisy, smelly, crowded bus. The biggest problem with buses was that they amplified lateness. Luke had always had trouble getting out of bed but heād found that if he hurried his breakfast, didnāt have a wash, and cut through the vicarās garden instead of going the long way round, he was rarely late for school. That wasnāt possible any more. If he was just one minute late for the bus, he would be an hour late for school.
On Monday his form tutor, Mr Flanagan, told him that, from now on, every time he was late he would be forced to stay late at the end of the day. This motivated him more than anything else had to make sure he was on time. Luke had things to do after school, he couldnāt afford to get stuck there. So, for the first time ever, he decided to use the alarm clock Auntie Jane bought him for his last birthday. He set it for 5.30am.
It was cold and dark on Tuesday morning when Luke was rudely provoked into consciousness. He reached for the alarm but couldnāt find the off button so he pulled it under the covers and held it tight in an attempt to mute the noise. After a few very long seconds of fumbling he found the off switch and relaxed again. He closed his eyes and started to drift back to sleep. Luckily Dudley, who had also heard the alarm, started scratching at his bedroom door. Luke opened his eyes again and forced himself to sit up. He was determined not to stay late at school today. He had plans to watchĀ UnacknowledgedĀ with Joe on Janetās computer while Janet was at Judo. Janet only went to Judo on Tuesdays and by next Tuesday Joeās free trial of Netflix would have expired. It had to be today. Luke had to be on time.
He dragged himself out of bed feeling very hard done by. It was true that he often missed the bus but he was rarely late for school. There was usually some friend of Mumās, or some mum of a friend, who took pity on him and offered him a lift as he hurried on foot lugging his heavy book bag. So on average he wasnāt late to school more than twice a week.
By the time the rest of the family came down to breakfast, he was rinsing his cereal bowl in the sink.
āMy goodness,ā said Dad, looking out the kitchen window.
āWhat?ā asked Luke, āwhat are you lookinā at?ā
āThe flying pigs,ā said Dad.
āOh ha ha,ā said Luke sarcastically, āyouāre so funny!ā
āGroan,ā said Jared, āthatās such a dad joke.ā
Mum walked in and headed straight for the pantry. āWho wants toast?ā
āMe!ā
āSorry Jared, what was that?ā
āMe please.ā
āOh, and me, thanks love,ā said Dad.
āOkay. Luke? Toast?ā
āNo thanks,ā he said, turning to leave the kitchen, āIāve finished my breakfast.ā
āWell,ā said Mum, pausing absorb the moment, āI never thought Iād see the day! My youngest son, all dressed and breakfasted before seven. Whatās the special occasion?ā
āNothing,ā said Luke, ājust wanted to walk to school.ā
Mum nodded slowly. āOr, ā¦ you could walk Dudley before school for me and then catch the bus as usual. Iāve got a lot on today,ā she appealed with a smile, putting her hands together as if in prayer.
Luke tilted his head back and looked blankly at the ceiling. āAlright,ā he said begrudgingly, āIāll catch the bus, as usual!ā
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Story continues tomorrow but if you don’t want to wait you can read it here now š
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Luke Walker: animal stick up for-er,Ā chapter 17, continues from yesterday:
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Inside the busy department store Luke and Joe headed to the food hall at the back. It was like a supermarket only posh. High on the walls were colourful photographs of grazing animals alongside stylish pictures of meat and fish dishes with captions like āCommitted to Animal Welfareā and āRSPCA Freedom Foodsā.
Luke turned to Joe.Ā āThe leaflets said this shop is sellinā ducks from factory farms so stick these on anythinā with ducks in,ā he said, handing Joe half the stickers. Then he reconsidered and took them back. āNo, itās busy so weād better stick together. You pretend to be shoppinā ā get a basket ā anā Iāll put the stickers on.ā
Joe fetched a basket and the two outlaws headed for the chilled section. They walked along the large glass-fronted cabinets and whenever they saw anything labelled āduckā Joe reached up and pretended to be rummaging, picking things up, looking at them, putting them back, choosing something else. All the while Luke, screened from onlookers by his friendās authentic movements, commenced putting stickers on plastic-wrapped trays of duck spring rolls, duck breasts with plum sauce, and duck legs with Hoisin sauce. Then they moved on to the freezer section and Luke stickered a pile of whole ducklings with giblets while Joe casually kept watch. After that they progressed to the tinned meat aisle but there was a man restocking the shelves. Luke whispered something to Joe who shook his head.
Luke frowned. āIf you wonāt do it, Iāll have to do it and youāll have to do the stickers on your own!ā he whispered.
Joe accepted the commission, preferring that to the alternative, so Luke approached the shelf-filler.Ā āāScuse me,ā he said politely, āIāve lost me mum, can you put an announcement out for her?ā
āSure,ā said the man, helpfully, ācome with me.ā
As soon as Luke and the man were out of sight Joe, as fast as he could, began stickering stacks of tinned duck cassoulet, duck confit and duck liver pĆ£tĆØ. He had to keep pausing, trying to look casual, every time someone entered the aisle, but as soon as they left he resumed. Sometimes the stickers were frustratingly difficult to peel off their backing paper but he took deep breaths to calm himself and persevered. When he heard the announcement for Mrs Kathryn Janeway to meet her son at the customer service desk he knew his time was up. With only one sticker left, he made his escape before the shelf-filler returned. The two boys rendezvoused in the toy department and left the shop unhindered, but not before Luke affixed their last remaining sticker to a yellow toy duck.
****
āWhatās your name?ā asked Isabel.
āAndy,ā said the suited man, āwhatās yours?ā
āIsabel. Why do you dress like that?ā
āIn a suit you mean?ā
āYeah.ā
āTo look respectable.ā
āLike an estate agent?ā
Kris laughed.
āWell, that wasnāt exactly what I was going for,ā said Andy.
āOh, sorry,ā Isabel apologised. āLike a bank manager then? Or a teacher?ā
Kris laughed again.
Andy sighed. āNot like anything in particular,ā he said, ājust a regular upstanding citizen as opposed to a scary, pierced, tattooed, hippy dippy punk, like someone I could mention.ā
āHeyyy!ā Kris was mock-offended.
āI think she looks nice,ā said Isabel.
āYeah, sheās cool,ā Tania agreed.
āThanks guys,ā Kris smiled.
āYes yes yes, sheās very cool,ā said Andy, ābut she looks like a weirdo. If we want to persuade ordinary, mainstream people to take us seriously they have to be able to relate to us. We have to look ordinary. Approachable, respectable, non-threatening.ā
At that moment a policeman arrived.
āAfternoon folks, have you got a permit for this stall?ā
āDonāt need one officer, weāre not collecting money,ā Andy replied.
āHow long have you been standing here?ā
āGot here about twelve oāclock didnāt we?ā
āYeah,ā said Kris.
āAnd youāve been here the whole time? All of you?ā Kris and Andy nodded. āWhat about you two?ā he asked Tania and Isabel.
āWe got here about quarter past one,ā Isabel told him.
āAnd where were you before that?ā
āThe library,ā said Tania, deciding that their brief time in front of the RSPCA shop wasnāt worth mentioning.
āNowhere else?ā
āNo.ā The girls felt their faces flush.
āCan anyone vouch for that?ā
āIs there a problem officer?ā Andy intervened.
āSpittles have found stickers on a lot of their duck products. Theyāve had to take a couple of hundred pounds worth of stuff off the shelves.ā
Everyone behind the stall tried to keep their faces expressionless.
āAny stickers here?ā the policeman asked as he browsed the stall, āyouāve got leaflets about Spittleās factory farm duck. Did you do it?ā
āCertainly not,ā said Andy truthfully, āweāre just here to provide information.ā The policeman looked sceptical. āLook,ā Andy gestured to all the literature on the stall, āno stickers.ā
āNevertheless,ā the policeman continued after a momentās pause, āSpittleās would like you to move away from their store.ā
āWe have every right ā¦ā Kris began to object.
āNevertheless,ā the policeman repeated with emphasis, āIĀ would like you to move your stall away from this store.ā
āNo problem officer,ā Andy replied, āwe can do that. No problem at all.ā
Wearing a serious, ādonāt mess with meā expression, the policeman looked hard at Andy and Kris before nodding and turning away.
āThis is exactly the kind of thing I was trying to avoid!ā complained Andy. āNow they think weāre thugs.ā
Kris shook her head. āI call that a win,ā she said, āwe werenāt going to get that duck off the shelves by just standing here handing out leaflets.ā
āWeāre playing a long game here Kris,ā Andy argued, āwe have to keep to the high moral ground. We canāt force the issue or it wonāt stick. Weāve got to persuade people to do it for the right reasons, so they wonāt renege later on.ā
Kris shrugged as she continued piling leaflets into her battered shopper on wheels. The girls, who could see both sides of the argument, quietly exchanged glances before retrieving their clipboard. Andy folded the table and all four of them relocated outside the Arndale Centre.
āDāyou think Luke and Joe will be able to find us?ā Isabel asked Tania.
āI hope so,ā said Tania, āif they donāt get here soon weāll have to go. Our bus leaves in ten minutes.ā
āAre you all going home together?ā Kris asked.
āNo, we donāt live in the same village,ā said Isabel.
āDonāt worry then, if youāve got to go, you go. Iāll explain it to them when they get here. If they get here.ā
āThanks.ā
āDid you reach your target?ā
āNearly,ā said Isabel, smiling, āTwo hundred and ninety four.ā
āNot a bad dayās work then,ā said Kris.
The girls thanked her, said their goodbyes and made tracks for the bus station.
****
At the public toilets Luke was having trouble with the automated hand-washing machine. Heād been dispensed liquid soap, no problem, but after covering his hands with it heād been unable to get any water. He moved his hands from left to right, trying to activate the sensor, but nothing happened.
āDonāt bother,ā said Joe, wiping his hands on his trousers, āit doesnāt work.ā
Luke was annoyed at the sticky mess. āWeād better get back to the others,ā he said, grabbing a handful of toilet tissue.
āTheyāll be gone by now,ā said Joe, ātheir bus was at three.ā
āOh. Shall we go then?ā
āOkay. Unless you wanna see the new Spiderman.ā
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For more Luke Walker chapters clickĀ hereĀ š
Chapters 17 to 24 are available in paperback:
Luke Walker and the Secret Society of animal stick up for-ers
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Luke Walker: animal stick up for-er – the story continues two years later:
Chapter 17:Ā Cognitive Dissonance
Two years later:
āLuuuke!ā Jared was angry.
Luke returned the now half empty book of stamps to Mumās purse. āIt wasnāt me!ā he lied.
āWho else would put a sticker over my webcam? I want to skype and I canāt get it off!ā
āI jusā needed to borra it for a minute anā I dint want anybody spyinā on me.ā
āNo one can spy on you, idiot! You have to turn the webcam on yourself!ā
āYouāre the idiot if you think they canāt turn it on and watch you when you donāt know theyāre watchinā you. I saw it on that film about the man who had to escape from the government.Ā And it was on that programme about the lawyer whose daughter was beinā spied on coz she didnāt close her laptop and they switched on her webcam from somewhere else not in her house!ā
Jared wasnāt listening. Heād heard it all before. He referred the problem to a higher power.
āMum,ā he called downstairs, āLukeās been messing with my computer again and I canāt get the sticker off! Heās not supposed to touch my stuff!ā
Mumās hands were immersed in hot water.Ā She didnāt have the energy or the inclination to referee her sonsā squabbles so she pretended she hadnāt heard.Ā Jared turned back to his brother.
āThe next time you touch my stuff Iāll take your walkie talkies and smash them with a hammer!ā
Luke, secretly thankful to Jared for reminding him, stuffed his walkie talkies into his rucksack and went downstairs. He had a bus to catch.
When he got to the bus stop the bus was already there. Joe was trying the driverās patience by rummaging slowly in his pockets for his fare, bringing out one small coin at a time in an effort to delay the busās departure. When Luke stepped on behind him he found his two pound coin and put the driver out of his misery. Luke did the same and the boys ascended to the empty top deck and sat down on the front seat.
āHappy New Year,ā said Joe.
Luke was frantically searching his bag. āYeah, happy ā¦. did you bring your notebook?ā
Joe nodded.
āI forgot mine,ā said Luke, annoyed. āDid you write down where weāre sāposed to be meetinā the others?ā
āNo,ā said Joe, ābut I remember. Weāre meeting them at the library.ā
Luke frowned with uncertainty.
āWe always meet at the library,ā Joe reassured him, āthe first Saturday of every month. At the library.ā
Luke shook his head. āI know thatās what we normally do, but last time that woman kept watching us and Tania thought she was trying to listen to our plans so we said next time weād meet somewhere more private. I wrote it down. Donāt you remember?ā
Joeās recollection went further.
āYes, I remember that, but then Isabel said she didnāt think the woman was listening and Tania was just paranoid and there wasnāt anywhere else we could meet that was warm and dry and she thought we should meet at the library as usual.ā
Luke still looked uncertain.
āTwelve oāclock. At the library. As usual,ā Joe reiterated.
āOkay,ā said Luke, finally giving up the search for his notebook, āgood.ā He leaned back in his seat and put his feet up on the window ledge in front of him.
The boys hadnāt seen each other since Christmas so the half hour bus ride was a good time to catch up. Luke pulled an impressive-looking, hard plastic case out of his rucksack.
āI got these from me Mum and Dad,ā he told Joe, and opened the case to reveal two walkie talkies. They were green, brown and black in a camouflage pattern, with buttons under a screen and a short antenna sticking up on one side. In addition the case contained a charger, ear pieces, belt clips, and survival bracelets with built-in compass and whistle. āThey work as far as three kilometres apart, so weāll be able to talk to each other if weāre on a mission and weāre doinā different bits of it and we have to keep watch and tell the other one if someoneās cominā.ā Joe hesitantly reached for one of the bracelets. āOh yeah, and weāll both wear one of these ā go on, try it on,ā encouraged Luke, āand then if we get lost, or if the walkie talkie battery dies, we can survive with these coz thereās a whistle so we can blow it and hear where each other is and know if itās north or south.ā
āTheyāre brilliant,ā said Joe, obviously impressed.
Luke carefully retrieved the bracelet and put it back in the case. āWhat did you get?ā he asked.
Joe reached into his bag and pulled out a smart pair of binoculars. āI like bird watching,ā he explained.
āScore!ā said Luke, ātheseāll be good for missions too coz weāll be able to see if someoneās cominā from a long way away before they see us.ā
āI use āem for looking for UFOs too,ā said Joe, lifting the binoculars to his eyes and looking through the window at the skies ahead.
āSpaceships?ā asked Luke, interested.
āYeah, I saw a documentary about aliens coming to Earth and it said they were real and theyāve been coming to Earth for years and theyāre watching us to make sure we donāt send bombs into space and they stopped the Americans when they did try to send some up there.ā
āReally?ā asked Luke, wide eyed, āso theyāre good aliens?ā
āYeah, theyāre good, stopping bad people with bombs. But the people who make the bombs are trying to keep the aliens secret because they want to keep making the bombs because they get a lot of money from it. So they want to make people scared of aliens by making fake alien ships to attack Earth so that the Earth people will want them to attack the aliens,ā Joe took a breath. āBut really itās not the aliens because the aliens are peaceful and we shouldnāt be attacking them we should be making friends with them coz they could help us save the environment.ā
āWow,ā said Luke, āsounds like a good film. Dāyou think itās true?ā
āOh yeah! Itās true. They had lots of evidence and lots of people have seen them and some people have been killed to shut them up or blackmailed to change their stories. I know it sounds made up but itās not. You should see the film.ā
āYeah. Whatās it called?ā
āUnacknowledged.ā
āHave you got it on DVD?ā
āNo, itās on Netflix.ā
āWe havenāt got Netflix.ā
āNeither have we but I signed up for a monthās free trial on Janetās computer and thereās a week left so you can watch it at mine.ā
Luke nodded.Ā He really wanted to see it.
āCome round after school on Tuesday.ā
āYouāre lucky Janet lets you borra her computer. Jared gets in a right hump when I borra his.ā
āJanet wonāt be there,ā explained Joe.
The boys got off the bus at the radio station and walked through the pedestrianised High street to the library. It was only ten to twelve. They were going to be early for once.
The January meeting of the Secret Society of animal stick up for-ers commenced thirteen minutes later.
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The story continues on Monday š
but if you don’t want to wait you can read the whole chapter hereĀ š
and if that doesn’t satisfy you š the next eight chapters are now available in paperback:
Luke Walker and the Secret Society of animal stick up for-ers
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vegan, vegetarian, vegan fiction, juvenile fiction, vegan children, vegan children’s story, vegan children’s book, animal rights, activism
The Dragons of DurgaĀ is an epic novel by Simone Spearman.
Itās a slow, gentle tale, beautifully told with detailed, poetic descriptions that transport you to a magical, imaginary world.Ā The story takes place in an ancient time. Long before anyone can remember, long before history was recorded, back when magnificent dragons still walked the Earth.
Spearman describes the different species as tribes ā the Human tribe, the Dragon tribe, the Feline tribe, ā all of whom live in co-operation and harmony.Ā The Dragons have a special relationship with Human children whom they teach and mentor, but this only lasts until they come of age.Ā Humans of age only get to commune with Dragons at the Midsummer celebration, to which every tribe of Durga is invited.Ā The picture is wonderfully idyllic until the unthinkable happens and a vision of the future reveals a world without dragons.
A myriad of characters ā Dragons of all shapes and sizes, a winged Cat, an unpredictable Rat, a Human girl who can change into any animal, a Human boy who blames the Dragons for a past tragedy ā embark on an epic adventure, all working together to ensure the survival of the Dragon tribe.
And itās a big hunk of a book ā 538 pages!!!Ā It took me a good few weeks to finish it because unfortunately I only have time to read at the end of the day, just before I go to sleep, but it certainly made me look forward to bedtime.Ā I loved this book.Ā Itās wonderful to have quality literature in which the protagonists are plant-eaters who fight for peace, harmony and equality among species.Ā I love the dragons, I love the children, I love the weird and wonderful names they had and the innovative use of capital letters.Ā Thank you Simone L Spearman.
Author:Ā Simone L Spearman
Illustrator:Ā Jason Weaver
Genre:Ā Juvenile Fiction, Fantasy & Magic
Recommended for readers aged 8 and up
Published in August 2017
Format:Ā Paperback (552 pages) &Ā Kindle
ISBN-10: 0999278207
ISBN-13: 978-0999278208
Product Dimensions: 12.7 x 3.5 x 20.3 cm
Available fromĀ Amazon in the UK, Europe, USA, Canada, Australia and Japan.
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vegan, vegetarian, vegan children’s story, veggie kids, vegan children, vegan children’s books, animal rights, vegan fiction, books
Sherman and Geynes episode 2 continues:
Story continues tomorrowĀ š
Or if you canāt wait,Ā click here to read the whole story right now.
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childrenās story, vegan children, comic, vegan comic, humour, imagination, vegan childrenās story, eccentric story, detective story, mystery, vegan cafe, let’s get something to eat,
Sherman & Geynes episode 2 continues:
Story continues tomorrowĀ š
Or if you canāt wait,Ā click here to read the whole story right now.
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childrenās story, vegan children, comic, vegan comic, humour, imagination, vegan childrenās story, eccentric story
Story continues tomorrow š
Or if you can’t wait, click here to read the whole story right now.
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childrenās story, vegan children, comic, vegan comic, humour, imagination, vegan childrenās story, eccentric story
From the Foreword by Neal Barnard, M.D.: Ā The writing of this book was motivated by the observation that many parents are unclear about how best to nourish their children at different stages of development. Ā Well-intentioned parents like you want to do the very best for the long-term health and well-being of their children. Ā They need help knowing where to begin.
Our hope is that by assembling an expert panel of doctors and nutritionists and by providing well-researched, easy-to-read information on healthy eating during childhood, we can help you promote excellent health for your children throughout their lives.
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Boy I wish Iād had this book when my children were little, then I wouldnāt have been misled by my GP who pleaded with me not to make my baby vegan, saying that childrenĀ need dairyĀ for at least their first five years! Ā I was very young, inexperienced and, since it was way before the internet, there was no one else to ask. Ā It was another eleven years before we had enough information to understand that he was wrong, and our transition from vegetarianism to veganism left us feeling better than ever.
But that didnāt prevent us being misjudged by another GP when I took my youngest to the doctor when she was about 11 because she was getting recurring headaches. Ā Iād assumed she was suffering from migraines but as soon as the GP heard we were vegan she sucked in her breath over her teeth and said with confidence
āCalcium deficiency!ā
I insisted that that wasnāt it, we get enough calcium from our fruit and vegetables, but she would not be dissuaded from her conclusion and sent us away after telling us to take some multi-vitamins, without doing any tests or examination. Ā Some months later, thanks to a good Ā GP advising us to go the optician and see if the headaches were due to a need for glasses, it was discovered that there was haemorrhaging behind her eyes caused by a benign brain tumour.
The world and medical practitioners are so much more enlightened nowadays though arenāt they? Ā Thanks to the internet and such widely available information shared online by vegan individuals, groups and organisations. Ā So youād think that no one would be in danger of getting the kind of bad advice we got back then.
I was shocked to discover a few weeks ago that thatās not true. Ā A friend of mine took her eleven and a half month-old baby for her āone year reviewā by a Health Visitor at a childrenās centre in Brighton and was told she should be transitioning her baby off breast milk and onto cowsā milk ā for the calcium!!!!!!!
Thankfully my friend knows better but lots of people, like me all those years ago, will be swayed by this shockingly bad advice. Ā Thatās why this book is brilliant. Ā Because it comes from theĀ Physiciansā Committee for Responsible Medicine, written by Amy Lanou, Ph.D. who is Nutrition Director of the Physiciansā Committee (or she was when this was first published back in 2002 ā oh I wish Iād had it then!) and got her doctoral degree from Cornell University, readers can rest assured that the book can be relied upon. Ā And itās got so much! Ā From a healthy pregnancy to healthy breast feeding to healthy nutrition for your child for the rest of his or her life, this book tells you everything you need to knowĀ š
And it even provides you with a ton of healthy delicious recipes:
I bought this one for my friend, but now Iām going to get another one for me!
Author: Ā Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine with Amy Lanou, Ph.D.
Genre: Ā Non-fiction, Plant-Based Nutrition
Recommended for teens and up
Format: Ā Paperback (272 pages) and Kindle Edition
Published: Ā February 2002
ISBN-10: Ā 0471436216
ISBN-13: Ā 978-0471436218
Dimensions: Ā 15.5 x 1.9 x 22.7 cm
Available from theĀ Physiciansā Committee for Responsible MedicineĀ andĀ Amazon
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nutrition, health, vegan, vegetarian, books, non-fiction, plant-based nutrition, children, raising healthy children, healthy pregnancy, nursing mothers, healthy breastfeeding, raising vegan children, food, healthy eating, healthy recipes, healthy recipe book, vegan recipe book
We love Louis Sachar (whose name rhymes withĀ crackerĀ ā in case you were wondering) and after readingĀ Fuzzy MudĀ I decided that it qualified as a vegan book for childrenĀ š It doesnāt use the v-word but the main protagonist seems to be a plant-eater (there is no mention of any meat/fish/egg or dairy in her diet) and the grippingly entertaining story is wrapped around a vitally Ā important environmental message. Ā I wouldnāt be at all surprised to discover that Louis Sachar was veg*n but I have no idea whether he actually is. Ā Anyway, this book qualifies so I wanted to share it with you š
The story is about Tamaya who has a scholarship to a posh school and walks there every day with Marshall who is a year older than her (theyāre pre-teens I think). TheyĀ neverĀ go through the woods because there are creepy rumours about a strange guy who lives there. Ā And theyāve been told not to. Ā Meanwhile, on the other side of the woods a laboratory is developing a new āgreenā fuel, made of artificially engineered living micro-organisms, aka āfuzzy mudā. Ā Well, Ā one day, after being challenged to a fight by the school bully, Marshall decides, for his own safety, to go home via the woods. Ā Tamaya doesnāt want to go that way but sheās not supposed to walk home alone so she follows him. Ā And thatās when it gets really scary!
Iām not going to tell you anymore (and donāt spoil it for yourself by reading the Amazon blurb because it gives too much away) because you should get the book and enjoy the whole thing from the beginningĀ š
Author: Ā Louis Sachar
Genre: Ā Juvenile fiction/thriller
Recommended for readers aged 8 and up
Format: Ā Paperback (256 pages) and Kindle Edition and Audio Download
Published: Ā August 2016
ISBN-10: Ā 1408864754
ISBN-13: Ā 978-1408864753
Dimensions: Ā 19.7 x 1.3 x 13.1cm
Available fromĀ AmazonĀ and undoubtedly other bookshops and librariesĀ š
This story really needs to be told.Ā Pre-order the book here to help with production costs ā¤
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animals, farmed animals, cows, animal rescue, animal rights, books, children’s books, vegan, vegetarian, vegan children’s books, illustrated books, illustrations
A great review of Let the dogs outĀ at Hornby HART– check it out! šĀ 
You can read the whole story here
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animals, dogs, beagles, anti-vivisection, vegan, books, vegan books, book review, anti-vivisection book, animal rights,
If you happen to be anywhere near to Bridlington on the East Yorkshire coast, you might like to pop in to a lovely vegan shop called Planetwise at 12 Prospect Street š
They sell all sorts of vegan staples in the way of food as well as clothes and other essentials like story books š
Ok, that picture’s a bit blurry, hang on, let me find another one ….
There, that’s better – look at those lovely books to browse and buy.Ā Don’t they look familiar? šĀ Ooh, is that an ice cream freezer in the background there? Vegan ice cream on a hot day.Ā What could be better?
So, Planetwise looks like a great place to visit doesn’t it?Ā Food, clothes, quality reading material, and perhaps a bit of yoga?Ā Oh, I forgot to mention, Planetwise is also a yoga studio!
If you’re nowhere near East Yorkshire you might consider taking a trip up there on Sunday August 5th for Bridlington’s first ever vegan festival!Ā There’ll be delicious vegan food, live music, speakers, holistic therapies, cookery demonstrations, local vegan crafts, children’s entertainment and activities, and lots of stalls selling ethical, vegan, eco-friendly products like clothes, books, toiletries and food.Ā Tickets available from the Bridlington Spa website š
Check out our new What’s On page to find out more š
We’re very excited to tell you that we’ve just opened our new bookshop, right here at Violet’s Vegan Comics! š
We do have quite a lot of titles now you know š
So,Ā if you’re in need of some new bedtime stories, or you’ve got some adventure-loving kids who are partial to exciting comics and stories, or maybe they’d prefer a colouring book, or a notebook, or someone’s birthday’s coming up, you don’t have to go to Amazon, you can get them right hereĀ at Violet’s Vegan Self-Service Bookshop šĀ 
“What d’you mean, self-service?” I hear you ask.
Well, our bookshop is a little old fashioned for a web shop, in that nothing’s automated.Ā There’s no basket and no one’s going to add up your total for you, you’ve got to do it yourself.Ā It’s what you might call a minimalist shop.Ā No added extras, just a load of book images with prices on, a contact form, and a paypal button at the bottom š
You’ll see when you get there, it’s all explained and very straightforward, but basically you just choose which books you want, add up the total in your head, add Ā£2.50 shipping to your total and pay the Grand Total through Paypal after telling us what you want using the contact form.Ā Simple.
The other thing that makes our shop rather old fashioned is that there’s no NEXT DAY DELIVERY.Ā In fact there’s unlikely to be a next week delivery.Ā Remember the days when you were told to allow 28 days for delivery?Ā That was normal right?Ā That was to be expected.Ā Well, when you remember that you’ll be pleased to learn that when you order books from us they’ll probably be with you in a couple of weeks š
They’re printed on demand you see, in America.Ā So if you’re ordering from America they might be with you the same week.Ā It just depends how far they’ve got to travel.Ā We’ve found that our orders reach us in the UK in about two weeks. Yes, in fact, every order we’ve placed has been with us two weeks later.Ā I don’t know how long they’ll take to other countries, but hopefully we’ll find out soon š
So you’ve got to wait a bit longer than you’re used to.Ā But so what?Ā What’s your rush?Ā These books are worth waiting for š
And the up-side?Ā Well, the up-side is that you can order them from anywhere in the world.Ā You can only get them from Amazon if you’re in America or Europe but we’re happy to send them anywhere š
So, next time you’re looking for vegan children’s books, give our selection a browseĀ – there’s something for everyone š
See the bookshop link in the top menu š
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vegan, vegetarian, anti-vivisection, children’s story, children’s book,
‘One farmer says to me, “You cannot live on vegetable food solely, for it furnishes nothing to make bones with;” and so he religiously devotes a part of his day to supplying his system with the raw material of bones; walking all the while he talks behind his oxen, which, with vegetable-made bones, jerk him and his lumbering plough along in spite of every obstacle.’
Henry David Thoreau, in Walden.
Molly the cow who escaped the slaughterhouse and ran into the forest
The above is the gorgeous profile picture of HART: Hornby Animal Rights Team,Ā a not-for-profit organization dedicated to animal advocacy and education, on Hornby Island, British Columbia, Canada.
On Friday March 30th, just two days from now, HART will be holding their first event – a community vegan potluck at New Horizons.
In addition to the vegan feast and short film, HART’s first event will also launch their animal advocacy pop-up library.Ā The library books will be on display for browsing and borrowing, and people will have the opportunity to become library members.
The pop-up library is a brilliant idea! š
They are planning to cycle from place to place with a trailer full of wonderful animal-friendly books, fiction and non-fiction, for children and adults, and be the most eco-friendly mobile library you can imagine.Ā You can read their books at the event or take them home and return them later š
Quite a few of our books are among the HART Animal Advocacy collection, I’m very excited to tell you, so if you’re in the area, take the opportunity to get over there and borrow something, and make some new friends while you’re at it š
If you’re not in the area, as most of us aren’t unfortunately, why not think about setting up your own Animal Advocacy Pop-Up Library in your community?Ā It’s such a brilliant idea don’t you think?Ā You can contact HART via their website or email them atĀ hornbyhart@gmail.com for more info about how they’re doing it.
The Wicked Witch’s Plan To Get Rid Of Everyone, a new version of the fairy taleĀ The Wicked Wicked Witch and the Ruinous ManipulationĀ by Maud Earnshaw, illustrated by Beatrice Wilberforce, includes instructions about how to break the witch’s spell at the back š
Available from Amazon in the UK, Europe, USA and Canada
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vegan children’s book, vegan fairy tale, vegan children’s story
For all the Luke Walker chapters click here
For the whole of chapter 12 click here š
Story continues from Friday:
At half past three, all the Year Fives who wanted to be in the Christmas concert went to the hall to audition for Ms Robinson andĀ Mr Beardsley.Ā There were more parts available than actors to play them so Luke felt confident heād get something.Ā He was expecting to have to get up on stage and recite a line or two from the play, as heād seen done in a movie once.Ā However, when Ms Robinson saw how few people had turned up she simply asked for a show of hands for each role.Ā If only one person raised their hand for a particular role, they got it.Ā If more than one person raised their hand, Mr Beardsley drew one of their names from a hat.Ā Luke felt this diminished the accomplishment somewhat.Ā He was the only applicant for the role of Third Spirit so the part was his, in addition he was pressed to play Jacob Marley which he was happy to do.Ā Simon Butler would play Ebenezer Scrooge as an old man, a young man and a child.Ā Katia got the parts of young Scroogeās sweetheart and Mrs Cratchit; Kenny got Bob Cratchit, Fezziwig and the coachman; Tania wanted to play Scroogeās nephew and Scroogeās sister because she thought it would add realism to have some discernible family resemblance between those characters.Ā Her wish was granted.Ā And so it went on.Ā Children were permitted to leave after their roles were assigned and by a quarter past five only a few minor roles remained to be cast.Ā Joe and Luke were the only children left in the hall.Ā Luke was waiting for Joe who, for almost two hours, had waited patiently for an opportunity to ask if he could paint the scenery.Ā He had brought with him some preliminary sketches of ideas for backdrops and costumes but when he approachedĀ Ms Robinson, she misunderstood his reason for being there.
āOkay Joe, that leaves us with Scroogeās Servant, the Gentleman Visitor, the Cook, and the Butcher.Ā Do you think you can handle those?ā
Joe went white in the face.
āer, no, he donāt want them,ā said Luke, stepping in.
āExcuse me, I was talking to Joe,ā saidĀ Ms Robinson, quite testily. āCome on Joe, theyāre only small parts, you can do those for me canāt you?ā
Joe looked at the sketchbook in his hands.
āI brought these ā¦ā he mumbled nervously.
āWhat was that?Ā Youāll do it?Ā Thank you Joe,ā and she wrote his name next to the character names on her clipboard.
Joe looked at Luke with panic in his eyes.
āNo, heās not doinā the actinā, heās good at paintinā scenery.Ā Heāll be too busy paintinā to do any actinā,ā said Luke persuasively.
Ms Robinson looked at Luke as if her patience was at an end.
āThis is nothing to do with you.Ā If Joe didnāt want to do it he would have said so.Ā Please credit him with enough intelligence to speak for himself and stop interfering.āĀ She turned back to Joe.Ā āOkay Joe?ā
Joe nodded his assent.
Ms Robinson closed her clipboard and began to pack up her things.Ā Luke knew full well that Joe was only there because heād asked him to be.Ā He couldnāt let him get lumbered with this.
āNo,ā he said with determination āJoe donāt wanna do it.Ā Thatās not why he came.Ā He darenāt say it coz youāre in a mood, but he definitely donāt wanna do it!ā
Ms Robinson glared at him in that all too familiar way.
āLuke. Walker,ā she said slowly as if something had just occurred to her, āyouāre the one Cathy Tebbut warned me about.ā
At this point Mr Beardsley, who had witnessed the entire interaction, decided it was time to intervene.
āCan I have a word Ms Robinson?ā he asked.
She glared again at Luke and then stepped aside to speak to her colleague.Ā Luke sat down on the floor next to Joe.
āSorry,ā he said.
āSāoright,ā his friend replied.
After a few minutes of hushed discussion Ms Robinson left.Ā Mr Beardsley walked over to the boys.
āMs Robinson and I have been thinking,ā he said, āit doesnāt work very well to have an odd number of pupils in a class because when we need you to work with a partner, thereās always an odd one out.ā
The boys nodded.Ā That was true.
āSo,ā Mr Beardsley went on, āitās better to have twenty six or twenty four pupils in a class than twenty five.ā
The boys nodded again.
āSo, Ms Robinson has agreed that it would be a good idea for you to transfer to my class Joe, if thatās alright with you.ā
Joeās now very enthusiastic nod was accompanied by a wide smile.Ā Luke smiled too.
āOkay then,ā said Mr Beardsley, smiling back at them, āIāll see you both, ten to nine, on Monday.āĀ He started to turn away before adding, āoh, and Joe, Ms Robinson said sheād be delighted to have your help with the scenery because sheās going to give some of the Year 4 kids the opportunity to audition for the minor roles.ā
He winked and walked away.
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vegan childrenās stories, vegan childrenās books
Luke Walker paperbacks:
Ā 
Ā 
Luke Walker: animal stick up for-erĀ (the first eight chapters);Ā More Luke Walker: animal stick up for-erĀ (chapters nine to sixteen); andĀ Luke Walker: animal stick up for-er: my privut notebookĀ are available from Amazon in the UK, Europe, the USA and CanadaĀ šĀ but if youād prefer to mail order them through us, get in touchĀ š
For the stories so far clickĀ hereĀ š
Chapter 11 continued from yesterday:
Luke stood still, his face flushed hot.
āThey know!ā he thought with horror.
It got worse.Ā He watched as two police officers walked up to the organisersā table.Ā After a few moments a man there pointed in Lukeās direction.Ā The police officers started to walk towards him.Ā He ran.Ā All he could think was that he needed to get out of there.Ā They might know his name but would they know his address?Ā He didnāt look behind, that would be suspicious, he just ran as fast as he could.Ā The wheelbarrow was slowing him down.Ā He had to leave it.
He climbed the low post and rail fence andĀ jumped down into the car park.Ā His first instinct was to find Grandadās car, but then he thought that if they knew his name, they might know who his grandparents were, they might be waiting for him there.Ā He hesitated, crouched between a Mini and a Fiesta, and tried to see Grandadās car without being seen.Ā Yes, that was it, and there was Grandad.Ā With another policeman.
There was nothing for it, he had to go back into the market, he had to try to be invisible in the crowd.Ā But he was scared and wanted an ally.Ā He made a beeline for the black-haired ladyās stall.
The lady, who was just beginning to pack up her stall, putting leaflets back in their boxes, was surprised to see Luke racing towards her, all red in the face and out of breath, looking like he feared for his life.
āHide me!ā said Luke desperately, and sunk to the floor behind the biggest box.
The lady was alarmed.
āWhatās wrong? What are you ā¦?ā
āShhh!ā said Luke in a vehement whisper, ādonāt talk to me!Ā Donāt look at me!Ā They might be watching!ā
āBut ā¦ā
āExcuse me Miss,ā another womanās voice interrupted her.Ā She turned to face a policewoman.
āIs this your stall?ā she asked.
āYes it is.ā
āAnd your name is?ā
āJessica Rabbit.Ā Would you like a leaflet?ā
āI would like to have a look, yes, thank you,ā and the policewoman began to paw the various piles.Ā āIs this all youāve got?ā
The black-haired lady casually dropped her jacket on top of Luke as another officer stepped around the stall to look in the boxes.
āIāve got these as well,ā she answered, āas you can see,ā and she lifted the boxes onto the table so that they wouldnāt need to rummage around the other side.
The policewoman found what she was looking for ā three different anti-dairy leaflets.
āIs there any reason you were hiding these?ā she asked.
The lady laughed.
āI wasnāt hiding them, I was just in the process of packing up,ā she explained.
The police officers exchanged cynical glances and while the male picked up the box of leaflets, the female addressed the stall-holder.
āI am arresting you on suspicion of offences under section 1 of the Criminal Damage Act 1971.Ā You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something you later rely on in court.Ā Anything you do say may be given in evidence.Ā Do you understand?ā
āNot remotely,ā the lady replied, āwhat am I supposed to have done?ā
Luke stayed motionless under the ladyās jacket.Ā He felt bad that she was getting blamed for what heād done, but was somehow unable to move or speak.Ā He just sat still until he couldnāt hear them any more. He waited till theyād gone.
When he stood up and watched them retreat past the other stalls, seemingly diminished in size, his courage returned.Ā He donned the khaki jacket, pulled the hood over his head and cautiously followed. The officers and their captive approached a police car and the policewoman opened a rear door, put her hand on the black-haired ladyās head and assisted her into the back seat.
Luke was worried they would drive away before he could get to them but luck was onĀ his side again. Another policeman with a camera called to his colleagues and they walked a few steps away from the car to talk to him.Ā That was Lukeās chance.
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Story concludes tomorrow, or read the whole of chapter 11 now š
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vegan, vegetarian, vegan childrenās story, vegan childrenās book, books, childrenās books, juvenile fiction, veggie kids, vegan children, animals, cows, animal farming, animal rights
For the stories so far clickĀ hereĀ š
Chapter 11 continued from Friday:
With a wheelbarrow full of three different leaflets which told the truth about the dairy industry, Luke headed for the car park.Ā The wheelbarrow was heavy and the cars were parked quite close together on uneven ground, so it was rather difficult to stop the barrow from tipping.Ā But Luke was strong andĀ determined so he only lost control of it a couple of times, and on those occasions the cars he grazed were already scratched anyway.Ā He put one leaflet under a wiper blade, on the windscreen of each car.Ā Heād seen it done before with car-wash flyers in the supermarket car park.
Some wipers were easy to lift, some of them required a bit of force, a couple of them came off, but when that happened he was luckily able to find a window or a sunroof open so he tossed the leaflet inside. Considerate as always, he tossed the wiper blade in with it.
After some time ā he had no idea how much ā Luke had leafleted most of the cars in the car park.Ā He had intended not to miss a single one but when he saw an angry man, waving a wiper blade, fast approaching his position, he decided that discretion was the better part of valour and retreated behind the long queues for the portaloos.Ā He had almost half a box of leaflets left and wanted to use them.Ā It wasnāt long before he found an opportunity.
The ice cream van was parked close to the line of trees which skirted the market.Ā It was doing a roaring trade.Ā Luke felt that it wouldnāt do any trade at all if there was any justice in the world.Ā He was sure it wouldnāt if everyone knew the truth.Ā That thought gave him an idea.Ā This idea, he was well aware, was not, strictly speaking, legal.Ā But it was moral and that meant he was right to do it.Ā He would do what Robin Hood would have done,Ā whatever the consequences.Ā He was an outlaw after all.
He left his wheelbarrow in the shadows behind the trees and ran back to a craft stall heād seen earlier. The lady on the craft stall was demonstrating how to make paper machĆ©Ā models.Ā She was doing the āhereās one I made earlierā bit, revealing a stiff, hollow, paper pig ready for a coat of paint. The tub of wallpaper paste that sheād been using in an earlier part of her demonstration was tucked away under her stall.
āI jusā need to borra a bit,ā Luke told himself, āIāll bring it back before she misses it.ā
Within minutes he was pasting leaflets all over one side of the ice cream van, unseen by the ice cream seller or his treat-seeking customers who stood in line on the other side.Ā He worked fast, knowing he might be spotted and stopped at any moment.Ā At the same time he was encouraged by a feeling that some great spirit was watching over him, enabling him to complete his mission unhindered.Ā The spirit of Robin Hood?Ā It couldnāt just have been luck that heād been able to get his hands on exactly what he needed for this job.Ā The label on the side of the tub of paste read:
MELROSE WHEATPASTE
suitable for paper machƩ, scrapbooking
wallpaper application & billboard posters
NON TOXIC * STRONG * DRIES TRANSPARENT
WARNING: WHEATPASTE POSTERS, ONCE APPLIED, ARE DIFFICULT TO REMOVE.
It couldnāt have been more perfect.Ā Luke fearlessly pasted over colourful illustrations of lollipops, ice cream cones, and a happy cartoon cow who bore no resemblance to her real-life counterparts.Ā The vanās lies were soon obliterated by pages of facts and figures about the cruel reality of dairy farming, including miserable photographic proof.Ā When the side of the van was completely covered in leaflets, as high as Luke could reach, he stepped back to see the full effect.Ā It was good.
Unable to believe how well this was going, Luke slipped unseen, back the way heād come.Ā He re-emerged from behind the line of trees when he reached the craft stall and returned the paste.Ā Then he tucked the remaining four leaflets in his back pocket and pushed his empty wheelbarrow from stall to stall, looking for Nan and Grandad.Ā He looked for ages until eventuallyĀ he came close to the organisersā table and heard his own name over the Tannoy.
āWould Luke Walker please go to the ice cream van.Ā Would Luke Walker please go to the ice cream van, near the car park and the toilets.ā
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Story continues tomorrowĀ š
To read the whole of Chapter 11 now, clickĀ hereĀ š
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vegan, vegetarian, vegan childrenās story, vegan childrenās book, books, childrenās books, juvenile fiction, veggie kids, vegan children, animals, cows, animal farming, animal rights
For chapters 1 to 10 clickĀ hereĀ š
Chapter 11 continued from yesterday:
He smiled broadly as he considered how fortuitous this outing had turned out to be; how lucky it was that this week of all weeks heād needed a wheelbarrow.
***
Nan and Grandad loved to go to car boot sales, antique fairs and flea markets.Ā They would drive for miles to get to them and rarely a Sunday went by without Nan acquiring a ānewā old plant pot, or handbag, or garden bench, or record or book or who knows what.Ā So, when Luke decided he needed a few tools for his allotment ā a rake, a bucket or two, and a wheelbarrow ā he asked Mum to ask Nan if he could go with them that weekend.Ā She said yes, as long as he behaved himself and didnāt eat or drink anything in Grandadās car, or put his feet on the seats.
āWill she ever get over the chocolate biscuit/chewing gum incident?ā he thought. āItĀ wasnāt even my gum ā it had got stuck on my shoe because of a dropper and the chocolate crumbs ā¦ ā
Anyway, he promised to be good, and it was arranged.
Six days later, Luke was sitting in the back of Grandadās car; seatbelt on; feet on the floor; no food or drink whatsoever.Ā They turned into a farm lane and drove past a field of grazing cows, one of whom had a baby with her.Ā They waited in a long queue of carsĀ approaching the flea market and Luke was able to watch mother and baby for a few minutes.
He could see how attentive the mother was to her baby and how the baby followed his mother wherever she went.Ā It was nice to watch.Ā Then he saw two farmers with a wheelbarrow walk over to them and lift the baby into it.Ā The baby cried out for his mum and the mum tried to get to her baby but one of the farmers obstructed her so that the other one could wheel the barrow away.Ā He walked briskly, almost breaking into a run to get to the gate as quickly as possible and the mother cow hurried after them, calling all the time to her baby and him calling back to her.Ā The farmer with the wheelbarrow got through the gate and closed it and the other one climbed the fence.Ā They put the calf into a trailer and drove away in the Land Rover that towed it, along the track that bordered the field, until they got to the road and were soon out of sight.Ā The whole time the mother cow was running along the edge of the field, trying to keep up with them, calling for her baby.Ā When the trailer was out of sight she just stood at the fence and called and called, a most miserable, pining sound, as she watched the direction in which theyād fled, pleading for her babyās return.
āWhere are they takinā āim?Ā Are they gonna bring āim back?ā Luke desperately asked his grandparents.
āWhat love?ā said Nan.Ā She hadnāt been watching.
āThe baby cow!Ā They took āim away from āis mum!Ā Why did they do that?Ā When will they bring āim back?ā
āThey wonāt,ā said Grandad, matter-of-factly.
āWhat?! Why not?ā Luke demanded.
āThe farmer keeps cows for their milk.Ā He needs to sell as much milk as possible so he canāt have the calves drinking his profits can he?Ā Heās got to make a living.Ā Way of the world Luke, you might as well get used to it.ā
Luke was outraged.Ā Heād known instinctively that it wasnāt right to steal a cowās milk and was certain it couldnāt be natural to drink it if you werenāt a baby cow, but heād had no idea that farmers actually kidnapped babies away from their mothers; that a mother whoād done nothing wrong, who was giving him her milk, was not even allowed to keep the baby who made the milk possible.Ā And the baby ā what would happen to the baby?
āDoes everybody know this?Ā Does everybody know what the horrible farmer is doinā?ā Luke felt that surely people wouldnāt buy the milk if they knew.
āHeās not horrible Luke,ā Nan tried to explain, ācows are not people, they donāt have the sameĀ feelings and emotional attachments that we have.ā
āYes they do!Ā Dināt you see?Ā Dināt you see āem together?Ā They love each other!ā
āLuke,ā Nan answered quietly, āthe farmerās got to earn ā¦ā
āI could earn a livinā stealinā other peopleās jewelāry and sellinā it to someone else, but if I did that youād tell me off!ā
āItās not the same ā¦ā
āToo right itās not the same coz I wunāt be kidnappinā someoneās baby!ā
While Luke fumed Grandad reached the car park and they all got out of the car.Ā Luke couldnāt stop thinking about the cow baby and the cow mum crying for each other.Ā He trailed slowly behind his grandparents, very unhappy in the realisation that thisĀ wasĀ the way of the world and thereĀ wasĀ nothing he could do about it, not really, not forĀ thatĀ baby orĀ thatĀ mum.
āGrown ups always say āyou must be goodā, āyou must be kindā and then they do things what they know is unkind,ā Luke mumbled frustratedly to himself, āthey donāt follow their own rules, so they canāt expectĀ meĀ to follow āem.Ā They should followĀ myĀ rules ā mine make more sense, mine do what they say instead of just say and not do!ā
And so, as he railed against the world, he wandered away from his grandparents and browsed the stalls alone.Ā He wasnāt worried.Ā Heād find them later.
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Story continues on Monday š
To read the whole of Chapter 11 now, click here š
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vegan, vegetarian, vegan childrenās story, vegan childrenās book, books, childrenās books, juvenile fiction, veggie kids, vegan children, animals, cows, animal farming, animal rights
For chapters 1 to 10 clickĀ hereĀ š
Luke Walker and the ice cream van
Set apart from the rest of the flea market was a stall that was of great interest to Luke.Ā Standing behind it was a lady wearing black eye shadow and black nail varnish.Ā She had long, straight, jet black hair and her khaki jacket had lots of badges on it which said things like āMEAT IS MURDERā and āA FISH IS NOT A VEGETABLEā and āNOT YOUR MUMā written above a picture of a man suckling from a cow.
āWhereād you get those?ā Luke asked the lady.
āThese?Ā Oh, different places.Ā This one I ordered from a website,ā she said, indicating the one with the suckling business man, āand these I got from VegFest.ā
āWhatās VegFest?ā
āItās a weekend event with lots of stalls and talks by veggies and veggie companies.Ā They have them a couple of times a year in different cities like London and Brighton.ā
Luke had never met another vegetarian before, apart from Joe, and heād had no idea there were enough of them to warrant weekend events like that.Ā He was impressed.
āAre you interested in becoming vegan?ā the lady asked as Luke browsed the leaflets on display.
āVegan?ā said Luke, āThatās not a real word!Ā Iām a veggietareun and I wunāt be nothinā else!ā
āWell thatās good, but why are you a vegetarian?Ā Is it because you donāt want animals to be killed?ā
āOf course,ā said Luke.
āWell then, it might interest you to know that animals are also killed to supply you with milk and eggs,ā the lady explained, with patience.
āI know that, thatās why I donāt eat āem because Iām aĀ veggie-tareun!ā said Luke, slowly, with emphasis.Ā Not patience.Ā āVeggie (thatās short for vegetables) tareun (that meansĀ someone what eats āem).Ā I onāy eat vegetables, which means things what grow after beinā planted in the ground.āĀ It must be acknowledged that Luke was good at explaining things.
The lady looked as though she now understood and was very pleased about it.
āThat means youāre a vegan young man, well done!ā
Luke was unswayed.
āIāll stick with words what make sense, thanks.ā
The stall-holder smiled again.Ā The word didnāt matter.Ā Then she realised the boy had been browsing for a good few minutes and no responsible adult had materialised.
āWho did you come here with?ā she asked, āis your mum or dad or somebody around here somewhere?ā
Luke nodded.
āMmm, somewhere.ā
He continued browsing.Ā There was a lot of interesting stuff.Ā People needed to know this stuff.
āWhere do you get these leaflets from?ā he asked the lady.
āWhy?Ā Do you want some?Ā You can take what you want,ā she replied generously.
Luke couldnāt believe his luck.
āJust take āem?Ā As many as I want?ā
āYes,ā the lady assured him, āthey need to get out to the public; people need to know this stuff.ā
āYes they do!ā said Luke, gratified to have found a kindred spirit, āhave you got a box?ā
āYou want that many?ā the lady raised her eyebrows, āitāll be quite heavy if you fill a box. How will you carry it?Ā How will you get it home?ā
āIāve got a wheelbarra,ā said Luke, proudly pointing to a rusty old one heād bought for 50p ten minutes earlier, āanā Iām not takinā āem home.ā
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Chapter 11 continues tomorrow š
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vegan, vegetarian, vegan childrenās story, vegan childrenās book, books, childrenās books, juvenile fiction, veggie kids, vegan children
Violet's Vegan Comics 