Children's Books - Animal Protection
Please note: Many of these titles could go in multiple categories, so we've added keywords to each title to help you find the books that will work best for your needs.
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Character Education/Citizen Activism
Environmental Preservation
Food and Diet
Media, Culture & Consumerism
Human Rights
Animal Protection:
Fiction - Picture Books:
Turkey Surprise by Peggy Archer. 2007. (32 pgs) Gr. Pre-K-2.
A turkey being hunted for Thanksgiving dinner tries to hide from two brothers. When one of the brothers decides he’d rather not eat a turkey, he convinces the other that pumpkin pie would be so much tastier.
Compassion. Thanksgiving. Turkeys. 
Souperchicken by Mary Jane Auch. 2004. (32 pgs) Gr. K-3.
Because Henrietta can read, she discovers that her aunts are destined to become chicken soup, so she sets off to save them.
Chickens, Farmed animals. Reading.
Buddy Unchained by Daisy Bix. 2006. (24 pgs) Gr. Pre-K-2.
Buddy tells the story of how he was mistreated by his previous guardian and how it feels to be adopted by a caring family.
Adoption. Companion animals. Dogs. Pets
Before You Were Mine by Maribeth Boelts. 2007. (32 pgs) Gr. Pre-K-2.
A boy who has just adopted a dog from a shelter wonders what his life was like “before you were mine.”
Adoption. Companion animals. Dogs. Pets.
Tarra & Bella: The Elephant and Dog Who Became Best Friends by Carol Buckley. 2010 (32 pgs) Gr. 2-5.
Tarra, a rescued elephant, and Bella, a stray dog, become best friends at an elephant sanctuary. Their friendship endures even a tragic accident.
Animal emotions. Dogs. Elephants. Empathy. Friendship.
The Great Pig Escape by Eileen Christelow. 1996. (40 pgs) Gr. K-3.
Two farmers decide to raise pigs. When they take them to market, the pigs escape, swipe human clothes and manage to board a bus to Florida, leaving the farmers baffled.
Farmed animals. Pigs.
When Horses Run Free: A Dream for the American Mustang by Joy Cowley. 2003. (32 pgs) Gr. 1-4.
Based on the true tale of a cowboy who vows to free the captured Mustangs that others see as “useless animals” and give them their own home.
Animal protection. Changemakers. Compassion. Horses. Wildlife.
Lucky the Lorikeet by Monica Engebretson. 2004. (32 pgs) Gr. 2-5.
Lucky is captured for the pet trade and sold as a pet to a little boy. But the Kersen realizes how much Lucky wants freedom and helps him achieve it.
Compassion. Exotic animal trade. Pets. Wildlife trade.
A Home for Dakota by Jan Grover and Nancy Lane. 2008. (24 pgs) Gr. 2-5.
Dog #241 lives in a dark crate on a puppy mill, until she is rescued and learns to trust humans again. When the puppy (now named Dakota) meets a young girl who has been as traumatized as she, healing begins for both of them.
Companion animals. Dogs. Pets. Puppy mills.
Hey, Little Ant by Phillip M. and Hannah Hoose. 2004. (32 pgs) Gr. Pre-K-2.
A rhyming story in which boy about to step on an ant listens as the ant pleads his case for why he (and all creatures) should be allowed to live.
Ants. Bullying. Compassion. Empathy.
Jubela by Cristina Kessler. 2001. (32 pgs) Gr. K-2.
When a baby rhino’s mother is killed by a poacher, little Jubela struggles to survive on his own.
Endangered species. Poaching. Rhinoceroses.
The Gnats of Knotty Pine by Bill Peet. 1984. (48 pgs) Gr. K-3.
The gnats of the wood save the animals by terrifying the hunters.
Compassion. Hunting. Wildlife.
‘Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving by Dav Pilkey.
School children visit a turkey farm and befriend the turkeys. When they learn what's planned for their new friends, they must try to save the turkeys from certain doom.
Compassion. Thanksgiving. Turkeys. Youth activism.
It’s Raining Cats and Cats by Jean Prevost. 2008. (32 pgs) Gr. 2-5.
When Jim asks his mom “Why did we keep Molly from having kittens?” she takes Jim on an imaginary journey of what would have happened if Molly had kittens and her kittens had kittens.
Cats. Companion animals. Neutering. Responsibility.
Bear-ly There by Rebekah Raye. 2009. (32 pgs). Gr. 1-4.
When a bear arrives in the neighborhood, Charlie devises several means to keep the bear safe while teaching him to stay in the woods where he belongs.
Bears. Habitat. Human-animal interactions.
When the Chickens Went on Strike: A Rosh Hashanah Tale by Erica Silverman. 2003. (32 pgs) Gr. 1-5.
When chickens decide they're tired of being used for a Jewish New Year's ceremony, a boy who first tries to change their minds, so that his father can be proud of him, learns from the chickens that people don't need chickens to help them make good choices.
Chickens. Holidays. Jewish traditions. Kapores. Rosh Hashanah.
The Deliverance of Dancing Bears by Elizabeth Stanley. 2003. (40 pgs) Gr. 1-6.
A poor man spends all his money to free two mistreated dancing bears, and in doing so reminds the onlookers that the dignity of all living creatures must be respected.
Animal rights. Animals in entertainment. Bears. Compassion. Freedom.
Granny Gomez and Jigsaw by Deborah Underwood. 2010. (40 pgs) Gr. PreK-2.
When Granny's companion pig, Jigsaw, outgrows their house, she builds him his own. But they have another problem...they miss each other like crazy! What to do?
Companion animals. Friendship. Pigs.
Hunter and His Dog by Brian Wildsmith. 2008 (reissue). (32 pgs) Gr. K-2.
A hunting dog can’t bear to retrieve the wounded ducks his guardian shoots, so he brings the hunter sticks and takes the ducks to an island to heal.
Compassion. Dogs. Hunting. Kindness. Wildlife.
Non-fiction - Picture books:
Kids and Animals: Drawings From the Hands & Hearts of Children & Youth by Marc Bekoff. 2011. (71 pgs). Gr. Pre-K-3.
A project of Roots and Shoots, this book explores the dreams and hopes of children from around the world for animals & includes drawings, quotes, and information about animals and those working to help them. View the book online for free.
Activism. Animal protection. Compassion. Kindness.
Are You Ready for Me? by Claire Buchwald. 2007. (24 pgs) Gr. Pre-K-2.
Dogs waiting to be adopted ask questions that show what it means to adopt a dog and care for her well.
Adoption. Companion animals. Dogs. Pets.
The Wolves Are Back by Jean Craighead George. 2008. (32 pgs) Gr. 2-5.
Details the return of wolves to Yellowstone and how their presence has helped rebalance and restore its ecosystems.
Conservation. Endangered species. Wildlife reintroduction. Wolves.
Two Bobbies: A True Story of Hurricane Katrina, Friendship and Survival by Kirby Larson & Mary Nethery. 2008. (32 pgs) Gr. K-3.
A dog and a blind cat abandoned during the Hurricane Katrina evacuations manage to find each other and stick together until they realize a happy ending.
Cats. Companion animals. Disasters. Dogs. Friendship.
That’s Why We Don’t Eat Animals: A Book About Vegans, Vegetarians and All Living Things by Ruby Roth. 2009. (48 pgs) Gr. 2-5.
The author contrasts animal behavior in the wild with that on those factory farms to illustrate why some people choose to respect animals and not eat them.
Animal sentience. Empathy. Factory farming. Farmed animals. Vegetarianism. Animals. Compassion. Empathy. Needs. Veganism. Vegetarianism.
Don’t Lick the Dog: Making Friends with Dogs by Wendy Wahman. 2009. (32 pgs) Gr. Pre-K – 2.
A colorful and entertaining guide for younger kids to help them learn how to properly meet and interact with dogs.
Companion animals. Dog bites (avoiding). Dogs. Respect.
Wolf Shadows by Mary Casanova. 1997. (127 pgs) Gr. 4-8.
Seth's affinity for wolves puts him at odds with many of the ranchers nearby. When Seth's friend Matt illegally shoots a wolf, Seth must choose how to act.
Cattle ranching. Friendship. Hunting. Poaching. Wolves.
The Magic Finger by Roald Dahl. 1996. (64 pgs) Gr. 4-8.
The Greggs love to hunt. The girl next door tries to talk them out of it, but when they refuse, she uses her magic finger to help them see the world from a duck's perspective.
Compassion. Empathy. Hunting.
The Last Wild Place by Rosa Jordan. 2008. (256 pgs) Gr. 4-6.
When Chip discovers a family of Florida panthers near a farm scheduled for development, he puts aside his own problems to find them a safe home.
Endangered species. Panthers. Pumas. Youth activism.
Saving Lilly by Peg Kehret. 2001. (160 pgs) Gr. 3-6.
For a school assignment, Erin learns about how animals in circuses are treated. Then a circus comes to town and Erin discovered the elephant will be sold to a hunting ranch. Can one sixth grader make a difference?
Animal protection. Circuses. Elephants. Youth activism.
The Story of Lilly and Lou by Doriane Lucia. 2008. (56 pgs) Gr. 3-8.
When Alicia discovers two stray dogs in the park, her determination to rescue them will forever change her life & the lives of those around her.
Compassion. Courage. Dogs. Youth activism.
The Nine Lives of Travis Keating by Jill McLean. 2008. (192 pgs) Gr. 4-8.
After moving to Newfoundland to start a new life after his mom’s death, Travis discovers a colony of feral cats in desperate need of help.
Bullying. Cats. Compassion. Feral cats. Youth activism.
Saving Emily by Nicholas Read. 2001. (150 pgs) Gr. 4-6.
When Emily the cow finds herself about to suffer the same fate as her brothers and sisters before her, it’s up to the humans Chris and Gina to try to save her. But will they be too late?
Cows. Farmed animals. Youth activism.
Wringer by Jerry Spinelli. 1997 (240 pgs) Gr. 4-7.
When Palmer turns 10, he has to decide whether he’ll become a wringer, like all the other boys do, or stand up for what he believes in.
Bullying. Courage. Hunting. Pigeons. Violence.
Claude and Medea: The Hellburn Dogs by Zoe Weil. 2007. (103 pgs) Gr. 4-7.
A strange substitute teacher with interesting ideas sparks Medea and Claude to think about the world and the choices they make, which leads them on a mysterious hunt to rescue kidnapped dogs.
Compassion. Conduct of life. Dogs. Mysteries. Schools. Teachers. Youth activism.
Other Sources for Kids' Books about Animal Protection Issues:
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