Children's books with a humane ethic

Although I haven't added any to my collection in some years, I love to collect beautiful children's books. Within my fairly large collection, though, there are regretably few that express a strong humane ethic toward non-human animals, and even fewer that use a humane theme as the primary catalyst of the story. I invite everyone who reads this thread to post the title and author of any children's books that center around, or at least strongly express within the story line, an animal-related humane message or moral.

I have been thinking a lot lately about a book I read dozens of times as a child titled, Miranda and the Cat by Linell Smith. In fact, I picked it up and read it again today and was touched as deeply by it as I was when it was first published in 1963. It is the story of a young girl who befriends a feral alley cat. Gee, I wonder why that one strikes home with me. ;-) I obviously took this book very much to heart and have pretty much spent my life living it.

Books can have tremendous and lifelong impacts on children. Let's help each other by listing the books here that express the humane values and behaviors we hope to pass along to our future generations. Our own little animal book club, as it were.

Is anybody game?

Laurie

This message was edited Jul 14, 2005 8:10 PM