Consider that this big, round earth is in fact one single neighborhood, and every living being is our neighbor. How might this affect the way we treat animals? Our Animal Neighbors celebrates the rich diversity of skills, habits, needs, and homes that creatures on this earth have, and yet reminds us that we all, from ant to octopus to human being, live as part of one global community.

The book was co-written by Matthieu Ricard, Buddhist monk, teacher, and author of A Plea for the Animals, and Jason Gruhl, a psychotherapist and founder of The Joshua School who recently wrote the lovely children’s book Everything Is Connected. Our Animal Neighbors brings together Ricard’s dedication to animal welfare and Gruhl’s talent for making interconnection and interdependence fun, personal and accessible for children. The result is an informative exploration of the world’s species and ecosystems, and the ways we humans affect other beings around us. It’s a warm and friendly book that invites us to think outside of the anthropocentric box and access our compassion for all living things.

Note: this book advocates for the reduction of meat consumption, and offers others resources for supporting animal welfare.

A story about the fundamental connection between animals and people and how we can treat all of Earth's creatures with compassion and empathy.

Furry polar bears, playful sea otters, slow sloths, prickly porcupines, and slimy snakes are just a few of the many animals we share our world with. And even though we might not look the same or have the same needs as our animal neighbors, we have more in common with them than we might think. Our Animal Neighbors introduces children to the importance of treating all animals with the care and compassion they deserve. We all want to experience love, safety, and respect and this book is the first step to instilling those values at an early age. This planet is our home, and we should all be free to live a prosperous life regardless of whether we have hands, hooves, scales, or fur.