Embracing Every Child: Diverse and Inclusive Humane Education Books

By Bianca Byrne, Humane Educator, Jacksonville Humane Society

At the Jacksonville Humane Society, we do our best to accommodate, include, and inspire any child that may want to join us for our Humane Education programs. This includes our fun and educational lessons about animals at our camps, and trickles all the way down to the books we provide to students for our Pawsitive Reading program (where kids have the opportunity to read out loud to the pets in order to help the animals destress). We even take visits through our Outreach Program to see kids in the community who otherwise wouldn’t be able to get to JHS but still want to learn. 

It is very important for kids to see themselves in the media they are consuming, whether that’s on screen or on paper. If they have a character in a book they can relate to, they’re much more likely to pay attention, remember, and be impacted by that story. With Humane Education books, this is truly invaluable. We want children to absorb what we’re teaching them about how to be kind to others, animals, and the environment. After all, these kids are the potential humane educators of the future!

Below is a list of diverse and inclusive books that can be used for Humane Education purposes. 

Lola Gets A Cat by Anna McQuinn (Grades Pre-K-1)

Teaches about how to prepare for a new cat, what they need and how to be a responsible pet owner even at a young age.

The Summer Nick Taught His Cats To Read by Curtis Manley (Grades Pre-K-1)

Cats can have different personalities and that’s okay! This can be an introduction to teaching kids about how reading out loud to pets can be beneficial for them.

Hello Goodbye Dog by Maria Gianferrari (Grades K-1)

Every dog is different, and some are good at things others are not. In Moose’s case, he turns out to be really good at being a therapy dog! 

Cece Loves Science by Kimberly Derting (Grades K-3)

This book teaches all about how it’s okay to ask questions and be curious, and to use science to find out the answers! This is part of a series including Cece Loves Science, Libby Loves Science and Vivi Loves Science. 

Katie Fry, Private Eye: The Lost Kitten by Katherine Cox (Grades 1-2)

This book teaches about how to be observant and look for clues, and how to help others in need. This is also part of a series. 

Bathe The Cat by Alice B. McKinty (Grades K-3)

This book touches on the importance of following instructions and being organized when you’re trying to get chores completed!

Home For Meow: The Purrfect Show by Reese Eschmann (Grades 4-8)

This book is all about finding solutions for problems! One of those particular problems is  trying to get cats adopted into new homes! This one is also part of a series.

PAWS: Gabby Gets It Together by Nathan Fairbairn (Grades 4-8)

This is a very good read about how to solve interpersonal problems between friends and how to make compromises so that everyone is happy. This one is part of a series and is SUPER popular with our middle schoolers at JHS. 

Rez Dogs by Joseph Bruchac (Grades 4-8)

This is a poetry book in the style of oral storytelling. It talks about COVID-19 and Native American history. Forewarning: some of the imagery may be distressing. 

Animal Rescue Friends by Gina Loveless (Grades 4-8)

This book includes multiple stories of kids with different personalities and backgrounds who all help at a local animal shelter to take care of very special animals of all shapes and sizes. This one is also part of a series. 

These are just some of the many books I’ve tracked down. They feature characters of many different races, backgrounds, abilities and personalities. I hope you or your programs can utilize some of them!

Have more book suggestions not on this list, or questions about Humane Education books? I would love to hear about them! You can reach me at bbyrne@jaxhumane.org.