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Heather Leughmyer (vegan) is an American author and poet passionate about inspiring compassion through storytelling. Her “Kindness to Animals” and “Rescue Smiles” series reflect her deep commitment to fostering empathy for animal-citizens, making her a meaningful contributor to ethical children’s literature. “And it started with vivisection, and it opened my eyes to a whole new world. You don’t realize the vast quantity of animals that are out there being harmed. You have the choice to make, to choose cruelty or to choose compassion; why wouldn’t you choose compassion?” Heather Leughmyer shares with us how she balances the educational aspect with the need to create engaging and entertaining stories for young readers in her books. “It’s just very upbeat and lighthearted and easy to read. And then there’re lessons at the end for further learning on how to treat animals.” “And the books, the ‘Kindness to Animals’ series, they were going in alphabetical order. The first one was about a rat, and I rescue rats. They need to be treated with kindness, just like every other animal.”The “Kindness to Animals” series illustrations by freelance writer April Pedersen (vegetarian) bring a whimsical and engaging visual element to these stories. “I like to plant seeds. And I think especially with the children’s books, getting that message out to the younger generation as soon as possible is very, very important. The sooner they learn to be compassionate to animals, they’re going to grow up with more compassion towards humans.” To close today’s program, let’s reflect on the poem “Breaking the Silence,” written by Heather Leughmyer. “When justice prevails and all life is protected Only then will we see we are closely connected When egos are small and no longer shortsighted Only then will we realize we are earthlings united.”
