All for Animals, a nonprofit, humane education organization based in Santa Barbara, will be holding a book signing for its new children’s book, Animals Have Feelings, Too!, from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3 at Curious Cup Bookstore, 929 Linden Ave. in downtown Carpinteria.
Filled with humor and whimsical illustrations, this enchanting and educational A-Z guide takes young readers on a journey through the alphabet with Sandy, a lovable Labrador retriever, who shows them that animals share many of the same feelings that people do. From A is for Affectionate to Z is for Zonked, Animals Have Feelings, Too! helps children understand and express their feelings and to treat animals with kindness and respect. The book retails for $9.95.
“By the time a child reaches the age of 3, he or she begins to learn that their behavior and actions, both positive and negative, can greatly impact an animal’s health and well-being. This understanding allows them to develop a responsible stewardship for animals,” said Karen Lee Stevens, the founder of All for Animals and the book’s author. “Most children feel drawn toward animals and, properly nurtured, this attraction produces a beautiful symbiotic relationship with animals and the natural world.”
Stevens is a certified humane education specialist who works with young children at many preschools and elementary schools in Santa Barbara through the organization’s Compassion for Critters Humane Education program. Stevens realizes that when a child has the opportunity to participate in a positive experience with a companion animal such as grooming, walking or feeding a dog, the child’s self-esteem and sense of self evolves and expands and the child develops a sense of pride and accomplishment.
“Our book gives children the chance to use their imagination and to visualize how an animal might feel in any given situation, thereby helping that child understand a sense of connection and deep empathy and responsibility for animal welfare,” Stevens said. “This can help prevent most cases of animal neglect and abuse from occurring.”
All for Animals is the only nonprofit organization in Santa Barbara dedicated exclusively to humane education. The organization’s Compassion for Critters program has reached thousands of children in the community through reading, storytelling and interaction with well-behaved dogs, bunnies, birds and the occasional snake. The program builds on children’s natural empathy and curiosity toward animals and helps them create safe and satisfying relationships with animals that will last a lifetime.
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— Karen Lee Stevens is the founder/president of All for Animals.