Let me just start off by saying it. I eat meat and enjoy it. Beef, bison, chicken, fish, even reindeer*. All of it is yummy.

I know that there’s unhealthiness in that carnivorous practice, especially with the swine and sadly, I’m sure I’ve ingested my fair share of pink slime. :s But alas, I’m a Meat Eater.

And I’m raising a couple of Meat Eaters too. We talk about healthy food choices, try to limit the sugar, eat our veggies, take our vitamins, etc. I feel like we’re your average meat-eatin’ Amuuurrikan family.

Which is why a new children’s book peaked my curiosity. It’s called “Vegan is Love.”

I was given an electronic copy before it was released earlier this week and though I hadn’t read anything beyond the title, I admit I was prepared to roll my eyes. I mean really, why would I buy a book from someone who not only refuses to eat meat, but also won’t wear any animal products? That means no leather purses or strappy heels. I’m kidding, really PETA folks, I’m kidding. Some of my best friends are vegan.

Ahem, back to the book… I actually liked it. It’s written and beautifully illustrated by activist, artist, writer and former teacher Ruby Roth. It explains what a vegan is and why those choices are important. It says: “we live this way because that it is good for our health, the earth and animals … and that is love.”

After explaining veganism, it talks about wearing clothes that are not made from animals. Then it covers animal testing, and what struck me was that the illustrations of the clearly depressed animals also showed their bloody ouchies.

Pretty heavy stuff for a children’s book, right? This book is aimed at kids who are ages 6 and older.

Next the book discusses child-friendly concepts such as zoos, aquariums and circuses and why these activities are bad for animals. It offers vegan-friendly alternatives, for example instead of the zoo, go to a ballet.

The ballet scene is my favorite. The dancers clad in plum-colored and starry costumes are all mid-air, their muscular bodies in various angles on the pike position. There’s no doubt, Roth is a talented illustrator and has a knack for having very emotive characters.

Her book also discusses the health benefits of being a vegan and how, essentially, the world would be a better place if everyone were vegan. The environment _ from the ice caps to the forests and oceans _ would improve and there wouldn’t be world hunger.

Granted solving these complicated problems aren’t nearly as black-and-white as this book proposes, but it *is* a children’s book.

The book has dusted off a controversial debate about whether being a vegan is healthy for children. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says vegan and vegetarian diets are safe for children. In fact its Web site says “well-planned vegetarian diets are appropriate for individuals during all stages of the life-cycle including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood and adolescence and for athletes.”

Still yet, some child psychologists and dietitians take issue with Roth’s book out of concern that it could scare kids into being vegans and create feelings of excessive guilt for having or wanting an animal product, especially since, as the book says: “vegan is love.”

In a statement Roth says “it’s high time we engage youth in topics previously reserved for adults – democracy, supply and demand, and engaging ourselves in the public realm. Fast food companies don’t think your kids are too young to be marketed to.”

I think if you choose for your family to be vegans, this book would be a good addition to conversations that should already be taking place in your home about your choices. If you’re not vegan, I can see how it could serve as a way to open your child’s eyes to other lifestyles. I’m all for expanding horizons and learning about other people’s life choices.

However, even if Logan was 6, I’d hold off on this book until he’s a bit older or at least until we’ve had a few more conversations to build a more comprehensive foundation on issues such as world hunger, pollution, and saving the environment.

As we all know, those issues are not black and white. The truth is in the shades of gray.

*Little Rudolph was part of a stew Hubby’s mom prepared in Norway. It was tasty, a little gamey, but no, not like chicken.