Customer Reviews

Benji Bean Sprout Doesn't Eat Meat

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I love this book. My son loves the story line. It is so helpful to kids who feel different from their friends because they don't eat burgers and fries. It helps them feel normal.

I don't know what I was expecting... but this wasn't it. I wish it was more... I don't know... had more omf or just expressed the goodness of being a vegetarian more.
Disappointing.

Heather mama of 5

Really disappointed. The story was not great and definitely not appropriate for my four year old who is just learning that he is a vegetarian and what that means. My problems - the story started out really abruptly with kids making fun of Benji, there was mild violence (something like the bullies pushed Benji up against the wall) and it had an unrealistic ending where the bullies wanted to come over for dinner and be Benji's friend. I returned this book today.

My boys love this book! I have been looking for books that will help them to be proud of our vegetarian lifestyle. Benji does the trick. My oldest son (5) wants me to read it to him over and over again. We also love Neatloaf!!! Thank you Sarah!

Benji is a little boy who brings food to school that is a little different than the other kids eat. Two boys are bullies and mean to Benji because of the differences and it escalates into a scene in the hallway.

When Benji gets home, he asks Mom and Dad if he can have a hamburger. Maybe this will make him like the other children. But instead of eating hamburgers, Dad takes Benji to an animal sanctuary. There, he learns that all animals are important, even if they don't have names.

Mom makes food for Benji's class and the kids eat with mixed reactions. The bullies end up liking the food and ask to come over some time for dinner.

Hello, I am Sarah Rudy, the author of Benji Bean Sprout Doesn't Eat Meat. This book is intended as a teaching book told in the form of a realistic story for children. The bullies in the story are based on some of my own school experiences. While I was not a vegetarian until I turned 18, I was one of those "different" kids who got picked on.

As an adult, I met a lot of grown up bullies who challenged my dietary choices. Of course, being a vegetarian is a lot more popular now then it was in 1995!

The book is intended to be shared by the parents with their children as a way to explain some of the tougher truths about what farm animals go through to end up on our dinner plates. In this way, parents can answer the question "Why don't we eat animals?" with the help of a story and friendly pictures.

Thank you for your purchase and I wish you peace in your world.
Sarah Rudy

This is a great book for young kids! My daughter has loved it for years.

What I really loved about this book was the way the parents reacted to the son's questions about their diet. They were loving and nonjudgemental while sharing the reasons for their diet with their son. It is a great way to teach timid children to stand up for themselves, whatever their beliefs are and no matter how scared they are.

Benji doesn't eat meat and because of pressure from his peers he is thinking about eating a hamburger. His parents, while thinking it is a bad idea, do not tell him no rather they reinforce the reason behind why they do not eat meat so he can make an educated decision. It's a nice book that I feel many vegan/vegetarian children will be able to relate to.

I ordered this for a child and was very disappointed when I received it. As my title suggests, this is a book with a message it is trying to send, not a cute story that you would want to share with anyone. I think it is too preachy to be for a general audience. It would turn off those who do not practice a vegetarian lifestyle, instead of embracing basic differences between people's lifestyles. I did not end up giving the book as a gift.