You are never too old or too young to show your love of animals, learn more about their awesome talents, and discover how to be a hero for them. Drawing on her own experiences and inspired by lessons of compassion from her childhood in India, Ingrid Newkirk—founder of PETA India and all PETA entities worldwide—has, since 1980, been inspiring children and adults on how to make the world a kinder place for all living beings. In her new book, Unlock the Animal World: Incredible Facts for Young Superheroes (HarperCollins India), she carries this lifelong message forward, encouraging a new generation to stand up for them.
Released just in time for Earth Day (April 22), the book includes fascinating facts about animals—from sea turtles who use the Earth’s magnetic field to navigate vast oceans, birds who have ways of breathing such thin air that they can even fly over the Himalayas, to pigs who enjoy playing video games and horses who can learn to press buttons to get a coat put on or taken off, depending on the weather—as well as key, action steps that empower young people to protect animals.
“There is a delight in learning weird and wonderful things about other species, and this book gives children insight into animals’ languages, interests, and behaviors, as well as teaching them the great joy of respecting others of all kinds. Every child who reads Unlock the Animal World will be connected to the fascinating animals we share this planet with, and PETA India encourages everyone to explore all the exciting ways to be heroes to animals.” – Ingrid Newkirk
As a child, Newkirk accompanied her mother in charity work in Delhi, stuffing toys for orphans, assembling pill packets for people suffering from leprosy, rescuing injured baby chipmunks and dogs, and even providing a home for ducks from a local fair.
Today, PETA entities worldwide have more than 10.4 million members and supporters, including more than 2 million in India. With Indians under 25 making up nearly half (47%) of the nation’s population, PETA India puts considerable focus on its humane education programmes to encourage empathy in the next generation. They include Compassionate Citizen—an award-winning programme designed to help students aged 8 to 12 better understand and appreciate animals—and Ellie, a life-size animatronic, empathy-building “talking” elephant voiced by actor Dia Mirza, who visits schools to encourage children to choose kindness.
Educators who would like Ellie to visit their schools can write to Meenakshi Narang at [email protected].