by Hannah Milos, as appeared in Minnesota Veg Living, Issue 10

April 29, 2024

Empathy is a skill that requires stepping into someone else’s place — be it in shoes, hooves, scales, or feathers — and truly understanding their feelings. Here are some books and movies that do a good job in helping us find our empathy for animals.

Books

What a Fish Knows – Jonathan Balcombe

Did you know fish can think, feel, socialize, and plan? Dive into the mind of a fish and learn all about the hidden lives of our aquatic friends. 

Allowed to Grow Old: Portraits of Elderly Animals from Farm Sanctuaries – Isa Leshko

Most farmed animals are killed before their first birthdays, never given the opportunity to live out their natural lifespans. This collection of intimate portraits shows us what the faces of those animals look like when allowed to age.

The True Adventures of Esther the Wonder Pig – Steve Jenkins, Derek Walter, Caprice Crane, Cori Doerrfeld

Esther was called a “micro” pig when she was rescued by Steve and Derek. When Esther became hundreds of pounds larger, her dads decided to move out to the country and open the Happily Ever Esther Farm Sanctuary.

Joe Moon and Lisa Sun, by Tim Phillips with illustrations by Shannon Kimball. In this illustrated children’s book, animal activists Joe and Lisa are on the run from the law after freeing animals from a factory farm.

Movies

Chicken Run (2000) and Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget (2023)

A group of chickens are desperate to escape when their farm’s owners decide to turn their egg farm into a pot pie factory. The 2023 sequel follows the group as they break into a nugget factory to save one of their own. 

Okja (2017)

A young Korean girl travels to the U.S. to save her lifelong companion and best friend, the “super pig” Okja, from a horrible fate. 

The Last Pig (2017)

This documentary follows an Upstate New York farmer as he deals with internal ethical turmoil during his final year of raising pigs for consumption.

To find more book and movie recommendations like these, check out our website, explore vegan websites or social media groups, or ask your local librarian for suggestions.

Hannah’s bio

Hannah Milos (she/her) has been vegan since 2019. She started volunteering with CAA in 2022 and currently serves as Treasurer on their Board of Directors. In her free time, Hannah enjoys playing guitar, baking vegan treats, and exploring antique shops.