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Cluck

The second in a trilogy of beautifully illustrated children’s books, this story about the compelling journey of a young chicken named Cluck, told by a sage parrot.

Cluck is a very fortunate bird that was born in the safety and security of a sanctuary. But he is surrounded by birds who have seen hardship at the hands of humans, including the book’s narrator, an old wise parrot. Cluck is about to learn about other chicks who are not protected firsthand, as a factory farm and a chicken dinner drive-thru are built down the road. Children and adults of all ages will be moved and captivated by Cluck’s journey.

“Oh, how I wish the animals that we confine and torture for food were able to speak out and fight for freedom, as Cluck, the courageous chick, does in this story. Unfortunately, animals are imprisoned in a human world and therefore it is up to humans to right this wrong. Beautifully illustrated by Irene Blasco and compassionately written by Cheryl Moss, Cluck is a book for young people to learn the truth about chicken, how the bird goes from the industrial farm to our plates. However, the happy ending in this story is up to each of us, as the reader is offered the opportunity to take action and make positive change.”—Caryn Hartglass, Co-Founder and President, Responsible Eating And Living

“Cluck is an urgent call for compassion. Nonhuman animals are still widely regarded as inanimate objects—whether that be as food or as pets. Cheryl Moss and Irene Blasco bring the reader in to tackle this notion through a personable flock of rescued birds. Francisco, a parrot, introduces the story’s unlikely main duo: a chick, Cluck, and a human child who runs their bird sanctuary, Ryndon. Francisco narrates Cluck and Ryndon’s journey to save chickens being raised for slaughter. Through colorful imagery and diverse landscapes, Moss and Blasco weave a story of love and liberation into the pages. Together, Cluck and Ryndon are determined to free chickens and show their community how empowering it can be to choose compassion over killing. The reader is left with a powerful tale and an inspiring call to action. This story is valuable for anyone and everyone who co-exists with nonhuman animals. Animals, birds especially, are so often cast aside and deemed as disposable or lesser-than. Moss and Blasco show us that we share this planet with them, and they deserve our respect, care, and compassion—whether they have feathers, fins, or scales.”—Cami Hoffman, Youth Director at The Raven Corps

“Cheryl Moss and Irene Blasco have created another beautiful book that will open the hearts and minds of young readers. The story of Cluck and his sanctuary friends ingeniously and effectively weaves in the messages that all animals are individuals who feel and suffer, and that positive actions and activism can make change possible. Irene Blasco’s illustrations are vivid and stunning, conveying the emotions and personalities of the birds. This book is a must-read for children and adults alike, raising awareness of the plight of chickens, one of the most exploited animals on our planet.”—Dr. Joanne Kong, editor of Vegan Voices: Essays by Inspiring Changemakers

“Wow such a beautiful and relatable story. I loved the main characters, the birds and boy at the sanctuary, sited next to a chicken slaughterhouse. ‘Cluck was a reminder of just how good life can be when one is born in love and in safety.’ The trial and rescue and question at the end leaving it to the reader what to do to protect all the chickens everywhere. This series is so brilliant. Hope there are more in the works.”—Anita Krajnc, Executive Director, Animal Save Movement

“Cluck is a graceful yet powerful story to teach children (and adults!) what it means to respect other sentient creatures. The beautiful illustrations by Irene Blasco are nothing but magical and truly capture the profound lesson of love in Cheryl Moss’s words.”—Dr. Camila Perussello, author of Food for Thought: Planetary Healing Begins on Our Plate

Animals in Islam

An authorized and authoritative republication of B.A Masri’s seminal book and reflections on his work by important scholars and experts.

The uniqueness of this book, Animals in Islam, is that it is possibly the only truly authoritative work on Islamic Concern for Animals. The author, Al-Hafiz B.A. Masri, was the first Sunni Imam of the Shah Jehan mosque, and is widely respected for the depth of his scholarship in this field. The observations he makes are supported by a wealth of quotes from the Qur’an and Hadith. Animals in Islam is a republication of this iconic text for the world to enjoy, edited by his grandson, Nadeem Haque.

True to Islamic tradition, Al-Hafiz Masri welcomes readers—particularly theologians and scholars—to write to him, giving their opinions on what must be one of the most relevant and thought-provoking pieces of literature on animals within Islam to be released for several centuries. The esteemed contributors are Joyce D’Silva, D.Litt, Richard Foltz, Michael W. Fox, Princess Alia, Sarra Tlili, Lisa Kemmerer, and a biography on Masri by Nadeem Haque.

“Animals in Islam shows that in Islam, as in other religious traditions, there is ample material to justify a compassionate view of animals, and in particular, one that is incompatible with treating billions of sentient beings as if they were merely things, to be crowded into factory farms that take no account of their nature and their needs but see them only objects for human consumption.”—Peter Singer, professor of bioethics at Princeton University, author of Animal Liberation

“I had the good fortune to have known the late Al Hafiz Masri in the mid-1980s when he was working on the first edition of this book. I gained much from this relationship in the environmental themes that I was myself developing at that time and his erudition and wisdom is not lost on his grandson, Nadeem Haque, who as editor has produced the second version of this volume. Compassion in World Farming has also much to commend itself for pushing out this volume and is largely responsible for the shape of the final chapter with its emphasis on stunning. Although this volume is meant for a western readership the material is relevant to the Islamic world generally and should be compulsory reading for all those interested in humane slaughter. It also forces people to rethink their dietary habits given the negative impact of high meat consumption on the environment.”—Fazlun Khalid, Founder of the Islamic Foundation for Ecology and Environmental Sciences, author of Signs on the Earth: Islam, Modernity, and the Climate Crisis (Kube Publishing Ltd., 2019)

“A most important book! One of the earliest and very few to offer a comprehensive Islamic perspective on contemporary animal welfare issues. It brings to life and conveys the urgency of a key Qur’anic insight: that our lives and the lives of other animals are inextricably intertwined; that kindness to animals is not a quirk or secondary concern, but an essential part of human virtue.

“By all accounts, Masri was an illustrious scholar and the kind of person one meets once and never forgets. May both Muslims and non-Muslims meet Masri through this book and find inspiration in his kindness.”—Rainer Ebert, PhD; Fellow of the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics, UK, and International Research Associate at the University of Dar es Salaam, in former Tanganyika, one of the many places Masri called home.

“This new edition of Al-Hafiz B.A. Masri’s seminal work is great news for research in Islamic animal theology, especially since it is accompanied by contributions from major authors on these questions. It is an outstanding tribute that the editor Nadeem Haque pays here to the pioneering work of his grandfather.”—Sébastien Sarméjeanne, translator of the French edition of Animals in Islam (Les Animaux en Islam)

“As concerns grow for the sustainability of life on our planet, animal welfare has become an issue of increasing relevance and importance. This pioneering book provides an overview of animal welfare through the lens of Islam and encourages the reader to rethink how values of compassion can be implemented.”—Sabrina Sehbai, Founder and Director of Join Hands

“In the divine revelation of Islam, we see multiple references to animals in different contexts. Clearly the Qur’an alludes to a high level of sophistication (or even development) that some (or many) animals or even insects may have. Masri, in his seminal contribution, sheds light on animals in Islam that extends the debate beyond the question of animals as a source of humans’ pleasure or utility. In light of the modern Western culture of extreme excess in everything, and in light of the dominant Muslims’ culture that mainly focuses on which animal products are permissible to eat, and in light of the advances in psychology, sociology, and the physical sciences, Masri’s book will ignite a broader debate that is highly timely.”—Omar M. Ramahi, Author of Muslims’ Greatest Challenge: Choosing Between Tradition and Islam

If But My Gaze Could Heal

Foreword by Rev Billy Talen

An engaging, moving, and poignant book of poetry from a well-known leader, educator, and writer with notable endorsements from Reverend Billy Talen (Church of Stop Shopping), Carolyn Martin (poetry editor at Kosmos Journal), and Alice Reys (Singer Dancer) among others.

Colin Greer knows a lot about a lot. His rich life as an educator and author/playwright, immersed in the social and political justice trenches, is reflected in his latest poetry. The 150 poems in If But My Gaze Could Heal are thoughtfully broken into five thematic chapters: With or Without Which, Mischief and Melancholy, Stick out your Tongue, Phew!, and What is Hidden and Hidden From. In this collection, he muses on the human condition through verse, taking the reader through the ordinary, the personal, the sublime and tragic.

 “Colin Greer is in conversation with some of the greats and he is holding his own.”—Dr. Cornel West, professor, philosopher, author, activist

“When Wallace Stevens proclaimed, ‘In poetry, you must love the words, the ideas and the images and rhythms with all your capacity to love anything at all,’ he could have been describing Colin Greer’s astonishing collection If But My Gaze Could Heal. In poem after poem, Greer gob smacks us with an imagination in overdrive that leaves us reeling with characters, philosophies, perspectives, and metaphors that dance dervishly across lines that won’t stand still. Yet, he occasionally gives us a breather to ponder aphoristic wisdom like ‘I’ve read grace fills empty spaces./So there’s hope even if stars burn out,’ and it ‘Takes time to look, to see, to turn up the heat.’ This rich and intriguing collection requires taking time, time to gaze with the poet as ‘The Earth quakes/Ready to take one for the team/If we can learn/to listen.’ A hallmark of Greer’s art, this book ignites the heat of surprise, awe, and, if we listen closely enough, the grace in empty spaces.”—Carolyn Martin, Ph.D., Poet and Poetry Editor of Kosmos Quarterly: Journal for Global Transformation

“There is a longing in this poet-activist, who sees more than we can bear, but mirth and joy are part of the seeing and it draws us there.”—Matt Weiner, Associate Dean, Office of Religious Life at Princeton University

“Being the body and voice for ‘Treaty Between Self and Earth’ poems was without a doubt one of the deepest and most exciting challenges of my acting career. My soul was touched by every single word, giving me the opportunity to make an even deeper connection with the piece and give layers and colors to the character. Such strong and delicate matter, translated in the most beautiful and poetic way possible is a true gift for me as an actor and I’ll be forever grateful for the opportunity to experience and embody something so incredibly special.”—Alice Reis, actor, singer, dancer

“Gripping, suspenseful and funny in a way that few poets are—Greer has managed to create something quite rare and extraordinary: a page turner. His writing about politics reminds one of what is important in everyday life, and his writing about everyday life could motivate you to enter politics. His poetry is almost deceptively easy to read. The author has a rhythm and ease that invites us to sit down, as if for a casual conversation with a friend—only to then find yourself enjoying a deeper discourse on the meatiest and toughest subjects in American public life—power, class, race, politics. And just when we get comfortable talking, he moves us to stand up and act.”—Svante Myrick, Executive Director of People For the American Way

“I love this collection of poems—it is a book I will keep by my side always. When I read Colin Greer’s poetry, I hear music. And then I close my eyes and see images, vivid images, that linger and dance above consciousness. I travel from the future to the ancient past with astonishing stops along the way that dare me to open my eyes to think about the world in ways I never thought possible.”—N. Scott Johnson, architect, artist, musician, composer

“Reading Colin’s poetry is much like standing in between two mirrors in an attic: I face the multitudes of humanity—from beauty to brutality—in a mise an abyme of ghost stories. This particular collection gifts us a sliver of hope for breaking the curse. A sobering, hands-in-the-dirt kind of hope – the only kind I trust these days. Nothing left to think about, they tell me, time to dive in.”—Esther Meroño Baro, community organizer and multimedia artist

“These evocative poems examine the human condition in all of its wonder and all of its failings. At turns erudite and terrestrial, Greer’s voice implores the reader to look closer, to draw connections, to fly from branch to branch, and we do.”—Emma Straub, author of This Time Tomorrow

Restoring and Transforming the Ancient Jewish New Year for Animals

The publication of this book is part of a bold campaign championed by Dr. Richard Schwartz and other Jewish activists to restore the ancient Jewish holiday that was initially used to tithe animals for sacrifices and to transform it into a day devoted to increasing awareness of Judaism’s many teachings about treating animals compassionately and how the current treatment of animals on factory farms and other settings seriously violates these teachings. It is a continuation of Dr. Schwartz’s over 40-year effort to show that plant-based diets are most consistent with Jewish teachings on preserving our health, treating animals with compassion, protecting the environment, conserving natural resources, helping hungry people, and pursuing peace.

At a time when animal-based diets and agriculture contribute significantly to the massive mistreatment of animals, heart disease, cancer, and other life-threatening diseases, climate change and other environmental threats to humanity, the wasteful use of land, water, energy, and other resources, widespread hunger, and the potential for future pandemics, the book’s essential messages show the relevance of Judaism’s eternal values to current issues.

The book’s many supporting blurbs from Jewish organizations, rabbis, and other influential Jews show that reforming and transforming the ancient Jewish holiday is indeed an “idea whose time has come.”
Please use the book’s messages to join this initiative that can help leave a decent, healthy, compassionate, environmentally sustainable world for future generations.

An Introduction to Veganism and Agricultural Globalism

In An Introduction to Veganism & Agricultural Globalism, organizer and activist Omowale Adewale delves deep beyond vegan cooking to uncover the dirt about the United States Western imperialism supranational neo-colonist global plan to work with Monsanto to sell GMO crops to Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, Australia, and the entire world—thus weaponizing food through big ag. Along the way, he gives insight into phytoestrogens and soy, while helping readers learn where vegans can easily obtain their protein and vitamin B12. Adewale discusses food and land sovereignty under a Black framework, Black veganism, the European Union, China, and the Third World worldview of agricultural trade. This is a helpful vegan guide and cookbook with various vegan recipes, including smoothies and a detox juice. Whether you are transitioning to veganism, an athlete, or a political enthusiast and activist, An Introduction to Veganism & Agricultural Globalism touches on a plethora of topics and offers solutions for the reader to consider.

No Easy Answers

On April 20, 1999, Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris, two seniors at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, walked into their school and shot to death twelve students and one teacher, and wounded many others. It was the worst single act of murder at a school in U.S. history. 

Few people knew Dylan Klebold or Eric Harris better than Brooks Brown. Brown and Klebold were best friends in grade school, and years later, at Columbine, Brown was privy to some of Harris and Klebold’s darkest fantasies and most troubling revelations After the shootings, Brown was even accused by the police of having been in on the massacre—simply because he had been friends with the killers. 

Brown with journalist Rob Merritt tells his full version of the story. He describes the warning signs that were missed or ignored, and the evidence that was kept hidden from the public after the murders. He takes on those who say that rock music or video games caused Klebold and Harris to kill their classmates and explores what it might have been that pushed these two young men, from supposedly stable families, to harbor such violent and apocalyptic dreams. 

Shocking as well as inspirational and insightful, No Easy Answers is an authentic wake-up call for all the psychologists, authorities, parents, and law enforcement personnel who have attempted to understand the murders at Columbine High School. As the title suggests, the book offers no easy answers, but instead presents the unvarnished facts about growing up as an alienated teenager in America today.

This edition contains a new afterword that describes what has happened in the United States since Columbine, and provides updates on the aftermath of the massacre.

Free the Animals

Told as a thriller, Free the Animals is a classic work of radical popular storytelling. A classic in the mold of Edward Abbey’s The Monkey Wrench Gang.

First published in 1992, this thirtieth-anniversary edition by animal rights icon Ingrid Newkirk has been revised and updated with a new foreword by academy award-winning actor Joaquin Pheonix, and an afterword by PETA’s renowned senior scientist Dr. Emily Trunnell, who describes whether and how the experiments you read about in this book have changed (or have not) over the last three decades.

Free the Animals is the story of Valerie, a twenty-three-year-old police officer in Montgomery County, Maryland, whose world is turned upside down when she learns about the abuses of animals in laboratories. The book describes how this law-abiding woman comes to challenge the system by taking direct action and examines why ordinary people are moved to do extraordinary things on behalf of animals. Full of fascinating characters, vivid descriptions, and thrilling incidents, and rich with details on what it means to live life on the run from the law (and agents provocateurs), Free the Animals is not only a classic for our times but a compellingly relevant examination of our cruelty to other animals.

“A moving story about extreme cruelty and extreme courage and an inspirational and practical guide for anyone bent on challenging the system.”—Oliver Stone

“I cried and I cheered.”—Rue McClanahan

“Free the Animals . . . takes us to the front lines of the movement for the nineties and give us insight into what makes the world’s newest freedom fighters tick.”—Chrissie Hynde

Vegan Geographies


Fourteen chapters from international geographers and cultural analysts, academic and otherwise, on veganism as a conceptual and physical space.

Veganism as an ethics and a practice has a recorded history dating back to Antiquity. Yet, it is only recently that researchers have begun the process of formalizing the study of veganism. Whereas occasional publications have recently emerged from sociology, history, philosophy, cultural studies, or critical animal studies, a comprehensive geographical analysis is missing. Until now. In fourteen chapters from a diverse group of scholars and living practitioners, Vegan Geographies looks across space and scale, exploring the appropriateness of vegan ethics among diverse social and cultural groups, and within the midst of broader neoliberal economic and political frameworks that seek to commodify and marketize the movement. Vegan Geographies fundamentally challenges outdated but still dominant human–nature dualisms that underpin widespread suffering and ecological degradation, providing practical and accessible pathways for people interested in challenging contemporary systems and working collectively toward less destructive worlds.