When award-winning New Yorker cartoonist and longtime PETA pal Harry Bliss sits down to write a children's book about a day at school with a lovable mutt named Bailey, you know it'll be a big hit with kids. But with Bliss' talent for satire, even adults will enjoy a chuckle or two.

Dedicated to PETA president Ingrid E. Newkirk, Bailey makes it clear that although kids may prefer to read books—while Bailey prefers to chew them—both kids and dogs have specific needs and deserve respect and kindness.

Bliss has often used his genius to create original artwork specifically to help animals, including his remarkable life-size baby elephant sculpture, Ella PhantzPeril, which he designed for PETA's campaign against animal circuses, and his crippled chicken statue for PETA's Kentucky Fried Cruelty campaign. Bliss has also created wonderful thought-provoking covers for PETA's Animal Times magazine. 

One of the funniest parts of the book is a play on the age-old excuse for not turning in homework—the dog ate it. But in Bailey's case, he really does eat his homework. And in the time-honored tradition of trading lunches in the cafeteria, Bailey tries to barter his beloved and well-chewed bone for a little girl's sandwich.

Bailey is replete with touching and beautifully drawn anecdotes that will bring smiles to the faces of kids and adults alike.

Written by Joe Taksel

Chimpanzees used in laboratory experiments have been a hot topic this summer, from the film Rise of the Planet of the Apes to the National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine hearings on the use of chimpanzees for experimentation. Now, Unsaid, a new novel by Neil Abramson, movingly explores the ways in which animals—including a chimpanzee, Cindy, who communicates with sign language—impact the lives of the humans who care for and about them.

The novel takes us on the journey of David Colden, an attorney who is mourning his wife's death while defending sign-language researcher Dr. Cassidy, who has raised Cindy from infancy and who will do anything—including breaking the law—to prevent the young chimpanzee from being sent to a laboratory.

I wanted to cheer when Colden told the court: "There was a crime committed here—but it wasn't by Dr. Cassidy. The crime is by those who would torture a thinking, feeling, caring, intelligent creature and expect others to sit idle amid the torrent of blood and screams."

In some ways, Dr. Cassidy's story mirrors the real life work of Dr. Roger Fouts, who has spent decades teaching sign language to chimpanzees. Because he doesn't "own" all the apes he works with, some of them have been sold to laboratories over the years, including Booee, whom Fouts, trailed by a 20/20 film crew, visited in a laboratory years later with heartbreaking results. The ensuing public outcry resulted in Booee being sent to a sanctuary.

Unsaid: A Novel is available from Amazon.

Written by Michelle Sherrow

These days, it may seem like no one can stop gushing about their Valentine's Day plans, but for those of us whose brains haven't melted to love-mush, we are launching a contest to celebrate February's real holiday: Presidents' Day.

We're giving away a pair of inspirational books written by two leaders who know about making an impact on the world: PETA President Ingrid Newkirk's One Can Make a Difference: How Simple Actions Can Change the World and the Dalai Lama's Becoming Enlightened. Both offer moving stories and guidance for making the small changes in your life that can make a big change in the world. And because most of us will enjoy a day off on Presidents' Day (another reason why the holiday may be superior to Valentine's Day), what better time is there to settle down for a good, inspiring read and get some tips on taking action to help animals in need?

To enter, leave a comment here and let us know how you plan to create change for animals this year. The contest ends on February 23, 2009, and the most inspiring comment will win. We'll contact the winner on February 24, 2009. Make sure to read our privacy policy and terms and conditions, as you're agreeing to both by commenting.

So what are you waiting for?

Written by Liz Graffeo

topnews / CC

OK, maybe that headline is a teensy bit of an exaggeration. What President Obama really said during his town-hall meeting in Fort Myers, Florida, on Tuesday was that he's "open to any idea, whether it comes from a Democrat or a Republican or a vegetarian …." Did you catch that? Vegetarians aren't just mainstream, we've been elevated to the status of a political party! Can a faux chicken in every pot be far behind?

We're so honored by the president's personal "invitation" that we've dashed off a letter giving him one of our best ideas: Stop dumping unhealthy meat, eggs, and dairy products on the National School Lunch Program (NSLP).

Why are kids being force-fed artery-clogging animal products, you ask? Because the NSLP is under the aegis of the USDA, which is in the business of supporting the meat, dairy, and egg industries. This is easy to do if you buy up a bunch of the crap yourself and then foist it off on chronically underfunded schools, which aren't exactly in a position to say no.

Instead of continuing to prop up an industry that hurts animals, pollutes the environment, and exposes people to a greater risk of heart disease, we think that the government should be in the business of promoting healthy veggies. Only common sense, right? Hopefully, the president agrees.

Written by Alisa Mullins