Press


Press coverage for
Our Farm: By the Animals of Farm Sanctuary (Knopf)

Blog Posts


Maya's blog entries for The Huffington Post

Post and video interview with author, Maya Gottfried at Big City Vegan

FARM (Farm Animal Rights Movement) blog's interview with Maya.

Susie Coston’s (Farm Sanctuary’s national shelter director) blog post about Our Farm:
Sanctuary Tails

Maya's op-ed on the Ohio farming agreement for
AOL News

Maya's guest post at Our Hen House

Maya's guest post at Kris Carr's Crazy Sexy Life blog.

Podcasts

OurHenHouse.com's podcast interview with author, Maya Gottfried.

"Vegetarian Food for Thought" podcast by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau including review of Our Farm.

Everything Else

“Maya Gottfried, author of ‘Our Farm, by the Animals of Farm Sanctuary,’ this year’s One Book One Town children’s selection, will appear….”
- Fairfield Citizen Online

“…Gottfried… based her poems on real-life animals that reside at Farm Sanctuary….”
- New York Daily News

“Our Farm: By the Animals of Farm Sanctuary (Knopf) takes a loving look at the residents of Farm Sanctuary’s two shelters….”
- Edge

“Together the poems and paintings add up to a picture of the friendliest farm around.”
- Richmond Public Library

"Maya Gottfried cleverly captures the creative writing styles of various livestock ("Yummy pants leg, can I try some?" ask two baby goats), while charming watercolors from Robert Rahway Zakanitch capture the fretful face of a calf named Whitaker, or the defiance in the eye of a duck named Diego." - Minneapolis Star-Tribune

"Beautiful watercolor images accompany poetry in this elegant and perfect childrens book. Use it to teach children about farm animals, this book is a must for every little one in your life."
- Girlie Girl Army blog

“In “Our Farm” readers will meet Maya the cow, J.D. the piglet, Hilda the sheep and a dozen more animals in their own voices through Maya Gottfried’s poetry. Master watercolorist Robert Rahway Zakanitch provides a portrait and pen-and-ink sketches for each poem that capture each animal’s personality.”
- The Edmond Sun

“…each fetching personality nudged along by the poetic lines of Maya Gottf[r]ied. There is a subtle message here, to be sure -- all the world's creatures deserve care and respect -- but it is handled with a very light touch. Robert Zakanitch's watercolors are quite wonderful….”
– Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

“OUR FARM: BY THE ANIMALS OF FARM SANCTUARY pairs Maya Gottfried's fine [poems] with paintings by Robert Rahway Zakanitch to provide a lovely farm collection perfect for spring.”
– Midwest Book Review

“Some of the animals that live or did live at the actual Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen, New York, tell us briefly of their lives and feelings in carefully crafted verse…. Double pages display naturalistic watercolor portraits and frequently pen and ink sketches and studies, sensitive impressions of ordinary farm animals.”
– Childrenslit.com

"This is a perfect book for animal lovers and poetry lovers alike. With wonderful paintings throughout, and a special message from the author at the back of the book, this is a title that would make a great gift."
- Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews

"The poems in this sweet and earnest collection are presented as written by the animals of the real-life Farm Sanctuary... Younger readers (or listeners) will adore the entire idea of works like "Freedom!" by J.D., a piglet, and "The Hill" by Bonnie, a donkey."
- ParentDish.com

"The poems are upbeat and funny. There are many different kinds including haikus. The animals' personalities really come out in these poems."
- Kiss the Book

"These are humorous, short poems—good for preschoolers and young elementary students. The farm animals from the sanctuary in Watkins Glen, New York, come to life with the soft, up-close artwork of artist Robert Rahway Zakanitch."
- Bookpage.com

"Our Farm is a poetry collection that touches my heart. It speaks out to me through both its text and its exceptional illustrations."
- Wild Rose Reader

"There are few books for young kids on this subject. From the cover image of one vulnerable lamb to the farm overviews on the endpapers, the physical images about the joy of home will move young animal lovers and those who read to them."
- Booklist

"...charming art and poetic hearts...."
- GoErie.com

"...very nice for children and adults...."
- ShawagunkJournal.com

"The combination of verse and the wonderful illustrations make this a unique and accessible book about animals."
- StarNewsOnline.com

"The whole book feels carefree and springy...."
- Literago.org

"‘Our Farm’ will make you a better man. If you need to melt someone’s heart for Vday, we suggest doing it the old-fashioned way. What lover wouldn’t go crazy for a tender-hearted man that reads poetry to them?"
- TheDiscerningBrute.com

"I couldn't tear myself away from the book."
- Compassionate Cooks "Soup to Nuts" newsletter 

"The third collaboration from this talented pair... presents an assortment of farm animals through short, humorous poems and whimsical paintings that give each animal a distinct personality."
- Kirkus

"If I had a kid, I would definitely read him/her this thought-provoking book. It humanizes animals that children normally expect to be on their dinner plate, but in such a subtle and creative way."
- Vegansaurus.com

Our Farm included in a list of recommended vegan reading for little ones.
- EasyVegan.info

"Beautifully illustrated, the book is a collection of poems, each one capturing the personality of some of the animals at Farm Sanctuary."
- VeganDad blog

"...there’s a new breed of books coming out that are explicitly vegan-friendly, like Maya Gottfried’s Our Farm: By the Animals of Farm Sanctuary. Maya’s fun (but not overly cutesy) poems are a perfect match for the paintings and sketches by Robert Rahway Zakanitch."
- The Veg Blog

"I was immediately captivated.... Gottfried brings the animals of Farm Sanctuary... to life by writing poems in the animal’s voices. She truly captured their spirit in the poetry that appears in this text, which is complete with Zakanitch’s gorgeous illustrations, done in watercolor, pencil, and ink....".
- Two Writing Teachers blog

“…Our Farm, with paintings of and poems "by" the residents of Farm Sanctuary (as translated by Maya Gottfried) so the whole dang family can enter 2011 considering, discussing, and literally putting a face to the food they share.”
- Livin’ La Vida Suburbia blog

“For the first time, the library has also chosen a companion book for younger children. It is a book of poems about animals by Maya Gottfried, called ‘Our Farm.’”
- MinutemanNewsCenter.com

“…the Fairfield Public Library and Pequot Library One Book One Town selection committee today announced Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer as their official pick…. ‘Our Farm is the official children’s companion book....’”
- FairfieldGreenFoodGuide.com

“…readings of two new books for children inspired by the animals of Farm Sanctuary… the national farm animal rescue and advocacy organization with shelters in Orland, CA. and Watkins Glen, NY. Maya Gottfried, author of Our Farm: By the Animals of Farm Sanctuary… will read and sign copies of her book, which celebrates the sanctuary’s animal residents in poems and paintings.”
- Animal Blawg

“Our Farm by The Animals of Farm Sanctuary, poems by Maya Gottfried, paintings by Robert Rahway Zakanitch is a cheery and loving celebration of the inhabitants of The Farm Sanctuary farms in Orland, California and Watkins Glen, New York, both shelters for neglected and abused farm animals.”
- My Daily Find

“…more than just a book about animals: it’s an invitation to share in their world.”
- SacramentoBookReview.com

“Maya's new book, "Our Farm: by the Animals of Farm Sanctuary," is just as charming as her earlier works. Once again the poetry captures the voice of the animals. And this time, the animals are farm animals -- cows, ducks, chickens, and pigs. Lucky for us she teamed with artist Robert Rahway Zakanitch for this book, too. His illustrations bring the animals to life.”
- Examiner.com

"Introduce your little animal lover to a new passion: poetry. This book of playful poems told through the voices of farm animals is paired with beautiful drawings of their favorite creatures in their natural habitat."
- The Stir blog

"…this year, the library also chose an official children’s selection so kids can get with the program. They picked 'Our Farm'...."
- TheDailyFairfield.com

"'Eating Animals,' a non-fiction book, is aimed at adult readers, though 'Our Farm: By the Animals of Farm Sanctuary' by Maya Gottfried was announced Wednesday as a companion book for younger readers."
- Fairfield Patch

"If the sweet, innocent eyes of the adorable lamb on the cover of this book refuse to tug at every corner of your heart, Ms. Gottfried's poetry surely will! "
- A Novel Idea blog

"This collection of beautiful poems have bylines by livestock, and show the world as seen through their eyes. Hear the prayer of gratitude from a sheep, the haiku of a nervous rabbit, get a rather up close and personal introduction to two peckish goats…."
- The Planetesme Plan blog

"This publication is a must have in every animal lover’s library. And like Ms. Gottfried’s other work, Good Dog, this one also makes a fine coffee table addition!"
- VegBooks.org