Glenn Nicholson
 Author
 

As a child my family rented a ramshackle house on a farm on the outskirts of Melbourne, Australia. I was surrounded by the bush and a myriad of creatures big and small. These were some of the happiest years of my life. Many of the animals became family pets. There was Julie the goose, Panda and Gretel the goats, Whitey and Frosty the rabbits, Patty and Gertie the chooks, Huey (photographed), Dewey and Louie the goslings, to name just a few.

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Our pets were an integral part of our family. They became our friends. Most followed us around looking for a pet or cuddle. When any of them died or disappeared, I cried. Many decades on, I still remember each of them fondly. They brought me much joy and happiness.

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After reading Matthieu Ricard’s book, A Plea for the Animals, where he stated that most children were unaware of what is on their dinner plate. I remembered back to my childhood to when a pet mysteriously disappeared. When I told dad, his response was always that they had run away. On reflection, I realise that, unfortunately, most ended up on our dinner plate. Even today just the thought makes me sad.

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With over 30 years in the publishing industry and having tutored children for over 11 years I know that educating children can create change. And so inspired by Ricard’s book, I changed my eating habits, and decided to write, Matilda Had a Little Lamb, in the hope of making children more aware that they do have a choice when it comes to what is put on their dinner plate. They have a right to know the truth.

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