Can kids really change the world? PETA India Founder Ingrid E Newkirk thinks so, and she shows them how to do it in her book 50 Easy Ways Kids Can Help Animals: Fun and Easy Ways to Be a Kind Kid (HarperCollins).

Most children are naturally drawn to animals, and Newkirk wants to help them put their compassion into action. 50 Easy Ways Kids Can Help Animals provides information about how kids can help animals in their everyday lives, from the hamster running in an exercise wheel to the opossum living under the back porch to the elephants travelling with circuses to the cows and chickens whose bodies wind up on the dinner table.

A recurring theme throughout the book is empathy, something that educators, psychologists and law enforcement officials agree is key to helping mould children into responsible, caring adults. Newkirk helps kids put themselves in animals' position by sharing fascinating facts about animal behaviour and contrasting wild animals' native habitats with conditions in zoos, circuses and pet shops. "Live by the Golden Rule: 'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you'", writes Newkirk. "When dealing with any lost or confused animal, try to put yourself in their place. … [H]elp them as you would want to be helped."

Laid out in an easy-to-read format that features charming illustrations, riddles and quizzes, 50 Easy Ways Kids Can Help Animals is packed with information that will inspire kids to put down the Game Boy and get busy helping animals, including the following features:

• Words of wisdom from kids' favourite athletes, musicians and actors
• Poems and artwork created by kids as well as examples of real-life kids who are active for animals
• Tips for helping wildlife and taking proper care of companion animals
• Easy-to-prepare healthy, animal-friendly recipes
• Dozens of resources for more information

In addition, a "What You Can Do" section at the end of every chapter features simple things that kids can do to give animals a helping hand and enables kids to foster their love and compassion for all living beings. Some of the ideas include the following:

• Keep a journal about the dog or cat or gerbil in your own home or in the home of a friend or relative. Observe the animal whenever you can – being sure not to disturb his or her normal habitat or routine – and note how much time this animal friend spends doing various different things. What signs does she or he make to display feelings, just as you might? How does his or her behaviour change as the things around him or her change? How would you feel in his or her place in different situations?
• Study animals for your science fair project, travelling to their homes and observing their natural behaviour without interfering. Record a bird's song and analyse it for patterns, or watch to see how many different types of food the bird eats.
• Check out the education programme set up by Compassionate Citizen and suggest to your teacher that your whole class do one of the activities as a group. There are lots of downloadable worksheets with great ideas, like putting together a list of inventions that could do the work that animals are forced to do today – just as in the old days, horses were used to pull heavy loads, but now we use trucks to transport heavy loads.

50 Easy Ways Kids Can Help Animals nurtures kids' natural affinity for animals, which in turn makes them more sensitive to the feelings of others. The book helps kids realise that they can make a difference and puts them on the road to becoming empowered adults.

To order a copy of the book for a kid in your life, just send an e-mail to Info@petaindia.org with the subject line "I would like to buy a copy of 50 Easy Ways Kids Can Help Animals". And while you are waiting for the book to arrive, here are a few ideas for helping animals.