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The article presents an overview of the popularity of children's books that feature or are based on animals. A discussion of the role that animal stories play in the moral and ethical development of children is presented. In the article the author offers her opinions on the role that education plays in the moral and ethical development of children, on the moral and ethical development of society as a whole and on the ethical virtues of vegetarianism and how it relates to animal stories.

The article comments on the subject matter of children's books. The author suggests that, since there is such a prevalence of violence in culture, that civilization can be preserved for children through literature and the arts. The author discusses the impact of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on children's literature and offers advice regarding children's literacy to readers.

The article discusses the process of creating art. The author disputes the common writerly trope of "my characters just start talking," often used to describe the creative process. Art is a product of conscious thought and purpose created with the words, ideas and images that everyone sees everyday. The author argues that art is the result of more conscious deliberation in encountering the world. The author discusses the writing of her novels "The Dreams of Mairhe Mehan" and "Black-Eyed Susan."

The article discusses the concept of beauty as it relates to children's literature. The author argues that beauty can be a burden to young female characters, and that emphasis on physical beauty has been replaced to an emphasis on the character's "inner beauty." The author also suggests that de-valuing beauty could be perceived as the "promotion of ugliness."

The article presents several questions for former U.S. President Abraham Lincoln about the Reconstruction. The author analyzes a portion of Lincoln's second inaugural speech. The succession of former U.S. Vice President Andrew Johnson into the office of President is discussed. According to the author, Johnson's unpopularity and fractured leadership resulted in persistent racial discrimination. The author questions what Lincoln would have done differently.