The HSUS recently sat down with author and poet Christopher Nye to talk about his children's book, "The Old Shepherd's Tale," which tells the Christmas story from the point of view of the animals in the stable. His story reveals lessons on humane treatment of animals, which may leave readers seeing all animals in a new light. (Recommended for ages 6 and older. Housatonic Press, 2004.)

Christopher Nye received a Fulbright to study playwriting in England, but he has mostly written poetry and non-fiction. He holds a Ph.D. in American Studies and recently retired from a long career in higher education. Nye is currently a development officer with The Orion Society, an environmental nonprofit organization in Massachusetts. "The Old Shepherd's Tale" is his first children's book. 

The HSUS: What inspired you to write the Christmas story from the perspective of the animals in the stable?

Christopher Nye: It really was inspired in a sense, but it wasn't my inspiration. I was told this story by an elderly lady from Austria. It was kind of told as a parable but for adults.

It occurred to me since both my wife and I have been members of the Humane Society for many years and really have a concern for animals, that this could be most effectively told if it was illustrated and done as a children's picture book. I really took the inspiration of my elderly friend and tried to weave it into a story that was viable. I was trying to build empathy for the animals and help people—especially children—to see things through their eyes and feel what they were feeling.

HSUS: Most Christians hold the birth of Christ as a glorious moment in history. What is often not considered is that Jesus was born—not among world leaders or skilled doctors—but among the farm animals. It was the farm animals who were blessed to be part of that moment. Maybe there is a reverence owed to them. Yet it is these very kinds of animals who suffer in factory farming industries and who are largely invisible to the public. Can you comment on this?

CN: I think that the key issue here is one of gratitude. All religious traditions give thanks. But somehow we lose sight of gratitude often in our eating and in our relationship to animals. It goes without saying that they often give up their lives for us. But they also serve, and historically as beasts of burden and provide milk and nourishment and leather for our shoes and so on. It seems to me if gratitude were present in the equation, it would be pretty much unthinkable to keep animals in the factory farm situation.

I also felt it was probably more likely this message could get through to children than it could to adults. That's another reason why I chose this particular format.

HSUS: Often, children's first exposure to farm animals is through literature. But farming scenes are often depicted as bucolic, pastoral scenes of animals enjoying sunshine, fresh air and ideal lives. The classic "Old MacDonald." Clearly not a true image of how billions of farm animals in the factory farming industry live today. How important was the depiction of the animals to your story?

CN: If you look at the pictures in the book, you'll see that Henry Sorensen, who is the illustrator, conveys a sense that these animals have souls. They are not human, but there is some spiritual dimension to them. Children's predominate exposure to animals today is probably in cartoons. This (book) is very different from pixels on the screen. It took two years to find the right illustrator for the book. When we finally discovered (Sorensen) I saw he had illustrated a book of Robert Frost poems. I saw the pictures and said, ah ha! This is the man to do my book.

HSUS: Your book also touches on acts of neglect and cruelty, faced by many animals even in today's world. Why was it important to you to include these examples in the story?

CN: In a sense, the way we are treating particularly farm animals in this country with factory farm conditions is really re-crucifying Christ; If one imagines that He is intimately connected with the Earth and combined His destiny with the Earth and all of these creatures, then it is inconceivable that He wouldn't be hurt by the abuse of animals.

Then the question comes up, how do you tell this to children in a way that is nourishing rather than frightening or off-putting. If you were to take a child into a factory farm or a slaughterhouse or something like that, you would just harden them in a certain way. So what I tried to do was to tell a story in a certain way with a few examples. In one case—a young person who isn't really mindful in looking after the cow—and have it come out okay in the end. And in that way it comes across as a more nourishing story rather than a punitive or negative one.

HSUS: How do you think we can reconnect with animals and include them as part of "Creation Care"?

CN: I think that is a tough one which everyone has to answer for themselves or within their families. I do think it is great if children have the responsibility and the exposure of pets at home.

The concept of Creation Care, coined within the evangelical movement, I very much support, but I think a distinction needs to be made. This needs to be communicated in an inclusive rather than an exclusive way. I am looking, for example, at an evangelical declaration on the care of Creation. And it says in the first sentence of the preamble, 'We believe Biblical faith is essential to the solution of our ecological problems.'

I would have an issue with that only insofar it implies only those who refer to scripture and to our scripture can solve this problem. It seems to me that the problem is big enough so that all religions need to work together on this.

HSUS: Are you writing another children's book? Will you write about animals again?

CN: My wife is collecting tales of animal stories, and I am helping her with that. Mostly I write poetry. I would certainly consider another children's book. I have a draft of something which is a retelling of the story of St. Francis and the Wolf of Gubbio.

HSUS: We will really be looking forward to that. This has been an inspiring discussion. Thank you so much for taking the time to share your book with us and your thoughts on some very important animal issues. Merry Christmas and many blessings to you and your family.

The Old Shepherd's Tale is available by calling Housatonic Press & The Orion Society at 888-909-6568 or by purchasing online. Nye is also working on a revised reprint of the book due out in 2008