The Beautiful Story of Helga, Harvey, and the Lightning Herd
Have you ever wanted to change the world? Sometimes it’s as simple as making a difference in just one life. PETA’s first children’s book proves that each individual has the power to make a meaningful impact.
Harvey and the Lightning Herd tells the sweet story of a young girl named Helga, her friendship with a tiny calf named Harvey, and how nursing him back to health led her to open an animal sanctuary. The book features enchanting illustrations by Denise V. Tremblay and a surprise on the back cover: a QR code that links to “Cow Wow,” an original song by Tony Award–winning composers Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison.
Biographies
Helga Tacreiter is the founder of The Cow Sanctuary in New Jersey, which she founded in 1988. She stopped eating animals in 1973, and her work with cows on a dairy farm helped her realize how important it was to go vegan. Over almost four decades, she has taken in many animals so that they’d be free to enjoy their lives naturally and peacefully. Currently, her sanctuary is home to cows, emus, horses, goats, pigs, ducks, geese, and other animals, many of whom were rescued from situations involving cruelty and neglect.
Denise V. Tremblay is an illustrator with a passion for graphic storytelling. In 1996, when she was 37 years old, she and her husband went vegan after visiting a farmed-animal sanctuary. She has retired from a career in higher education and lives with her husband in the Philadelphia area. Harvey and the Lightning Herd is her first picture book.
Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison are composers who also cowrote the hit Broadway musical The Drowsy Chaperone, for which they won the 2006 Tony Award for Best Original Score. Since then, they’ve enjoyed writing songs to help animals, including their 2021 song “Rescue Dog,” which comically celebrates President Joe Biden’s dog and was sung by stage star Beth Leavel, and “The Pigeon Song,” sung by stage and screen star Georgia Engel. Both Lambert and Morrison have always cared about animals, and Lambert is currently exploring her new love of spiders.
Listen to the Original Song
“Cow Wow” is an original song written by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison in honor of Harvey.
Helga’s Cowches
Helga is also known for her iconic “cowches,” which she started making as a way to support the sanctuary. Her handmade cowches are furry, customizable, life-size floor pillows made in the shape of a cow. Each one resembles a real cow who lives or has lived at the sanctuary. They come in three lengths: newborn (3 feet), yearling (5 feet), and adult (8 feet). Helga’s idea for the cowches came while she was snuggling with her cow family—she realized that others might enjoy snuggling with cows as well!
PETA and The Cow Sanctuary
On several occasions, PETA has worked with Helga to bring cows to her sanctuary. PETA brought Beatrice—a shaggy Spanish Highland cow who was raised through the 4-H program—to The Cow Sanctuary because the young person who raised her didn’t want her to be killed. Beatrice became best friends with Emmie, another cow who was brought to Helga’s by PETA after farmworkers branded the letter “M” into her face with a hot iron. Two other cows (Jerry and Peter) also became close friends after PETA brought them into Helga’s care.
Why Care About Cows?
Cows are smart, social, and playful animals. They love to be cuddled, groomed, and scratched. Every cow (and every other animal) is someone, not something that’s here for us to use in whatever way we please. They want to enjoy their lives, care for their babies, and exist in peace, just like humans do. Recognizing their inherent value helps end speciesism.
When you ditch meat and dairy, you help countless cows who are exploited by the animal agriculture industries. Making this simple shift can mean a world of difference in many lives, and you can start today by ordering a free vegan starter kit.
Be Part of It! Bring Harvey and the Lightning Herd into your home, library, or school. And keep things cows are exploited for—like meat, milk, and leather—out.
Harvey and the Lightning Herd is available for purchase now, and proceeds support Helga’s lifesaving work at The Cow Sanctuary. Get your copy today!
Order Harvey and the Lightning Herd Today
