13 Animal Kingdom Stories
Some of the books on this list I read as a child and I believe they remain timeless stories for children of all ages. There are newer books I’ve recently read and some I now want to read. How many of these books have you read?
hjy
Watership Down
-Richard Adams
Often described as "the Aeneid of rabbits," this is the story of young rabbit Fiver and his brother Hazel, who set out on an epic journey to find a new home after their own warren is destroyed. Watership Down began as a series of improvised stories author Richard Adams told his young daughters during car trips. Adams also invented the language, Lapine, spoken by Hazel and Fiver.
The One and Only Ivan
-Katherine Applegate
Ivan, a silverback gorilla who has spent his life in a down-and-out circus-themed mall, meets Ruby, a baby elephant, and decides that he must find her a better life. The novel is illustrated by Patricia Castelao and inspired by a real gorilla named Ivan, who lived in a mall and later became a celebrity at the Atlanta Zoo.
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Applegate has hit another one right out of the park! The fact this book is loosely based on a real Ivan the gorilla (b. 1962 - d. 8.21.2012), who arrived at ZooAtlanta around 1994 and lived out his days there, learning how to be a gorilla instead of a roadside attraction.. I especially liked the sentiment that zoos are "a human's way to make amends" for wildlife. -hjy
Mr. Popper’s Penguins
-Richard Atwater & Florence Atwater
House painter Mr. Popper receives an unexpected gift, and before he knows it, his house is home to a charming (but expensive) waddle of penguins. Desperate to find a way to make ends meet, Mr. Popper takes the tuxedoed birds on the road as "Popper's Performing Penguins." The Atwaters' comical tale is illustrated by Robert Lawson.
Poppy
-Avi
In this whimsical political allegory, beautifully illustrated by Brian Floca, a group of mice fights to regain its liberty from the tyrannical owl Mr. Ocax. He rules the mice with an iron claw, granting them protection from a fearsome porcupine — but only in exchange for their undying obedience.
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Have you read it? Because this is a story I want to read! It seems to be about an over-reaching, self-proclaimed king of the forest and a tiny but courageous heroine who epitomizes hope and love.
hjy
Because of Winn-Dixie
-Kate DiCamillo
When 10-year-old India Opal Buloni finds a big, mangy hound wreaking havoc on the local Winn-Dixie supermarket, she takes him home with her to save him from being sent to the pound. She names the stray Winn-Dixie, and he inspires her to start making new friends.
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I bought this book at the Monroe Winn-Dixie many years ago and thoroughly enjoyed the story! They also made a film of it. This is Kate’s first published novel and it was a New York Times Bestseller and it won a Newbery Honor. A novel of friendship and forgiveness.
hjy
Misty of Chincoteague
-Marguerite Henry
Paul Beebe and his sister Maureen have their hearts set on buying and taming Phantom, the wildest mare on Assateague Island. Though Phantom remains wild, her daughter Misty becomes an important part of the Beebe family. Marguerite Henry's tale of the wild ponies is illustrated by Wesley Dennis.
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Ah, this author of equine stories was my favorite when I was a child! She inspired many hours of daydreaming about horses.
hjy
Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery
-James Howe & Deborah Howe
Chester the cat begins to notice something odd about his family's new pet rabbit. Fangs, capelike markings and a nocturnal disposition harden Chester's conviction: The sweet baby bunny is actually a vampire. James Howe's creepy, furry tale is illustrated by Alan Daniel.
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This is a story I need to pick up in October and read. It seems like the perfect book for the Halloween season!
hjy
The Redwall series
-Brian Jacques
Deep in the Mossflower Forest lies Redwall Abbey, populated by a motley cast of mice, squirrels, hedgehogs and other forest creatures. This 22-book series covers a vast span of time in the idyllic world of Redwall; jump in anywhere and join heroes like Martin the Warrior and Triss the squirrelmaid as they battle evil in between lavish abbey feasts of Veggible Molebake and Woodland Summercream Pudding.
The Complete Tales of Winnie-the-Pooh
-A.A. Milne
The collected adventures of A. A. Milne's famous "Bear of Very Little Brain" and his companions in the Hundred Acre Wood, illustrated by Ernest H. Shepard. Christopher Robin, Piglet, Eeyore, Kanga and Roo, Owl and the rest spend their dappled days boosting Pooh out of Rabbit's doorway, meeting Heffalumps, playing Poohsticks, giving parties and attempting to "unbounce" the excitable Tigger.
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
-Robert C. O’Brien
A widowed field mouse must enlist the help of a pack of ex-lab rats to save her home from a farmer's plow in this novel playfully illustrated by Zena Bernstein. In exchange, she helps the rats, who are a sophisticated and literate society, as they look to cast off the yoke of human dominance.
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This was a book my younger sister read in grade school and I picked up after she had read it. I thought it was a fantastic story about friendship and working together to help each other.
hjy
Where the Red Fern Grows: The Story of Two Dogs and a Boy
-Wilson Rawls
Billy roams the Ozarks with his two beloved dogs, Old Dan and Little Ann, teaching them how to hunt raccoons. But when tragedy strikes in the form of a mountain lion, Billy takes comfort in the Native American legend of the red fern, which can be planted only by an angel.
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Have tissues handy. Beautiful story about a boy coming-of-age in the Ozarks. It is an ode to love, family and the beauty of nature. One of my favorite things about this book as an adult - it allows children (all readers) to get emotional and by discussing it afterwards, can help normalize expressing our feelings.
hjy
The Cricket in Times Square
-George Seldon & Garth Williams
Chester the cricket is happy living in a peaceful Connecticut meadow. But when he follows the smell of a picnic-goer's liverwurst all the way to New York's Times Square, he finds he can't get enough of big city life with his new friends, a cat, a mouse and a boy.
Charlotte’s Web
-E.B. White
A little girl, a loquacious spider and "some pig" star in this beloved story of friendship, ingenuity and the cycle of life, illustrated by Garth Williams. Farm girl Fern loves Wilbur the pig, who is destined for the dinner table until quick-thinking gray spider Charlotte starts spinning his praise in web form — with the comical assistance of Templeton the rat.
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A classic that can make anyone fall in love with pigs and spiders. I consider that quite a feat!
hjy