Animal Stories: Fantasy

If your dog put on trousers and brought you the morning paper and a cup of coffee, you probably wouldn't accept them quietly and start reading the sports page. While most characters in literature who encounter talking animals aren't that nonchalant about it, they seem a lot more accepting of bizarre phenomena than most real people would be. Is it just because they're characters in books? or is it because animals actually have quite a bit to tell us about human nature and the realities of the world we occupy?

There are real-life precedents for talking animals—parrots can speak, crows can acquire human vocabularies, and Balaam's donkey carried on a conversation with the reluctant prophet. Granted, birds with the vocal capacity for imitative speech and supernaturally gifted pack animals aren't really in the same league, but you get the idea. Just because most animals don't talk doesn't mean none of them can.

We're not suggesting Narnia is a real place, or rabbits actually have detailed mythologies, at least not in the sense most people would use words like "real" and "actual." But there are books about Aslan, and there are books about Bigwig and Fiver, Matthias the Mouse, and Mr. Toad, and in that sense those places and characters are real and actual. More importantly, what they tell us about life itself (through their stories, not over afternoon tea) is often true and real and actual.

Basically, stories about animals who apparel themselves in anything other than their own skin and fur, animals that fight with swords instead of claws and teeth, animals who bake their food rather than eating it raw or off the ground, animals that speak (either to humans or each other)—any story we carry of this kind will be found here. While animal fantasy shouldn't displace all other reading, it's important to remember that, in the end, there's very little meaningful difference between a character like Tom Sawyer and one like Abel the Mouse.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he is a husband and father, teaches adult Sunday school in his Presbyterian congregation, and likes weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.

 

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"Stand Back," Said the Elephant, "I'm Going to Sneeze!"
by Patricia Thomas
from HarperCollins
for Nursery-1st grade
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$16.99
Aesop's Fables
by Aesop, retold & illustrated by Jerry Pinkney
1st Ed. from Chronicle Books
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$19.99
Aesop's Fables
by Aesop, illustrated by Arthur Rackham
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Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for 1st-Adult
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Appley Dapply's Nursery Rhymes
Book 22
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
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$7.99
Babar and Father Christmas
by Jean De Brunhoff
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Babar and His Children
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Babar the King
by Jean de Brunhoff
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$15.95
Bear Called Paddington
by Michael Bond
from HarperCollins
Animal Fantasy for 2nd-4th grade
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$10.99
Bedtime for Frances
by Russell Hoban
from HarperCollins
Animal Fantasy for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$16.99
Burgess Animal Book for Children
by Thornton W. Burgess
from Living Book Press
for 2nd-6th grade
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$28.99
Burgess Bird Book for Children
by Thornton W. Burgess
from Living Book Press
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$28.99
Burgess Flower Book for Children
by Thornton W. Burgess
from Living Book Press
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$28.99
Cecily Parsley's Nursery Rhymes
Book 23
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
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$6.99
Charlotte's Web
by E. B. White
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$16.99
Classic Treasury of Aesop's Fables
by Aesop, illustrated by Don Daily
from Running Press
for 2nd-4th grade
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$11.99
Complete Tales of Beatrix Potter
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-3rd grade
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$32.00
Complete Tales of Uncle Remus
by Joel Chandler Harris
from Houghton Mifflin
Animal Fantasy for 7th-Adult
in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
Complete Tales of Uncle Remus
by Joel Chandler Harris, retold by Julius Lester, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney
from Dial Press
Animal Fantasy for 7th-Adult
in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
$50.00
Curious George - Hardcover Boxed Set
by H. A. & Margret Rey
from Houghton Mifflin
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-2nd grade
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$39.99
Digging-est Dog
by Al Perkins
from Random House
for Kindergarten-3rd Grade
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$9.99
Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins
by Barbara Kerley
from Scholastic Inc.
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2002 Caldecott Honor Book, NCTE Orbis Pictus Honor Book
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$19.99
Fish Out of Water
by Helen Palmer
from Random House
Animal Fantasy/Rhyming Stories for Nursery-1st grade
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$9.99
Flotsam
by David Wiesner
from Clarion Books
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
2007 Caldecott Medal winner
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$17.99
Guess How Much I Love You
by Sam McBratney, illustrations by Anita Jeram
from Candlewick Press
for Nursery-3rd grade
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$16.99
Horton Hears a Who!
by Dr. Seuss
from Random House
Animal Fantasy for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$16.99 $9.00 (1 in stock)
House at Pooh Corner
by A. A. Milne
from Dutton Children's Books
Animal Fantasy for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$19.99
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
by Laura Numeroff
from HarperCollins
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-2nd grade
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$17.99
If You Plant a Seed
by Kadir Nelson
from Balzer & Bray
for Nursery-2nd grade
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$18.99
Into the Jungle
by Katherine Rundell, Illustrated by Kristjana S. Williams
from Walker Books
for 3rd-6th grade
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$24.99
Kenny & the Dragon
by Tony DiTerlizzi
First Edition from Simon and Schuster
for 1st-4th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$17.99
Library Book for Bear
by Bonny Becker, Illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton
from Candlewick Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$17.99
Mister Dog
by Margaret Wise Brown
from Western Publishing
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Little Golden Books (Location: PIC-GOLD)
$5.99
Mitten
by Jan Brett
Rei/Cas from Putnam Juvenile
Animal Fantasy for Kindergarten-3rd grade
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$19.99
Mouse and His Child
by Russell Hoban, illustrated by David Small
from Arthur A. Levine Books
for 4th-10th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$19.99
New Shoes
from First Second
for Preschool-4th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$19.99 $10.00 (1 in stock)
Olivia
by Ian Falconer
from Atheneum
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-1st grade
2001 Caldecott Honor Book
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$18.99 $9.00 (1 in stock)
Paddington At Large
by Michael Bond
from HarperCollins
for 3rd-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.99
Paddington at St. Paul's
by Michael Bond, illustrated by R. W. Alley
from HarperCollins
for Preschool-2nd grade
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$17.99
Paddington Helps Out
by Michael Bond
Revised from HarperCollins
for 2nd-5th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.99
Paddington Here and Now
Paddington Bear #12
by Michael Bond
from HarperCollins
for 3rd-7th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.99
Paddington Marches On
by Michael Bond
from HarperCollins
for 2nd-4th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.99
Paddington Races Ahead
by Michael Bond
from HarperCollins
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$9.99
Paddington Takes the Test
by Michael Bond
from HarperCollins
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in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.99
Paddington Treasury
by Michael Bond, illustrated by R. W. Alley
1st edition from HarperCollins
for 2nd-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$27.99
Paddington's Finest Hour
by Michael Bond
from HarperCollins
Animal Fantasy for 2nd-4th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.99
Pegasus
by Marianna Mayer & K. Y. Craft
1st ed from HarperCollins
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
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$17.99
Poky Little Puppy
by Janette Sebring Lowrey & Gustaf Tenggren
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$4.99
Polar Opposites
by Erik Brooks
from Two Lions
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$16.99
Poppy and Rye
Poppy Stories #3
by Avi
1st edition from HarperCollins
Animal Stories: Fantasy for 3rd-5th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.99
Rainbow Fish
by Marcus Pfister
from North-South Books
Animal Fantasy for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$18.95 $9.00 (1 in stock)
Richard Scarry's Best Mother Goose Ever
by Richard Scarry
50th Anniversary Edition from Golden Books
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Mother Goose & Nursery Rhymes (Location: PIC-MG)
$16.99
Richard Scarry's Funniest Storybook Ever
by Richard Scarry
2017 edition from Golden Books
for Nursery-2nd grade
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$16.99
Story of a Fierce Bad Rabbit
Book 20
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Nursery-3rd grade
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$6.99
Story of Babar the Little Elephant
by Jean De Brunhoff
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
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$18.99 $9.00 (1 in stock)
Story of Miss Moppet
Book 21
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Nursery-1st grade
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$7.99 $3.50 (1 in stock)
Tailor of Gloucester
Book 3
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Nursery-1st grade
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$7.99
Tale of Benjamin Bunny
Book 4
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Nursery-1st grade
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$7.99
Tale of Ginger and Pickles
Book 18
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
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$7.99
Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck
Book 9
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
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$7.99
Tale of Johnny Town-Mouse
Book 13
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
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$7.99
Tale of Little Pig Robinson
Book 19
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
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$6.99
Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher
Book 7
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
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$6.99
Tale of Mr. Tod
Book 14
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
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$7.99
Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse
Book 11
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Nursery-3rd grade
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$6.99
Tale of Peter Rabbit
Book 1
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Preschool-2nd grade
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$7.99
Tale of Pigling Bland
Book 15
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Nursery-3rd grade
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$6.99
Tale of Squirrel Nutkin
Book 2
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Nursery-1st grade
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$7.99
Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies
Book 10
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Nursery-1st grade
in Peter Rabbit & Friends (Location: FIC-PETER)
$7.99
Tale of the Pie and the Patty-Pan
Book 17
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Nursery-3rd grade
in Peter Rabbit & Friends (Location: FIC-PETER)
$7.99
Tale of Timmy Tiptoes
Book 12
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Nursery-1st grade
in Peter Rabbit & Friends (Location: FIC-PETER)
$6.99
Tale of Tom Kitten
Book 8
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Nursery-1st grade
in Peter Rabbit & Friends (Location: FIC-PETER)
$7.99
Tale of Two Bad Mice
Book 5
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Nursery-3rd grade
in Peter Rabbit & Friends (Location: FIC-PETER)
$6.99
Three Bears in a Boat
by David Soman
from Dial Books for Young Readers
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$17.99
Three Tales of My Father's Dragon
by Ruth Stiles Gannett
from Random House
Fantasy for 1st-3rd grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$18.99
Tops and Bottoms
by Janet Stevens
from Harcourt Children's Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
1996 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$17.99
Trumpet of the Swan
by E. B. White
from HarperCollins
for 4th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$16.99
Tuesday
by David Wiesner
from Clarion Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
1992 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$17.99
Velveteen Rabbit
by Margery Williams, illustrated by Michael Green
from Running Press
Personification for 1st-4th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$10.95
Voyages of Doctor Dolittle
by Hugh Lofting
from Dover Publications
for 3rd-7th grade
1923 Newbery Medal winner
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$14.95
Watership Down
by Richard Adams
Reissue from Atheneum
for 10th-Adult
1972 Carnegie Medal
in Scribner Illustrated Classics (Location: FIC-SCRIB)
$29.99
Wind in the Willows
by Kenneth Grahame, illustrated by Robert Ingpen
from Sterling Publishing Co.
Humorous Animal Fantasy for 4th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$24.95
Winnie-the-Pooh
by A. A. Milne. illustrated by Ernest H. Shepard
from Dutton Children's Books
for 4th-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$19.99
Word of Mouse
by James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein, Illustrated by Joe Sutphin
from Little, Brown & Company
for 3rd-6th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$13.99
World of Peter Rabbit
by Beatrix Potter
Box from Frederick Warne & Company
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Boxed Sets & Literature Packages (Location: FIC-BOX)
$135.00