Favorite Animals - Exodus Books

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It would be easy to make a catalog of all the pets we've had over the years, but that's not the kind of "favorite animals" we're talking about. Favorite animals are those animals that have most thoroughly captured the imagination and love of humans. Okay, so maybe love is the wrong word to describe the dragon-craze or our enduring fascination with dinosaurs, but it surely applies to horses, dogs and cats.

The philosopher Plato had an idea that subsequent thinkers called "idealism." They didn't mean that Mr. Plato was an idealist in the way we'd call Rosa Parks or Gandhi idealists: the term idealism referred to the concept that for everything in the world (trees, chairs, noses), there was an ideal form or version of that thing in the spiritual realm.

According to Plato's theory, the azalea bush in your front yard is simply a physical representation of the perfect Azalea Bush floating who-knows-where in the infinite void. While we don't want to start any kind of philosophical war here, that's kind of the idea we're going for in this category. The animals you'll encounter in these stories, coloring books, and reference volumes embody "horseness," "catness," and "dragon-ness."

After all, the image Fred Gipson paints of Old Yeller is just a bit too good to be true. Sure, many of us have had a favorite dog who could do no wrong in our forgiving eyes, but Old Yeller is like every awesome dog who ever lived rolled into one mangy mutt. Which is the whole point—by creating a slightly unrealistic portrait of an old doggy, Gipson is able to celebrate doghood itself.

In a culture that generally looks only at the way things sometimes appear to be, however, it's easy to value animals too highly. Sure, they deserve our attention and care as representatives of creation, but no more. The Creator who made them is the only One deserving all our praise, glory and love; the animals He's made are simply avenues through which to show our worship and gratitude.

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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Parent Categories

Just for Fun

Favorite Animals

Subcategories

- G&D Famous Dog Stories

- Hank the Cowdog

Dragons & Mythical Beasts

Elephant Books

Horses & Ponies

- G&D Famous Horse Stories

51 Items found Print

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For Reading Aloud

	ABC Bunny by Wanda Gág from University of Minnesota Word Books for 1st-3rd grade 1934 Newbery Honor Book in Alphabet & Counting Books (Location: PIC-ALPH) $12.71
	Adventures of Charlie the Ranch Dog An I Can Read Book Level 1 by Ree Drummond and Diane De Groat from Barnes & Noble for Kindergarten-2nd grade in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR)
	Adventures of Charlie the Ranch Dog by Ree Drummond and Diane De Groat from Scholastic Inc. for Kindergarten-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
	Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond from HarperCollins Animal Fantasy for 2nd-4th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $9.34
	Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond 50th Anniversary Edition from Houghton Mifflin Animal Fantasy for 2nd-4th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	Biggest Bear by Lynd Ward from Houghton Mifflin Realistic Animal Stories for Preschool-1st grade 1953 Caldecott Medal winner in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
	Black Beauty Illustrated Junior Library Series 4 by Anna Sewell, illustrated by Fritz Eichenberg from Grosset & Dunlap Realistic Animal Stories for 4th-8th grade in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI) $9.60 (1 in stock)
	Black Beauty Sterling Classics by Anna Sewell, illustrated by Scott McKowen Unabridged from Sterling Publishing Co. Realistic Animal Stories for 4th-8th grade in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
	Black Beauty Illustrated Junior Library Series 3 by Anna Sewell, illustrated by Fritz Eichenberg from Grosset & Dunlap Realistic Animal Stories for 4th-8th grade in Illustrated Junior Library (Location: VIN-IJL)
	Black Beauty by Anna Sewell, illustrated by Dinah Dryhurst from Breslich & Foss Realistic Animal Stories for 4th-8th grade in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
	Black Beauty Books of Wonder by Anna Sewell, illustrated by Lucy Kemp-Welch from William Morrow & Company Realistic Animal Stories for 4th-8th grade in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
	Black Beauty Everyman Children's Classics by Anna Sewell, illustrated by Lucy Kemp-Welch from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. Realistic Animal Stories for 4th-8th grade in Everyman's Library Children's Classics (Location: FIC-ELC) $8.00 (1 in stock)
	Black Beauty (abridged) by Anna Sewell, illustrated by Chiara Fedele from Miles Kelly Publishing Realistic Animal Stories for 4th-8th grade in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI) $9.00 (1 in stock)
	Bonjour, Babar! The Six Unabridged Classics by the Creator of Babar by Jean De Brunhoff, introduction by Kevin Henkes from Random House Animal Fantasy for Kindergarten-4th grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
	Call of the Wild & White Fang Reader's Digest World's Best Reading by Jack London Unknown from Reader's Digest Action/Adventure for 7th-10th grade in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
	Call of the Wild & White Fang Sterling Classics by Jack London, illustrated by Scott McKowen Unabridged from Sterling Publishing Co. Action/Adventure for 7th-10th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
	Case of the Cat's Meow An I Can Read Book Level 2 by Crosby Bonsall from Weekly Reader Mystery/Suspense for Kindergarten-2nd grade in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR)
	Charlie and the New Baby by Ree Drummond and Diane De Groat from Scholastic Inc. for Kindergarten-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
	Charlotte's Web by E. B. White from HarperCollins for 2nd-6th grade 1953 Newbery Honor Book in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $4.80 (1 in stock)
	Complete Brambly Hedge by Jill Barklem from HarperCollins for Preschool-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $21.24
	Digging-est Dog by Al Perkins from Random House for Kindergarten-3rd Grade in Beginner Books (Location: EAR-BB) $8.49
	Dragon Used to Live Here by Annette LeBlanc Cate from Candlewick Press for 3rd-6th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $15.29
	ECL: Call of the Wild Educator Classic Library #11 by Jack London, illustrated by Ron King Complete and Unabridged Edition from Classic Press Action/Adventure for 7th-10th grade in Educator Classic Library (Location: VIN-ECL) $4.80 (1 in stock)
	Gertie & Gus by Lisl Weil from Parents Magazine Press for Preschool-1st grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
	Go, Dog, Go! by P. D. Eastman from Random House Animal Fantasy/Rhyming Stories for Kindergarten-2nd grade in Beginner Books (Location: EAR-BB) $8.49
	Harry and the Lady Next Door An I Can Read Book Level 1 by Gene Zion from HarperCollins Realistic Animal Stories for Preschool-1st grade in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR) $2.40 (1 in stock)
	Horse and His Boy Chronicles of Narnia Book 5 by C. S. Lewis from Macmillan Allegorical Fantasy for 3rd-9th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	Horton Hatches the Egg by Dr. Seuss from Random House read-aloud poetry picture book for Preschool-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $14.44 $8.00 (1 in stock)
	Horton Hears a Who! by Dr. Seuss from Random House Animal Fantasy for 1st-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $14.44 $7.20 (1 in stock)
	If You Give a Pig a Pancake by Laura Numeroff from HarperCollins Animal Fantasy for Preschool-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $16.99
	Jenny and the Cat Club A Jenny's Cat Club Book by Esther Averill from New York Review of Books for Preschool-1st grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
	Leah's Pony by Elizabeth Friedrich, Illustrated by Michael Garland from Boyds Mill Press for Preschool-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
	My Father's Dragon My Father's Dragon Trilogy #1 by Ruth Stiles Gannett, illustrated by Ruth Chrisman Gannett and Helena Perez Garcia from Bushel & Peck Fantasy for 1st-3rd grade 1949 Newbery Honor Book in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	My Father's Dragon My Father's Dragon Trilogy #1 by Ruth Stiles Gannett from Dover Publications Fantasy for 1st-3rd grade 1949 Newbery Honor Book in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	Olivia by Ian Falconer from Atheneum Animal Fantasy for Preschool-1st grade 2001 Caldecott Honor Book in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $16.14 $7.20 (1 in stock)
	Olivia: The Essential Latin Edition by Ian Falconer; translated by Amy High from Atheneum Animal Fantasy for Preschool-1st grade 2001 Caldecott Honor Book in Latin Resources & Reference (Location: FL-LATREF)
	Paddington Abroad by Michael Bond, illustrated by Peggy Fortnum Book Club Edition from Houghton Mifflin for 2nd-4th grade in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC) $4.80 (1 in stock)
	Rare Treasure Mary Anning and Her Remarkable Discoveries by Don Brown from Houghton Mifflin for Preschool-2nd grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $12.80 (1 in stock)
	Saint George and the Dragon by Margaret Hodges & Trina Schart Hyman Fir from Little, Brown & Company Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for 2nd-3rd grade 1985 Caldecott Medal winner in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $16.14
	Sam, Bangs & Moonshine by Evaline Ness from Holt, Rinehart and Winston Allegorical and Moral Stories for Kindergarten-3rd grade 1967 Caldecott Medal winner in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $6.40 (1 in stock)
	School for Cats A Jenny's Cat Club Book by Esther Averill from New York Review of Books for Preschool-1st grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
	Sophie's Lucky by Dick King-Smith from Candlewick Press in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
	Squire and the Scroll A Tale of the Rewards of a Pure Heart by Jennie Bishop from Warner Press Allegories and Moral Stories for 2nd-5th grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
	Three Names by Patricia MacLachlan, illustrated by Alexander Pertzoff from HarperCollins for 2nd-4th grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $6.00 (1 in stock)
	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) $16.14
	Velveteen Rabbit How Toys Become Real by Margery Williams, illustrated by Michael Green from Running Press Personification for 1st-4th grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $9.31
	Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams, illustrated by Michael Green from Running Press for Preschool-2nd grade in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER) $3.20 (1 in stock)
	Velveteen Rabbit How Toys Become Real by Margery Williams, illustrated by Michael Green from Running Press Personification for 1st-4th grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $4.80 (1 in stock)
	We Are In a Book! An Elephant and Piggie Book by Mo Willems 1^st edition from Disney-Hyperion for Preschool-1st grade 2011 Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $8.49
	White Fang Scribner Illustrated Classics by Jack London, illustrated by Ed Young Unabridged from Atheneum Action/Adventure for 7th-10th grade in Scribner Illustrated Classics (Location: FIC-SCRIB) $25.49
	Winnie the Pooh Storybook Collection by Adapted by Thea Feldman and Catherine Hapka, illustrated by Disney storybook artists from Disney Press for Nursery-2nd grade in Picture Book Treasuries (Location: PIC-TRE)

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