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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Abel's Island
by William Steig
from Square Fish Publishing
Animal Fantasy for 3rd-5th grade
1977 Newbery Honor Book
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$7.99
Adventures of Grandfather Frog
Thornton Burgess Peter Cottontail Books #12
by Thornton W. Burgess
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-4th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$4.00
Adventures of Reddy Fox
Thornton Burgess Peter Cottontail Books #5
by Thornton W. Burgess
from Dover Publications
Animal Stories: Fantasy for 2nd-4th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$4.00 $2.50 (1 in stock)
Aesop's Fables
Puffin Classics
by Aesop
Reprint from Puffin Books
Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Puffin Classics (Location: FIC-PUF)
$7.99
Bellmaker
Redwall #7
by Brian Jacques
from ACE Publishing
Fantasy for 4th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.99
Ben and Me
by Robert Lawson
from Little, Brown & Company
Humor/historical fiction for 2nd-5th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$8.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
Blacky the Crow
Thornton Burgess Peter Cottontail Books #30
by Thornton W. Burgess
from Dover Publications
for 1st-4th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$5.00
Bunnicula
Bunnicula #1
by James Howe
1st edition from Aladdin Paperbacks
Fantasy for 3rd-6th grade
Newbery Honor Book
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$7.99
Buster Bear's Twins
Thornton Burgess Peter Cottontail Books #32
by Thornton W. Burgess
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-4th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$4.00
Cat Who Went to Heaven
by Elizabeth Coatsworth
from Aladdin Paperbacks
Eastern Fairy Tale for 3rd-6th grade
1931 Newbery Medal winner
$2.50 (2 in stock)
Cat Who Went to Heaven
by Elizabeth Coatsworth
from Aladdin Paperbacks
Eastern Fairy Tale for 3rd-6th grade
1931 Newbery Medal winner
$6.99 $4.00 (3 in stock)
Charlotte's Web
by E. B. White
from HarperCollins
for 2nd-6th grade
1953 Newbery Honor Book
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$8.99
Chronicles of Narnia - Mass-Market Boxed Set
by C. S. Lewis
from HarperCollins
Allegorical Fantasy for 3rd-9th grade
in Boxed Sets & Literature Packages (Location: FIC-BOX)
$55.00
Cricket in Times Square
by George Selden
from Square Fish Publishing
Animal Fantasy for 3rd-6th grade
1961 Newbery Honor Book
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$7.99
Cricket in Times Square
by George Selden, illustrated by Garth Williams, foreword & updates by Stacey Lee
from Square Fish Publishing
Animal Fantasy for 3rd-6th grade
1961 Newbery Honor Book
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$7.99
Doctor Dolittle's Post Office
by Hugh Lofting
from Mayflower Books
for 3rd-7th grade
1923 Newbery Medal winner
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
Doctor Dolittle's Zoo
Doctor Dolittle #6
by Hugh Lofting
1967th edition from Mayflower Books
for 3rd-7th grade
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Doomwyte
Redwall #20
by Brian Jacques
from ACE Publishing
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$8.99
Edward, Hoppy and Joe
by Robert Lawson
1972 Printing from Dell Yearling
for 3rd-6th grade
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$5.00 (1 in stock)
Eulalia!
Redwall #19
by Brian Jacques
from ACE Publishing
for 4th-9th grade
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$7.99
Fantastic Mr. Fox
by Roald Dahl
from Puffin Books
Animal Fantasy for 2nd-6th grade
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Fledgling
by Jane Langton
from Scholastic Inc.
for 4th-6th grade
1981 Newbery Honor Book
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$3.00 (1 in stock)
Francine Poulet Meets the Ghost Raccoon
Tales from Deckawoo Drive Book 2
by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Chris Van Dusen
from Candlewick Press
for 1st-4th grade
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$6.99
Grand Escape
by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
from Yearling
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$1.50 (1 in stock)
Great Rescue Operation
by Jean Van Leeuwen, illustrated by Margot Apple
from Puffin Books
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$3.00 (1 in stock)
Harriet's Hare
by Dick King-Smith
from Yearling
Animal Stories: Fantasy for 3rd-5th grade
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$5.99
Harry Cat's Pet Puppy
by George Selden & Garth Williams
from Dell Publishing
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High Rhulain
Redwall #18
by Brian Jacques
from ACE Publishing
Fantasy for 4th-9th grade
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$7.99
Horse and His Boy
Chronicles of Narnia Book 3
by C. S. Lewis
from HarperCollins
Allegorical Fantasy for 3rd-9th grade
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Horse and His Boy
Chronicles of Narnia Book 5
by C. S. Lewis
from Macmillan
Allegorical Fantasy for 3rd-9th grade
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House at Pooh Corner
by A. A. Milne
from Puffin Books
Animal Fantasy for Kindergarten-4th grade
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$7.99
I, Houdini
by Lynne Reid Banks
Reprint from Yearling
Animal Fantasy for 4th-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$5.99
Invisible Dog
from Yearling
for 2nd-4th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$5.99
Just So Stories
Puffin Classics
by Rudyard Kipling
from Puffin Books
Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for 1st-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Just So Stories
Puffin Classics
by Rudyard Kipling
from Puffin Books
Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for 1st-6th grade
in Puffin Classics (Location: FIC-PUF)
$7.99
Last Battle
Chronicles of Narnia Book 7
by C. S. Lewis
from HarperCollins
Allegorical Fantasy for 3rd-9th grade
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Last Battle
Chronicles of Narnia Book 7
by C. S. Lewis
from HarperCollins
Allegorical Fantasy for 3rd-9th grade
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$2.50 (1 in stock)
Last Battle
Chronicles of Narnia Book 7
by C. S. Lewis
from HarperCollins
Allegorical Fantasy for 3rd-9th grade
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$5.00 (1 in stock)
Legend of Luke
Redwall #12
by Brian Jacques
from ACE Publishing
Fantasy for 4th-9th grade
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$7.99
Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Chronicles of Narnia Book 2
by C. S. Lewis
from HarperCollins
Allegorical Fantasy for 3rd-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.99
Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Chronicles of Narnia Book 2
by C. S. Lewis, illustrated by Pauline Baynes
from HarperCollins
Allegorical Fantasy for 3rd-9th grade
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$5.00 (1 in stock)
Loamhedge
Redwall #16
by Brian Jacques
from ACE Publishing
Fantasy for 4th-9th grade
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Long Patrol
Redwall #10
by Brian Jacques
from ACE Publishing
Fantasy for 4th-9th grade
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$7.99
Lord Brocktree
Redwall #13
by Brian Jacques
from ACE Publishing
Fantasy for 4th-9th grade
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$8.99
Magician's Nephew
Chronicles of Narnia Book 1
by C. S. Lewis
from HarperCollins
Allegorical Fantasy for 3rd-9th grade
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$8.99
Mariel of Redwall
Redwall #4
by Brian Jacques
from ACE Publishing
Fantasy for 4th-9th grade
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$8.99
Marlfox
Redwall #11
by Brian Jacques
from ACE Publishing
Fantasy for 4th-9th grade
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$8.99
Martin the Warrior
Redwall #6
by Brian Jacques
from ACE Publishing
Fantasy for 4th-9th grade
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$8.99
Martin's Mice
by Dick King-Smith
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Animal Stories: Fantasy for 3rd-4th grade
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$6.99
Mattimeo
Redwall #3
by Brian Jacques
from ACE Publishing
Fantasy for 4th-9th grade
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$9.99
Mossflower
Redwall #2
by Brian Jacques
from ACE Publishing
Fantasy for 4th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$10.99
Mouse and the Motorcycle
Mouse & the Motorcycle #1
by Beverly Cleary
Reissue from HarperCollins
Animal Fantasy for 2nd-4th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$7.99
Mr. Popper's Penguins
by Richard & Florence Atwater, illustrated by Jim Madsen
from Little, Brown & Company
Humorous Fiction for 3rd-6th grade
1939 Newbery Honor Book
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$8.99
Mr. Popper's Penguins
by Richard & Florence Atwater, illustrated by Robert Lawson
from Little, Brown & Company
Humorous Fiction for 3rd-6th grade
1939 Newbery Honor Book
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
Mr. Revere and I
by Robert Lawson
from Little, Brown & Company
Humor/historical fiction for 2nd-5th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$7.99
Mr. Revere and I
by Robert Lawson
from Little, Brown & Company
Humor/historical fiction for 2nd-5th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
by Robert O'Brien; illustrated by Zena Bernstein
from Aladdin Paperbacks
Animal Fantasy for 4th-6th grade
1972 Newbery Medal winner
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$8.99
Outcast of Redwall
Redwall #8
by Brian Jacques
from ACE Publishing
Fantasy for 4th-9th grade
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$7.99
Paddington Abroad
by Michael Bond
from HarperCollins
for 2nd-4th grade
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$9.99
Pearls of Lutra
Redwall #9
by Brian Jacques
from ACE Publishing
Fantasy for 4th-9th grade
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$9.99
Prince Caspian
Chronicles of Narnia Book 4
by C. S. Lewis
from HarperCollins
Allegorical Fantasy for 3rd-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$8.99
Prince Caspian
Chronicles of Narnia Book 2
by C. S. Lewis
1972 Printing from Collier Books
Allegorical Fantasy for 3rd-9th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Rabbit Hill
Puffin Newbery Library
by Robert Lawson
from Puffin Books
for 3rd-6th grade
1945 Newbery Medal winner
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$7.99
Rabbit Hill
Puffin Modern Classics
by Robert Lawson
from Puffin Books
for 3rd-6th grade
1945 Newbery Medal winner
in Puffin Classics (Location: FIC-PUF)
$7.99
Rakkety Tam
Redwall #17
by Brian Jacques
from ACE Publishing
Fantasy for 4th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$8.99
Ralph S. Mouse
Mouse & the Motorcycle #3
by Beverly Cleary
from HarperCollins
Animal Fantasy for 2nd-4th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$7.99
Ralph S. Mouse
Mouse & the Motorcycle #3
by Beverly Cleary
from Scholastic Inc.
Animal Fantasy for 2nd-4th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$2.40 (2 in stock)
Redwall
Redwall #1
by Brian Jacques
from ACE Publishing
Fantasy for 4th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$8.99
Redwall Set (Mass-market paperbacks)
by Brian Jacques
from ACE Publishing
Fantasy for 3rd-7th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
Rogue Crew
Redwall #22
by Brian Jacques
from ACE Publishing
for 4th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$8.99
Runaway Ralph
Mouse & the Motorcycle #2
by Beverly Cleary
from HarperCollins
Animal Fantasy for 2nd-4th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$7.99 $2.40 (1 in stock)
Sable Quean
Redwall #21
by Brian Jacques
from ACE Publishing
for 4th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$8.99
Salamandastron
Redwall #5
by Brian Jacques
from ACE Publishing
Fantasy for 4th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$8.99
Salamandastron
Redwall #5
by Brian Jacques
from Firebird Press
Fantasy for 4th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$10.99
Silver Chair
Chronicles of Narnia Book 6
by C. S. Lewis
from HarperCollins
Allegorical Fantasy for 3rd-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$7.99
Silver Chair
Chronicles of Narnia Book 4
by C. S. Lewis
from Macmillan
Allegorical Fantasy for 3rd-9th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Story of Doctor Dolittle
by Hugh Lofting
from Yearling
Animal Fantasy for 3rd-7th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$7.99
Story of Doctor Dolittle
by Hugh Lofting
from Dover Publications
Animal Fantasy for 3rd-7th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$3.99
Stuart Little
by E. B. White
from HarperCollins
Animal Fantasy for 3rd-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$7.99
Taggerung
Redwall #14
by Brian Jacques
from ACE Publishing
Fantasy for 4th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$8.99
Tales of Uncle Remus
Puffin Modern Classics
by Julius Lester
Reissue from Puffin Books
for 3rd-7th grade
in Puffin Classics (Location: FIC-PUF)
$7.99
Three Terrible Trins
by Dick King-Smith, illustrated by Mark Teague
from Trumpet Club
for 2nd-4th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
Tiger Rising
by Kate DiCamillo
from Candlewick Press
for 4th-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$7.99
Triss
Redwall #15
by Brian Jacques
from ACE Publishing
Fantasy for 4th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$8.99
Trumpet of the Swan
by E. B. White
from HarperCollins
Animal Fantasy for 3rd-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.99
Trumpet of the Swan
by E. B. White
from Scholastic Inc.
for 4th-8th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$1.50 (9 in stock)
Velveteen Rabbit
by Margery Williams, illustrated by William Nicholson
from Avon Books
Personification for 1st-4th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Chronicles of Narnia Book 5
by C. S. Lewis
from HarperCollins
Allegorical Fantasy for 3rd-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$8.99
Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Chronicles of Narnia Book 3
by C. S. Lewis
from Collier Books
Allegorical Fantasy for 3rd-9th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
Voyages of Doctor Dolittle
by Hugh Lofting
from Mayflower Books
for 3rd-7th grade
1923 Newbery Medal winner
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
Where Are You Going, Baby Lincoln?
Tales from Deckawoo Drive Book 3
by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Chris Van Dusen
from Candlewick Press
for 1st-4th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$6.99
Wind in the Willows
Puffin Classics
by Kenneth Grahame
from Puffin Books
Humorous Animal Fantasy for 4th-8th grade
in Puffin Classics (Location: FIC-PUF)
$8.99
Wind in the Willows
by Kenneth Grahame
from Wordsworth Editions
Humorous Animal Fantasy for 4th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
Winnie-the-Pooh
by A. A. Milne
from Puffin Books
Animal Fantasy for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$7.99