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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Ace, the Very Important Pig
by Dick King-Smith
from Yearling
for 3rd-5th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$6.99
Adventures of Bob White
Thornton Burgess Peter Cottontail Books #23
by Thornton W. Burgess
Illustrated from Dover Publications
for 2nd-4th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$5.00
Adventures of Chatterer the Red Squirrel
Thornton Burgess Peter Cottontail Books #13
by Thornton W. Burgess
Revised ed. from Dover Publications
for 3rd-6th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$4.00
Adventures of Happy Jack
Thornton Burgess Peter Cottontail Books #25
by Thornton W. Burgess
from Dover Publications
for 1st-4th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$6.00
Adventures of Johnny Chuck
Thornton Burgess Peter Cottontail Books #6
by Thornton W. Burgess
from Dover Publications
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$5.00
Adventures of Mr. Mocker
Thornton Burgess Peter Cottontail Books #9
by Thornton W. Burgess
Illustrated from Dover Publications
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$4.00
Adventures of Old Mr. Toad
Thornton Burgess Peter Cottontail Books #16
by Thornton W. Burgess
Revised ed. from Dover Publications
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in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$3.00
Adventures of Peter Cottontail
Thornton Burgess Peter Cottontail Books #7
by Thornton W. Burgess
Reprint from Dover Publications
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$4.00
Adventures of Prickly Porky
Thornton Burgess Peter Cottontail Books #17
by Thornton W. Burgess
from Dover Publications
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$3.00
Adventures of Sammy Jay
Thornton Burgess Peter Cottontail Books #14
by Thornton W. Burgess
from Dover Publications
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$4.00
Adventures of Unc' Billy Possum
Thornton Burgess Peter Cottontail Books #8
by Thornton W. Burgess
from Dover Publications
for 1st-4th grade
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$5.00
Aesop's Fables
by Aesop, illustrated by Michael Hague
from Henry Holt and Company
Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for 1st-5th grade
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Aesop's Fables for Children
by Aesop, illustrated by Milo Winter
Pap/Com from Dover Publications
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$14.99
Ant and the Elephant
by Bill Peet
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Animal Fantasy for Preschool-4th grade
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$9.99
Archer's Cup
by S. D. Smith
from Story Warren Books
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$12.95
Babe the Gallant Pig
by Dick King-Smith
1st edition from Yearling
Animal Stories: Fantasy for 2nd-5th grade
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$7.99
Bear Called Paddington
by Michael Bond
from HarperCollins
Animal Fantasy for 2nd-4th grade
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Bellmaker
Redwall #7
by Brian Jacques
from Firebird Press
Fantasy for 4th-9th grade
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$10.99
Big Bad Bruce
by Bill Peet
from Sandpiper Books
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-4th grade
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$9.99
Big Book of Animal Stories
by Thornton W. Burgess
from Dover Publications
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$5.00 (1 in stock)
Billy Mink
Thornton Burgess Peter Cottontail Books #33
by Thornton W. Burgess
Illustrated from Dover Publications
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$4.00
Blue Cat of Castle Town
by Catherine Coblentz, illustrated by Janice Holland
Dover 2017 from Dover Publications
for 3rd-6th grade
1950 Newbery Honor Book
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$6.95
Buford the Little Bighorn
by Bill Peet
from Houghton Mifflin
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-4th grade
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$9.99
Burgess Animal Book for Children
by Thornton W. Burgess
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-6th grade
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
Burgess Bird Book for Children
by Thornton W. Burgess
from Dover Publications
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$12.95
Cat Who Went to Heaven
by Elizabeth Coatsworth
PF from Collier Books
for 4th-6th grade
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Charlie Muffin's Miracle Mouse
by Dick King-Smith
from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
for 2nd-4th grade
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Charlotte's Web - Full Color Edition
by E. B. White
from HarperCollins
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$9.99
Chester Cricket's New Home
by George Selden
from Yearling
Animal Stories: Fantasy for 4th-6th grade
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Chester Cricket's Pigeon Ride
by George Selden
1st edition from Square Fish Publishing
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$8.99
Chester the Worldly Pig
by Bill Peet
from Houghton Mifflin
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-4th grade
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$9.99
Chronicles of Narnia - Quality Softcover Boxed Set
by C. S. Lewis
from HarperCollins
Allegorical Fantasy for 3rd-9th grade
in Boxed Sets & Literature Packages (Location: FIC-BOX)
$90.93
Chronicles of Narnia - Quality Softcover Set
by C. S. Lewis
from HarperCollins
Allegorical Fantasy for 3rd-9th grade
in Boxed Sets & Literature Packages (Location: FIC-BOX)
Clockwork Twin
by Walter R. Brooks
from Overlook Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
Cowardly Clyde
by Bill Peet
from Sandpiper Books
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-4th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
Cyrus the Unsinkable Sea Serpent
by Bill Peet
from Houghton Mifflin
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-4th grade
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$9.99
Doomwyte
Redwall #20
by Brian Jacques
Reprint from Firebird Press
for 4th-9th grade
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$9.99
Double Trouble in Bugland
by William Kozwinkle
from David R. Godine
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Eli
by Bill Peet
from Sandpiper Books
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-4th grade
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$9.99
Ella
by Bill Peet
from Houghton Mifflin
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-4th grade
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$9.99
Encore for Eleanor
by Bill Peet
from Houghton Mifflin
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-4th grade
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Enormous Egg
by Oliver Butterworth
from Little, Brown & Company
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$8.99
Ereth's Birthday
Poppy Stories #4
by Avi
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$9.99
Eugenia Lincoln and the Unexpected Package
Tales from Deckawoo Drive Book 4
by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Chris Van Dusen
from Candlewick Press
for 1st-4th grade
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$6.99
Eulalia!
Redwall #19
by Brian Jacques
from Firebird Press
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$9.99
Fables of Aesop
Dover Evergreen Classics
by Joseph Jacobs
from Dover Publications
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$5.99
Farewell to Shady Glade
by Bill Peet
from Houghton Mifflin
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-4th grade
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$9.99
Fishmeal and the Mounching Monster
by Michael Clay Thompson
from Royal Fireworks Press
for 3rd-7th grade
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Flora & Ulysses
by Kate DiCamillo
Reprint from Candlewick Press
for 3rd-6th grade
2014 Newbery Medal winner
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Freddy and Mr. Camphor
by Walter R. Brooks
from Overlook Press
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Freddy and Mr. Camphor
by Walter R. Brooks
from Puffin Books
for 4th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
Freddy and Simon the Dictator
by Walter R. Brooks
Reissue from Overlook Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
Freddy and the Baseball Team from Mars
by Walter R. Brooks
from Overlook Press
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Freddy and the Dragon
by Walter R. Brooks
Reprint from Overlook Press
for 4th-8th grade
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Freddy and the Flying Saucer Plans
by Walter R. Brooks
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Freddy and the Men from Mars
by Walter R. Brooks
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Freddy and the Perilous Adventure
by Walter R. Brooks
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Freddy and the Popinjay
by Walter R. Brooks
from Overlook Press
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Freddy and the Space Ship
by Walter R. Brooks
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Freddy Goes Camping
by Walter R. Brooks
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Freddy Goes to Florida
by Walter R. Brooks
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$11.99
Freddy Goes to the North Pole
by Walter R. Brooks
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Freddy Plays Football
by Walter R. Brooks
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Freddy Rides Again
by Walter R. Brooks
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Freddy the Cowboy
by Walter R. Brooks
from Overlook Press
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Freddy the Detective
by Walter R. Brooks, illustrated by Kurt Wiese
from Overlook Press
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Freddy the Magician
by Walter R. Brooks
Reprint from Overlook Press
for 4th-8th grade
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Freddy the Pilot
by Walter R. Brooks
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Giraffe and the Pelly and Me
by Roald Dahl
from Puffin Books
for 2nd-5th grade
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Gnats of Knotty Pine
by Bill Peet
from Houghton Mifflin
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-4th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
Golden Goose
by Dick King-Smith
from Yearling
for 2nd-5th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
Great Christmas Kidnaping Caper
by Jean Van Leeuwen, illustrated by Steven Kellogg
from Dell Publishing
for 3rd-6th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
Green Ember
by S. D. Smith
from Story Warren Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$14.95
Harry Kitten and Tucker Mouse / Chester Cricket's Pigeon Ride
by George Selden
from Square Fish Publishing
for 3rd-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$8.99
High Rhulain
Redwall #18
by Brian Jacques
from Firebird Press
Fantasy for 4th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.99
How Droofus the Dragon Lost His Head
by Bill Peet
from Houghton Mifflin
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-4th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
Hubert's Hair-Raising Adventure
by Bill Peet
from Houghton Mifflin
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-4th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
Huge Harold
by Bill Peet
from Houghton Mifflin
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-4th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
Jungle Book
by Rudyard Kipling, illustrated by Gregory Alexander
from Pavilion Books
Animal Stories for 4th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
Jungle Book
by Rudyard Kipling
from Grosset & Dunlap
for 4th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Just So Stories
by Rudyard Kipling, illustrated by Joseph M. Gleeson
from Book-of-the-Month Club
Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for 1st-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$6.50 (1 in stock)
Kenny & the Dragon
by Tony DiTerlizzi
from Simon and Schuster
for 1st-4th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$8.99
Kermit the Hermit
by Bill Peet
from Houghton Mifflin
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-4th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
Legend of Luke
Redwall #12
by Brian Jacques
from Firebird Press
Fantasy for 4th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$10.99
Loamhedge
Redwall #16
by Brian Jacques
from Firebird Press
Fantasy for 4th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.99
Long Patrol
Redwall #10
by Brian Jacques
from Firebird Press
Fantasy for 4th-9th grade
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$9.99
Lord Brocktree
by Brian Jacques
from Firebird Press
for 4th-8th grade
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$9.99
Mariel of Redwall
Redwall #4
by Brian Jacques
from Firebird Press
Fantasy for 4th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$10.99
Marlfox
Redwall #11
by Brian Jacques
from Firebird Press
Fantasy for 4th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.99
Martin the Warrior
Redwall #6
by Brian Jacques
from Firebird Press
Fantasy for 4th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$10.99
Mattimeo
by Brian Jacques
from Firebird Press
for 4th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.99
Mercy Watson Fights Crime
Mercy Watson #3
by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Chris Van Dusen
from Candlewick Press
for 1st-4th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
Mercy Watson Goes for a Ride
Mercy Watson #2
by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Chris Van Dusen
from Candlewick Press
for 1st-4th grade
2007 Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$6.99
Mercy Watson Thinks Like a Pig
Mercy Watson #5
by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Chris Van Dusen
from Candlewick Press
for 1st-4th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$6.99
Mercy Watson: Princess in Disguise
Mercy Watson #4
by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Chris Van Dusen
from Candlewick Press
for 1st-4th grade
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$6.99
Mercy Watson: Something Wonky this Way Comes
Mercy Watson #6
by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Chris Van Dusen
from Candlewick Press
for 1st-4th grade
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$6.99
Mice of the Herring Bone
by Tim Davis
from Bob Jones University Press
Animal Adventure for 2nd-4th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$8.99
Mice of the Nine Lives
by Tim Davis
from Bob Jones University Press
Animal Adventure for 2nd-4th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$8.99
Mice of the Seven Seas
by Tim Davis
from Bob Jones University Press
Animal Adventure for 2nd-4th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$8.99
Mice of the Westing Wind Book One
by Tim Davis
from Bob Jones University Press
Animal Adventure for 2nd-4th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$8.99
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