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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"Slowly, Slowly, Slowly," said the Sloth
by Eric Carle
from World of Eric Carle
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$4.00 (1 in stock)
"Stand Back," Said the Elephant, "I'm Going to Sneeze!"
by Patricia Thomas, illustrated by Wallace Tripp
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Abel's Island
by William Steig
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Animal Fantasy for 3rd-5th grade
1977 Newbery Honor Book
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Adventures of Bob White
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by Thornton W. Burgess
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Adventures of Poor Mrs. Quack
Thornton Burgess Peter Cottontail Books #20
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Adventures of Prickly Porky
Thornton Burgess Peter Cottontail Books #17
by Thornton W. Burgess
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$4.25 $2.00 (1 in stock)
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Thornton Burgess Peter Cottontail Books #5
by Thornton W. Burgess
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Animal Stories: Fantasy for 2nd-4th grade
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Thornton Burgess Peter Cottontail Books #14
by Thornton W. Burgess
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$4.25
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Thornton Burgess Peter Cottontail Books #8
by Thornton W. Burgess
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by Aesop
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by Aesop, retold by Anna Milbourne and illustrated by Linda Edwards
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by Aesop, illustrated by Milo Winter
Pap/Com from Dover Publications
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Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse
by Leo Lionni
Reissue from Dragonfly Books
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1970 Caldecott Honor Book
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$7.64
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by Clara Dillingham Pierson
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by Clara Dillingham Pierson
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by Clara Dillingham Pierson
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Among the Pond People
by Clara Dillingham Pierson
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$11.99
Amos and Boris
by William Steig
from Square Fish Publishing
Animal Fantasy for Kindergarten-3rd grade
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Angelina's Baby Sister
by Katharine Holabird; illustrated by Helen Craig
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Another Celebrated Dancing Bear
by Gladys Scheffrin-Falk & Barbara Garrison (illusttrator)
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Ant and the Elephant
by Bill Peet
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Animal Fantasy for Preschool-4th grade
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by Beatrix Potter
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$7.64
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Green Ember Archer #3
by S. D. Smith
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$11.86
Armadillo from Amarillo
by Lynne Cherry
Reprint from Sandpiper Books
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$2.00 (1 in stock)
Arthur's Honey Bear
An I Can Read Book Level 2
by Lillian Hoban
from HarperCollins
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-3rd grade
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$4.24
Ask Mr. Bear
by Marjorie Flack
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Babar and Father Christmas
by Jean De Brunhoff
1st edition from Random House Books for Young Readers
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by Jean De Brunhoff
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by Jean de Brunhoff (Babar) and Beatrix Potter (Squirrel Nutkin)
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Babar the King
by Jean de Brunhoff
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Babar's Picnic
by Laurent de Brunhoff, translated by Merle Haas
from Random House
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Babe the Gallant Pig
by Dick King-Smith
1st edition from Yearling
Animal Stories: Fantasy for 2nd-5th grade
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$6.79
Baby Sister for Frances
by Russell & Lillian Hoban
from HarperCollins
Animal Fantasy for 1st-3rd grade
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$8.49
Baby Sister for Frances
by Russell & Lillian Hoban
from HarperCollins
Animal Fantasy for 1st-3rd grade
in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR)
$5.09
Bargain for Frances
An I Can Read Book Level 2
by Russell & Lillian Hoban
from HarperCollins
Animal Fantasy for Kindergarten-2nd grade
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Bear Called Paddington
by Michael Bond
from HarperCollins
Animal Fantasy for 2nd-4th grade
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$13.59
Beatrix Potter 3 Volume Set in Latin
by Beatrix Potter
from Canon Press
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$26.88
Bedtime for Frances
by Russell Hoban
from HarperCollins
Animal Fantasy for 1st-3rd grade
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$8.49
Bedtime for Frances
by Russell Hoban, illustrated by Garth Williams
from Scholastic Inc.
Animal Fantasy for 1st-3rd grade
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Bedtime for Frances
by Russell Hoban
from HarperCollins
Animal Fantasy for 1st-3rd grade
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$14.44
Bedtime for Francis
by Russell Hoban, illustrated by Garth Williams
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-3rd grade
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$1.60 (1 in stock)
Bedtime Stories
by Thornton W. Burgess, illustrated by Carl & Mary Hauge
from Dover Publications
for 1st-5th grade
in Picture Book Treasuries (Location: PIC-TRE)
$16.14
Bellmaker
Redwall #7
by Brian Jacques
from ACE Publishing
Fantasy for 4th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$10.19 $4.00 (1 in stock)
Bellmaker
Redwall #7
by Brian Jacques
from Firebird Press
Fantasy for 4th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.34
Ben and Me
by Robert Lawson
from Little, Brown & Company
Humor/historical fiction for 2nd-5th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$7.64
Berenstain Bears' Dollars and Sense
by Jan Berenstain, Stan Berenstain
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
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Best Friends for Frances
I Can Read Level 2
by Russell & Lillian Hoban
from HarperTrophy
Animal Fantasy for 1st-3rd grade
in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR)
$5.09
Big Bad Bruce
by Bill Peet
from Sandpiper Books
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-4th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.49
Bill Peet Collection
by Bill Peet
from Sandpiper Books
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$191.77
Billy Mink
Thornton Burgess Peter Cottontail Books #33
by Thornton W. Burgess
Illustrated from Dover Publications
for 2nd-5th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$5.10
Birthday for Frances
by Russell & Lillian Hoban
from HarperCollins
Animal Fantasy for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.49
Birthday for Frances
by Russell & Lillian Hoban
from Scholastic Inc.
Animal Fantasy for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$1.60 (1 in stock)
Black Star of Kingston
Green Ember Old Natalia #1
by S. D. Smith
from Story Warren Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.31
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)
$4.25
Blah Blah Black Sheep
by N. D. Wilson, illustrated by Forrest Dickison
from Canon Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
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$16.14
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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$5.91
Book for Bramble
by Lynne Garner, illustrated by Gaby Hansen
from Orchard Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
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$2.40 (1 in stock)
Book of the Dun Cow
by Walter Wangerin Jr.
from HarperCollins
for 8th grade-Adult
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$16.99
Bowser the Hound
Thornton Burgess Peter Cottontail Books #27
by Thornton W. Burgess
from Dover Publications
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$5.10
Boxen
by C. S. Lewis, Major Warren Hamilton Lewis
from HarperCollins
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$24.99
Brambly Hedge: The High Hills
by Jill Barklem
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$8.49
Brambly Hedge: The Sea Story
by Jill Barklem
from HarperCollins
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$8.49
Bread and Jam for Frances
by Russell & Lillian Hoban
from HarperCollins
Animal Fantasy for 1st-3rd grade
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$8.49
Bread and Jam for Frances
I Can Read! Level 2
by Russell & Lillian Hoban
from HarperCollins
Animal Fantasy for 1st-3rd grade
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$5.09 $2.40 (1 in stock)
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by Ruth Belov Gross
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Buford the Little Bighorn
by Bill Peet
from Houghton Mifflin
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-4th grade
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$8.49
Bunnicula
Bunnicula #1
by James Howe
1st edition from Aladdin Paperbacks
Fantasy for 3rd-6th grade
Newbery Honor Book
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$7.64 $3.20 (1 in stock)
Bunnicula
Bunnicula #1
by James Howe
2nd edition from Atheneum
Fantasy for 3rd-6th grade
Newbery Honor Book
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$4.80 (1 in stock)
Burgess Animal Book for Children
by Thornton W. Burgess
from Dover Publications
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$12.99
Burgess Animal Book for Children
by Thornton W. Burgess
from Living Book Press
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$19.99
Burgess Animal Book for Children
by Thornton W. Burgess
from Living Book Press
for 2nd-6th grade
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
$18.99
Burgess Animal Book for Children
by Thornton W. Burgess
from Living Book Press
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$28.99
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