Animal Stories: Realistic

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Realistic animal stories are usually more about the humans involved than about the animals. This isn't always true (London's Call of the Wild is a notable exception), but anyone who's read The Yearling, James Herriot's 5-volume memoir, or most of Marguerite Henry's books knows that the main characters are people, and the animals are the primary concern of those characters.

That's not to suggest that the animals are incidental, just that what readers are supposed to take away aren't simply facts about horses or dogs, but what all good literature offers, insight and commentary on the human condition. The reason we like stories involving animals so much is that humans and their furry companions are able to forge unique bonds predicated on innocence and loyalty that rarely exist in strictly human relationships.

What sets realistic animal stories apart from fantasy animal stories is that the animals in them are real animals, not talking, clothes-wearing, pipe-smoking people in animal costumes. Dogs bark, horses gallop, cows give birth to calves (it happens a lot in Yorkshire, apparently), and the world is very much as we experience and know it to be.

Children are particularly drawn to these stories, not because they like animals more than adults do, but because their imaginations still recognize everything as fair game. Animal tales show the world from an often unfamiliar perspective, and the appeal is especially great for those whose own perspective is still largely unformed.

A lot of these make great read-alouds for really young kids, or good books for budding readers to practice on their own. Just because they're in the kids' fiction section doesn't mean they're only intended for children, either, and plenty of adults are still as much into animal novels as they were thirty years ago. Our selection is intentionally broad, and steadily growing—we may or may not be included in that last group.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and 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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Animal Stories: Realistic

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Cat Books

	Almost All-White Rabbity Cat by Meindert DeJong; illustrated by Herman B. Vestal from Inheritance Publications for 3rd-6th grade in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI) $10.16
	April's Kittens by Claire Turlay Newberry from Troll Publishing for Preschool-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $2.00 (1 in stock)
	April's Kittens by Clare Turlay Newberry from Harper & Brothers for Kindergarten-3rd grade 1941 Caldecott Honor Book in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
	Christmas Day Kitten by James Herriot 2^nd edition from St. Martin's Press for 1st-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
	Fish Head by Jean Fritz, illustrated by Marc Simont 2nd Edition, 1972 from Coward, McCann & Geoghegan, Inc. for Preschool-1st grade in Vintage Picture Books (Location: VIN-PIC)
	Flip / I'm Tired of Lions by Wesley Dennis & Zhenya Gay from Viking Press for 2nd-5th grade in Vintage Picture Books (Location: VIN-PIC)
	Hate That Cat by Sharon Creech from HarperCollins for 6th-9th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
	Henry and Mudge in Puddle Trouble The Second Book of Their Adventures by Cynthia Rylant from Aladdin Paperbacks Realistic Animal Stories for Kindergarten-2nd grade in Ready-to-Read (Location: EAR-R2R) $4.24
	Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford from Yearling for 4th-6th grade in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI) $6.79
	James Herriot's Treasury for Children by James Herriot, illustrated by Ruth Brown & Peter Barrett Unabridged from Macmillan Realistic Fiction for 3rd-6th grade in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI) $22.95
	James Herriot's Treasury for Children - Audio Book (CD) by James Herriot (read by Jim Dale) Unabridged from Macmillan Realistic Fiction for Kindergarten-6th grade in Audio Books & Dramas (Location: CD-AUDIO) $14.99
	Moses the Kitten by James Herriot, illustrated by Peter Barrett from St. Martin's Press Realistic Animal Stories for Preschool-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
	Mr. Putter and Tabby Bake the Cake Mr. Putter and Tabby #3 by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Arthur Howard from Clarion Books for 1st-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $5.94
	Mr. Putter and Tabby Catch the Cold Mr. Putter and Tabby #11 by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Arthur Howard from Clarion Books for 1st-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $5.09
	Mr. Putter and Tabby Clear the Decks Mr. Putter and Tabby #19 by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Arthur Howard from Clarion Books for 1st-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $5.09
	Mr. Putter and Tabby Dance the Dance Mr. Putter and Tabby #21 by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Arthur Howard from Clarion Books for 1st-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $5.09
	Mr. Putter and Tabby Drop the Ball Mr. Putter and Tabby #22 by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Arthur Howard from Clarion Books for 1st-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $5.09 $2.80 (1 in stock)
	Mr. Putter and Tabby Feed the Fish Mr. Putter and Tabby #10 by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Arthur Howard from Clarion Books for 1st-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $5.09
	Mr. Putter and Tabby Hit the Slope Mr. Putter and Tabby #25 by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Arthur Howard from Clarion Books for 1st-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $5.09
	Mr. Putter and Tabby Paint the Porch Mr. Putter and Tabby #9 by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Arthur Howard from Clarion Books Realistic Animal Stories for 1st-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $5.09
	Mr. Putter and Tabby Pick the Pears Mr. Putter and Tabby #4 by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Arthur Howard from Clarion Books for Preschool-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $5.09
	Mr. Putter and Tabby Pour the Tea Mr. Putter and Tabby #1 by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Arthur Howard from Harcourt Realistic Animal Stories for 1st-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
	Mr. Putter and Tabby Pour the Tea I Can Read Level 3 #1 by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Arthur Howard from HarperCollins Realistic Animal Stories for 1st-3rd grade in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR) $5.09
	Mr. Putter and Tabby Ring the Bell Mr. Putter and Tabby #20 by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Arthur Howard from Clarion Books for 1st-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $5.09
	Mr. Putter and Tabby Run the Race Mr. Putter and Tabby #17 by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Arthur Howard from Clarion Books for 1st-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $5.09
	Mr. Putter and Tabby See the Stars Mr. Putter and Tabby #16 by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Arthur Howard from Clarion Books for 1st-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $5.94
	Mr. Putter and Tabby Smell the Roses Mr. Putter and Tabby #24 by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Arthur Howard from Clarion Books for 1st-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $5.09
	Mr. Putter and Tabby Spill the Beans Mr. Putter and Tabby #18 by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Arthur Howard from Clarion Books for 1st-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $5.09
	Mr. Putter and Tabby Stir the Soup Mr. Putter and Tabby #12 by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Arthur Howard from Clarion Books for 1st-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $5.09
	Mr. Putter and Tabby Toot the Horn Mr. Putter and Tabby #7 by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Arthur Howard from Clarion Books for 1st-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $5.09
	Mr. Putter and Tabby Turn the Page Mr. Putter and Tabby #23 by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Arthur Howard from Clarion Books for 1st-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $5.09
	Mr. Putter and Tabby Write the Book Mr. Putter and Tabby #13 by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Arthur Howard from Clarion Books for 1st-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $5.09
	Oscar, Cat-About-Town by James Herriot, illustrated by Ruth Brown from St. Martin's Press for Kindergarten-5th grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
	Pinky Pye by Eleanor Estes from Harcourt Realistic Animal Fiction for 2nd-5th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $8.49
	Pinky Pye by Eleanor Estes from Harcourt Realistic Animal Fiction for 2nd-5th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
	Pioneer Cat by William H. Hooks from Random House Historical Fiction for 1st-3rd grade in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI) $5.09
	Sneakers, the Seaside Cat by Margaret Wise Brown for Preschool-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
	Sneakers, the Seaside Cat by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Anne Mortimer from HarperTrophy for Preschool-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
	Tenth Good Thing About Barney by Judith Viorst 1^st edition from Atheneum for Preschool-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $2.80 (1 in stock)
	Whittington by Alan Armstrong from Yearling for 4th-6th grade 2006 Newbery Honor Book in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $5.94

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