Animal Stories: Realistic

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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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
2nd 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
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
1st 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