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Animal Stories

There aren't too many kids who don't like animals, which makes stories about them a great way to communicate truths about human nature to young readers. All kinds of animal stories have been written, and a lot of them are just about animals doing animal-y things, but some of the best aren't really about animals at all.

The Wind in the Willows, for instance—sure, Ratty and Mole have whiskers, and Badger is as grumpy as any badger whose hole does not include a well-stocked library, but they're essentially human characters with human emotions and human ambitions who grow the way humans ought. Even Mr. Toad is no more animal than Oliver Twist or Laura Ingalls.

Okay, you might say, but that's not really an animal story, then. What about Black Beauty? or Bambi? They're written from the perspective of real animals who don't talk (at least, not to people) or wear clothes or eat buttered toast; how can they be about human nature?

In the case of Black Beauty, the horse narrator has a surprisingly firm grasp of human emotion, and understands the behavior of her owners to an extent many homo sapiens would not. As for Bambi, while he acts like a real deer, he's also sentient and able to have relationships with his fellow forest animals that closely resemble those enjoyed by members of the human race.

Another kind of animal story is really about people, and simply uses animals as the hook, or as a foil for the humans in the story. The Black Stallion or Billy and Blaze books, for instance, are more about the boy heroes than the horses, though the bond between animal and rider is also explored. Jim Kjelgaard's dog stories are similar, chronicling the adventures of boys with their beloved dogs.

As with any genre, animal stories should be read primarily to be enjoyed. It is only then that the deep wisdom found in the best of them can speak to us as readers, can open up our minds and hearts to see more than just furry or scaly creatures do things they may or may not do in the real world. Besides, who's to say there isn't a talking monkey or cat somewhere in the real world? As far as books are part of the real world, there are plenty such animals, and plenty of opportunities to meet and be changed by them.

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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Active Filters: Preschool (Ages 4-5), Hardcover, Used Books & Materials
Aesop's Fables
by Aesop, illustrated by Arthur Rackham
from Avenel Books
for Nursery-2nd grade
$8.00 (2 in stock)
Angelina and Alice
by Katharine Holabird
1st edition from Clarkson Potter Publishers
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Angelina's Baby Sister
by Katharine Holabird; illustrated by Helen Craig
1st edition from Clarkson Potter Publishers
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Angelina's Birthday
by Katharine Holabird; illustrated by Helen Craig
First Edition from Pleasant Company Publications, Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Animal Orchestra
by Ilo Orleans
1st edition from Golden Books
for Preschool-1st grade
in Little Golden Books (Location: PIC-GOLD)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Appley Dapply's Nursery Rhymes
Book 22
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Nursery-1st grade
in Peter Rabbit & Friends (Location: FIC-PETER)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Babar and His Children
by Jean De Brunhoff
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$18.99 $10.00 (1 in stock)
Babar's Picnic
by Laurent de Brunhoff, translated by Merle Haas
from Random House
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Vintage Picture Books (Location: VIN-PIC)
$32.00 (1 in stock)
Benjy and the Barking Bird
by Margaret Bloy Graham
from Harper & Row
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Cecily Parsley's Nursery Rhymes
Book 23
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Nursery-1st grade
in Peter Rabbit & Friends (Location: FIC-PETER)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Charlie at the Zoo
by Marcus Pfister
from North-South Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Chrysanthemum
by Kevin Henkes
from Greenwillow Books
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Curious George Flies a Kite
by Margret Rey
from Weekly Reader
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Day with Whisker Wickles
by Cynthia Jameson, illustrated by James Marshall
from Coward, McCann & Geoghegan, Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Dear Friends
by Zhenya Gay
from Harper & Brothers
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Vintage Picture Books (Location: VIN-PIC)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Dear Peter Rabbit
by Alma Flor Ada, illustrated by Leslie Tryon
from Macmillan
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Doctor Dolittle and the Pirates
by Al Perkins
from Random House
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Does a Kangaroo Have a Mother, Too?
by Eric Carle
from Scholastic Inc.
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Elephant and Piggie Complete Collection - Boxed Set
by Mo Willems
from Disney-Hyperion
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$95.00 (1 in stock)
Eric Carle's Animals Animals
by Eric Carle
First Edition from Philomel Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Poetry for Children (Location: POET-CHIL)
$7.50 (2 in stock)
Farfallina & Marcel
by Holly Keller
1st edition from Greenwillow Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
George and Martha Back in Town
by James Marshall
from Houghton Mifflin
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
George and Martha Encore
by James Marshall
from Houghton Mifflin
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Vintage Picture Books (Location: VIN-PIC)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
George and Martha Tons of Fun
by James Marshall
from Houghton Mifflin
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Giant Treasury of Beatrix Potter
by Beatrix Potter
from Derrydale Books
for Nursery-1st grade
in Peter Rabbit & Friends (Location: FIC-PETER)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Good Neighbors
by Diane Redfield Massie
from American Education Publications
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Vintage Picture Books (Location: VIN-PIC)
$11.00 (2 in stock)
Goodnight Moon
by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Clement Hurd
from Weekly Reader
for Nursery-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Gorilla Baby
by Pearl Wolf
from Scholastic Book Services
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Vintage Picture Books (Location: VIN-PIC)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Great Big Elephant & the Very Small Elephant
by Barbara Seuling
from Crown Publishers
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Harry and the Lady Next Door
An I Can Read Book Level 1
by Gene Zion
from HarperCollins
Realistic Animal Stories for Preschool-1st grade
in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Harry the Dirty Dog
by Gene Zion, illustrated by Margaret Bloy Graham
from Harper & Row
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Vintage Picture Books (Location: VIN-PIC)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Harvey's Hideout
by Russell & Lillian Hoban
from Parents Magazine Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Vintage Picture Books (Location: VIN-PIC)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
Harvey's Hideout
by Russell & Lillian Hoban
from Four Winds Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
Hedgie's Surprise
by Jan Brett
from Scholastic Inc.
for Nursery-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Hedgie's Surprise
by Jan Brett
from Putnam Juvenile
for Nursery-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
If You Give a Moose a Muffin
by Laura Numeroff
from HarperCollins
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$19.99 $9.00 (1 in stock)
Invisible Moose
by Dennis Haseley, illustrated by Steven Kellogg
from Dial Books for Young Readers
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
It's Not Easy Being a Bunny
by Marilyn Sadler
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Beginner Books (Location: EAR-BB)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Katy No-Pocket
by Emmy Payne, illustrated by H. A. Rey
from Weekly Reader
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-2nd grade
in Vintage Picture Books (Location: VIN-PIC)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Little Whistle
by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Tim Bowers
from Harcourt
for Preschool-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Lovable Lyle
by Bernard Waber
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Muggins' Big Balloon
by Marjorie Barrows, illustrated by Anne Sellers Leaf
from Rand McNally
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Vintage Picture Books (Location: VIN-PIC)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Mystery of the Gate Sign
by Margaret Friskey, Illustrated by Katherine Evans
from Children's Press
for Nursery-1st grade
in Vintage Picture Books (Location: VIN-PIC)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
New Shoes
from First Second
for Preschool-4th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$19.99 $10.00 (1 in stock)
Olivia
by Ian Falconer
from Atheneum
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-1st grade
2001 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$18.99 $9.00 (1 in stock)
Olivia Forms a Band
by Ian Falconer
from Atheneum
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Only One Woof
by James Herriot, illustrated by Peter Barrett
from St. Martin's Press
Realistic Animal Stories for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Perfect Present
by Michael Hague
1st edition from Morrow Junior Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Puppy Who Wanted a Boy
by Jane Thayer, Illustrated by Lisa McCue
from William Morrow & Company
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$4.00 (2 in stock)
Reuben and the Blizzard
by Merle Good; illustrated by P. Buckley Moss
from Good Book Company
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Reuben and the Fire
by Merle Good; illustrated by P. Buckley Moss
from Good Book Company
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Runaway Chick
by Erica Briers, illustrated by Stephanie Boey
from The Templar Co.
for Nursery-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
Story of a Fierce Bad Rabbit
Book 20
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Nursery-1st grade
in Peter Rabbit & Friends (Location: FIC-PETER)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Story of Babar the Little Elephant
by Jean De Brunhoff
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$18.99 $9.00 (1 in stock)
Story of Ferdinand
by Munro Leaf
from Viking Press
Animal Stories for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$17.99 $10.00 (1 in stock)
Story of Miss Moppet
Book 21
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Nursery-1st grade
in Peter Rabbit & Friends (Location: FIC-PETER)
$7.99 $3.50 (1 in stock)
Tailor of Gloucester
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Tale of Benjamin Bunny (abridged) - Pop-up Book
by Beatrix Potter (based on the story and art of)
from Paradise Press
for Preschool-1st grade
in Peter Rabbit & Friends (Location: FIC-PETER)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck (abridged) - Pop-up Book
by Beatrix Potter (based on the story and art of)
from Paradise Press
for Preschool-1st grade
in Peter Rabbit & Friends (Location: FIC-PETER)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Tale of Mr. Tod
Book 14
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Nursery-1st grade
in Peter Rabbit & Friends (Location: FIC-PETER)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Tale of Tom Kitten (abridged) - Pop-up Book
by Beatrix Potter (based on the story and art of)
from Paradise Press
for Preschool-1st grade
in Peter Rabbit & Friends (Location: FIC-PETER)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Timothy Goes to School
by Rosemary Wells
from Sun Dial Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Two Bad Ants
by Chris Van Allsburg
from Houghton Mifflin
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Uncle Wiggily Book
by Howard Garis
from Grosset & Dunlap
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$8.00 (2 in stock)
Uncle Wiggily's Story Book
by Howard Garis
from Grosset & Dunlap
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$10.00 (3 in stock)
Velveteen Rabbit
by Margery Williams, illustrated by Michael Green
from Running Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Velveteen Rabbit
by Margery Williams
from Doubleday Book For Young Readers
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Velveteen Rabbit
by Margery Williams
from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
What Do You Do With a Tail Like This?
by Steve Jenkins & Robin Page
from Houghton Mifflin
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Wild About Books
by Judy Sierra, Marc Brown
from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Willie Was Different
by Norman Rockwell
from Berkshire House Publishers
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Year at Maple Hill Farm
by Provensen
Children's Choice Book Club Edition from Macmillan
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Young Kangaroo
by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Jennifer Dewey
from Hyperion Books for Children
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
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