Favorite Animals

It would be easy to make a catalog of all the pets we've had over the years, but that's not the kind of "favorite animals" we're talking about. Favorite animals are those animals that have most thoroughly captured the imagination and love of humans. Okay, so maybe love is the wrong word to describe the dragon-craze or our enduring fascination with dinosaurs, but it surely applies to horses, dogs and cats.

The philosopher Plato had an idea that subsequent thinkers called "idealism." They didn't mean that Mr. Plato was an idealist in the way we'd call Rosa Parks or Gandhi idealists: the term idealism referred to the concept that for everything in the world (trees, chairs, noses), there was an ideal form or version of that thing in the spiritual realm.

According to Plato's theory, the azalea bush in your front yard is simply a physical representation of the perfect Azalea Bush floating who-knows-where in the infinite void. While we don't want to start any kind of philosophical war here, that's kind of the idea we're going for in this category. The animals you'll encounter in these stories, coloring books, and reference volumes embody "horseness," "catness," and "dragon-ness."

After all, the image Fred Gipson paints of Old Yeller is just a bit too good to be true. Sure, many of us have had a favorite dog who could do no wrong in our forgiving eyes, but Old Yeller is like every awesome dog who ever lived rolled into one mangy mutt. Which is the whole point—by creating a slightly unrealistic portrait of an old doggy, Gipson is able to celebrate doghood itself.

In a culture that generally looks only at the way things sometimes appear to be, however, it's easy to value animals too highly. Sure, they deserve our attention and care as representatives of creation, but no more. The Creator who made them is the only One deserving all our praise, glory and love; the animals He's made are simply avenues through which to show our worship and gratitude.

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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105 Items found Print
Active Filters: 1st grade (Ages 6-7), Trade Paperback
Ahoy There, Little Polar Bear
by Hans de Beer
Fir from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Akiak: A Tale From the Iditarod
by Robert J. Blake
Reprint from Puffin Books
for 1st-3rd grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
Amazing Bone
by William Steig
from HarperCollins
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Amazing Bone
by William Steig
from Square Fish Publishing
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
1977 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Anatole and the Cat
by Eve Titus, illustrated by Paul Galdone
Reprint from Dragonfly Books
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
1958 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99
Angus and the Cat
by Marjorie Flack
from Sunburst Book
Animal Realistic for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Angus Lost
by Marjorie Flack
from Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Animal Realistic for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Ant and the Elephant
by Bill Peet
from Sandpiper Books
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-4th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
Balto and the Great Race
Totally True Adventures
by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel
1st Printing from Random House Books for Young Readers
for 1st-3rd grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$5.99
Bear Cub
All Aboard Reading - Station Stop 2
by Pam Pollack and Meg Belviso, illustrated by Neecy Twinem
from Grosset & Dunlap
for 1st-2nd grade
in Early Readers (Location: EAR-MISC)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Bear That Heard Crying
by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock & Helen Kinsey
from Puffin Books
Realistic Fiction for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99
Big Dinosaur Sticker Book
by Paul Nicholls
from Usborne
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
Big Max
An I Can Read Books Level 2
by Kin Platt
Revised from HarperCollins
for Grades 1-3
in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR)
$4.99
Big-Enough Anna
by Pam Flowers
No Edition Stated from Alaska Northwest Books
for 1st-3rd grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
Biggest Bear
by Lynd Ward
from Sandpiper Books
Realistic Animal Stories for Preschool-1st grade
1953 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Biggest Bear
by Lynd Ward
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Billy and Blaze
by C. W. Anderson
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
Blaze and the Forest Fire
by C. W. Anderson
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
Blaze and the Gray Spotted Pony
by C. W. Anderson
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
Blaze and the Lost Quarry
by C. W. Anderson
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Blaze and the Mountain Lion
by C. W. Anderson
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
Blaze and Thunderbolt
by C. W. Anderson
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Blaze Finds the Trail
by C. W. Anderson
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
Blaze Shows the Way
by C. W. Anderson
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Chester the Worldly Pig
by Bill Peet
from Houghton Mifflin
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-4th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
Cross-Country Cat
by Mary Calhoun & Erick Ingraham
from Mulberry Books
for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Digging Up Dinosaurs
by Aliki
from HarperCollins
for Preschool-3rd Grade
in Dinosaurs & Fossils (Location: SCI-DINO)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Dinosaur Activity Book
by Earl & Bonita Snellenberger
2015 Printing from Master Books
for Preschool-1st grade
in Dinosaurs & Fossils (Location: SCI-DINO)
$7.99 $5.50 (1 in stock)
Dinosaur Days
Step Into Reading 3
by Joyce Milton, Franco Tempesta
Revised from Random House Books for Young Readers
for 1st-3rd grade
in Step into Reading (Location: EAR-STEP)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Doctor De Soto
by William Steig
from Square Fish Publishing
Animal Fantasy for Kindergarten-3rd grade
1983 Newbery Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Doctor De Soto Goes to Africa
by William Steig
Reprint from HarperCollins
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.99 $4.89 (1 in stock)
Dragons of Blueland
My Father's Dragon Trilogy #3
by Ruth Stiles Gannett
from Random House
Fantasy for 1st-3rd grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$7.99
Ella
by Bill Peet
from Houghton Mifflin
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-4th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
Elmer and the Dragon
My Father's Dragon Trilogy #2
by Ruth Stiles Gannett
from Random House
Fantasy for 1st-3rd grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$7.99
Encore for Eleanor
by Bill Peet
from Houghton Mifflin
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-4th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
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
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$6.99
Field Full of Horses
by Peter Hansard
from Candlewick Press
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Mammals (Location: SCI-MAM)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Floss
by Kim Lewis
from Candlewick Press
Realistic Animal Stories for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99
Flying Dragon Room
by Audrey Wood
from Scholastic Inc.
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Fritz and the Beautiful Horses
by Jan Brett
Reprint from HMH Books for Young Readers
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99
Gargoyles and Medieval Monsters - Coloring Book
by A. G. Smith
from Dover Publications
for 1st-3rd grade
in Literary & Fantasy Coloring Books (Location: COL-LIT)
$5.99
Girl Who Loved Wild Horses
by Paul Goble
from Aladdin Paperbacks
Native American Legends for Kindergarten-2nd grade
1979 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Hachiko
by Pamela S. Turner
1st edition from HMH Books for Young Readers
for 1st-3rd grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
Happy Birthday, Moon
by Frank Asch
Revised from Aladdin Paperbacks
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
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)
$4.99
Harry by the Sea
by Gene Zion
from HarperCollins
Realistic Animal Stories for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Harry Cat and Tucker Mouse: Starring Harry
by Thea Feldman
from Square Fish Publishing
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Harry the Dirty Dog
by Gene Zion
from HarperCollins
Realistic Animal Stories for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99
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
I Love Guinea Pigs
by Dick King-Smith
from Candlewick Press
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$7.99
Island of the Skog
by Steven Kellogg
from Puffin Books
for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99
Katje, the Windmill Cat
by Gretchen Woelfle
from Candlewick Press
for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Lassie Come-Home (adapted)
by Rosemary Wells
F from Henry Holt and Company
for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Little Polar Bear
by Hans de Beer
from NorthSouth
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.95
Little Polar Bear
by Hans de Beer
from NorthSouth
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
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 to the Rescue
Mercy Watson #1
by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Chris Van Dusen
1 Reprint from Candlewick Press
for 1st-3rd 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
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$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
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$6.99
Millions of Cats
by Wanda Gág
from PaperStar Books
Animal Fantasy for 1st-3rd grade
1929 Newbery Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Missing Mitten Mystery
by Steven Kellogg
from Scholastic Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Mr. Putter and Tabby Bake the Cake
by Cynthia Rylant
from Harcourt
for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Mr. Putter and Tabby Feed the Fish
by Cynthia Rylant
for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Mr. Putter and Tabby Pick the Pears
by Cynthia Rylant, Arthur Howard
from HMH Books for Young Readers
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Mr. Putter and Tabby Pour the Tea
by Cynthia Rylant
from Harcourt
Realistic Animal Stories for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$5.99
Mr. Putter and Tabby Row the Boat
by Cynthia Rylant
from Harcourt
for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Mr. Rabbit and the Lovely Present
by Charlotte Zolotow
from HarperCollins
for Preschool-3rd grade
1963 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.95
My Father's Dragon
My Father's Dragon Trilogy #1
by Ruth Stiles Gannett
from Random House
Fantasy for 1st-3rd grade
1949 Newbery Honor Book
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$7.95
My Father's Dragon
My Father's Dragon Trilogy #1
by Ruth Stiles Gannett
from Dover Publications
Fantasy for 1st-3rd grade
1949 Newbery Honor Book
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
No Roses for Harry!
by Gene Zion
from HarperCollins
Realistic Animal Stories for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99
Nobody's Dog
by Lynn Hall
from Scholastic Press
for 1st-3rd grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
North
by Nick Dowson
from Candlewick Press
for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Oliver
by Syd Hoff
from HarperCollins
for Preschool-1st grade
in Early Readers (Location: EAR-MISC)
Our First Pony
by Marguerite Henry
from Rand McNally
for 1st-3rd grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
Penny and Her Doll
I Can Read Level 1
by Kevin Henkes
from Greenwillow Books
for Preschool-1st grade
in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR)
$5.99
Penny and Her Marble
I Can Read Level 1
by Kevin Henkes
from Greenwillow Books
for Preschool-1st grade
2014 Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book
in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR)
$5.99
Piggies
by Audrey Wood, Don Wood
1st edition from HMH Books for Young Readers
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.00
Ponies
National Geographic Kids Level 1
by Laura Marsh
from National Geographic
for 1st-3rd grade
in Early Readers (Location: EAR-MISC)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Ponies and Horses
DK Eyewitness Readers Level 1
by Fiona Lock
from DK Publishing
for 1st-3rd grade
in DK Readers (Location: EAR-DK)
$3.00 (2 in stock)
Puss In Boots
by Charles Perrault & Fred Marcelino
from Square Fish Publishing
for Nursery-2nd grade
1991 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.75
Puss in Boots
by Paul Galdone
from HMH Books for Young Readers
for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Rabbits & Raindrops
by Jim Arnosky
from Scholastic Inc.
for Nursery-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Reluctant Dragon
by Kenneth Grahame
from Holiday House
for 1st-4th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$14.99
Reluctant Dragon
by Kenneth Grahame
from Holiday House
for 1st-4th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
Sam, Bangs & Moonshine
by Evaline Ness
from Henry Holt and Company
Allegorical and Moral Stories for Kindergarten-3rd grade
1967 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
Sam, Bangs & Moonshine
by Evaline Ness
from Trumpet Club
Allegorical and Moral Stories for Kindergarten-3rd grade
1967 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$1.50 (1 in stock)
Sheila Rae, the Brave
by Kevin Henkes
from Greenwillow Books
for Preschool-3rd Grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Stella Endicott and the Anything-is-Possible Poem
Tales from Deckawoo Drive Book 5
by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Chris Van Dusen
from Candlewick Press
for 1st-4th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$6.99
Teddy Bears' Picnic
by Jimmy Kennedy
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Temple Cat
by Andrew Clements
None from HMH Books for Young Readers
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99
Tenth Good Thing About Barney
by Judith Viorst
1st edition from Atheneum
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
The Egg
by M. P. Robertson
from Puffin Books
Fantasy for 1st-4th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Three Bears
by Paul Galdone
from Sandpiper Books
for Nursery-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99
Three Little Kittens
by Paul Galdone
from Clarion Books
Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99 $4.00 (1 in stock)
Three Little Pigs
by Steven Kellogg
from HarperCollins
for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Three Little Pigs
by Paul Galdone
from Sandpiper Books
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99
Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig
by Eugene Trivizas, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury
Reprint from Margaret K. McElderry Books
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
True Story of the 3 Little Pigs
by Jon Scieszka & Lane Smith
from Puffin Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
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