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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65 Items found Print
Active Filters: 7th grade (Ages 12-13), Used Books & Materials
Beowulf the Warrior
by Ian Serraillier
from Bethlehem Books
Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for 4th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$10.16 $5.60 (1 in stock)
Black Beauty
Sterling Classics
by Anna Sewell, illustrated by Scott McKowen
Unabridged from Sterling Publishing Co.
Realistic Animal Stories for 4th-8th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$6.50 (1 in stock)
Black Beauty
Macmillan Classics
by Anna Sewell, illustrated by John Groth
from Macmillan
for 4th-8th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$9.60 (1 in stock)
Black Gold
by Marguerite Henry
from Rand McNally
for 4th-7th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$6.40 (1 in stock)
Book of the Dragon
by Montse Sant, illustrated by Ciruelo
from Paper Tiger
for 7th-Adult
in Dragons & Mythical Beasts (Location: FIC-DRAG)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
Bunch Quitter
by Don Patton, illustrated by Paul Clowes
from Caxton Printers, Ltd
for 4th-8th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
Call of the Wild
Puffin Classics
by Jack London
2008th edition from Puffin Books
Action/Adventure for 7th-10th grade
in Puffin Classics (Location: FIC-PUF)
$9.34 $3.60 (1 in stock)
Champion of the Titan Games
Dragonwatch #4
by Brandon Mull
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 3rd-7th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$8.49 $4.40 (1 in stock)
Children of Odin
by Padraic Colum, illustrated by Willy Pogany
from Macmillan
Norse Mythology for 3rd-8th grade
$32.00 (1 in stock)
Come On, Seabiscuit!
by Ralph Moody
from University of Nebraska
Biography for 5th-9th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$14.95 $10.00 (1 in stock)
Creative Haven Dogs - Draw and Color
by John Green
from Dover Publications
for 6th-Adult
in Adult Coloring Books (Location: COL-ADULT)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Danger in the Desert
by Roger Cohen
from Sterling Publishing Co.
for 5th-9th grade
in 20th Century Exploration (Location: HISW-20EXP)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Day No Pigs Would Die
by Robert Newton Peck
1994 Printing from Random House
Realistic Stories for 6th-9th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$2.40 (1 in stock)
Day No Pigs Would Die
by Robert Newton Peck
1994 Printing from Dell Publishing
Realistic Stories for 6th-9th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$2.40 (1 in stock)
DK Eyewitness: Horse
DK Eyewitness Series
by Juliet Clutton-Brock
from DK Publishing
Science Reference for 4th-8th grade
in Horses & Ponies (Location: SCI-MAMHOR)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Dragon, Hound of Honor
by Julie Andrews Edwards and Emma Walton Hamilton
1st edition from HarperCollins
for 4th-8th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Dragons and Dragon Lore
2007th edition from Forgotten Books
for 7th-Adult
in Dragons & Mythical Beasts (Location: FIC-DRAG)
$5.60 (1 in stock)
Draw 50 Horses
by Lee Ames
from Broadway Books
for 3rd-8th grade
in Draw 50 (Location: ELE-ARTD50)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Draw Horses
by Lee Hammond
from North Light Books
for 5th grade-adult
in Drawing for Beginners (Location: ELE-ARTDRAW)
$9.50 (1 in stock)
Earth for Sam
by W. Maxwell Reed, revised by Paul F. Brandwein
Revised edition from Harcourt, Brace & Company
for 6th-12th grade
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Encyclopedia of the Horse
by Elwyn Hartley Edwards, ed.
from Crescent Books
for 7th-12th grade
in Oversized Science Books (Location: SCI-OVER)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
Eragon
Inheritance Series #1
by Christopher Paolini
from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
Fantasy for 5th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Five True Dog Stories
by Margaret Davidson
from Scholastic Inc.
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$4.24 $2.40 (1 in stock)
Fossil Book
Wonders of Creation Series
by Gary & Mary Parker
from Master Books
for 4th-10th grade
in Dinosaurs & Fossils (Location: SCI-DINO)
$15.19 $11.00 (1 in stock)
Further Adventures of Lad
by Albert Payson Terhune
from Grosset & Dunlap
for 4th-7th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$6.40 (1 in stock)
Great Discoveries and Amazing Adventures
by Claire Llewellyn
from Kingfisher
for 4th-8th grade
in Archaeology (Location: HISRF-ARCH)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Great Monster Hunt
by David C. Cooke & Yvonne Cooke
from Grosset & Dunlap
for 6th-8th grade
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Hobbit (Perma-bound)
by J. R. R. Tolkien
2nd edition from Del Rey
Fantasy for 5th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$2.40 (4 in stock)
Horse Anatomy Coloring Book
from Anatomy Academy
for 6th-Adult
in Horses & Ponies (Location: SCI-MAMHOR)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Horse and His Boy
Chronicles of Narnia Book 3
by C. S. Lewis
from HarperCollins
Allegorical Fantasy for 3rd-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.34 $3.60 (1 in stock)
Hound-dog Man
by Fred Gipson
First Edition L-X from Harper & Brothers
for 6th-9th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
How to Draw Cartoon Cats, Kittens, Lions & Tigers
by Christopher Hart
from Watson-Guptill Publications
for 3rd-12th grade
in Cartooning (Location: ELE-ARTCART)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
How to Draw Horses
by Lucy Smith
from Usborne
for 4th-7th grade
in Drawing for Beginners (Location: ELE-ARTDRAW)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade
by Diane Wilson
from Sourcebooks
for 4th-7th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.34 $5.60 (1 in stock)
Julie's Wolf Pack
by Jean Craighead George
1st edition from HarperCollins
for 4th-8th grade
in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
$6.00 (2 in stock)
King of the Wind
by Marguerite Henry; illustrated by Wesley Dennis
from Aladdin Paperbacks
Realistic Animal Stories for 3rd-7th grade
1949 Newbery Medal winner
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$6.79 $3.20 (1 in stock)
King of the Wind
by Marguerite Henry
from Checkerboard Press
Realistic Animal Stories for 3rd-7th grade
1949 Newbery Medal winner
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Legacy of the Dog
by Tetsu Yamazaki
2nd edition from Chronicle Books
for 3rd-8th grade
in Dog Books (Location: SCI-MAMDOG)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Letters to Seabiscuit
by Compiled by Barbara Howard
from Seven Locks Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
Misty of Chincoteague
by Marguerite Henry; illustrated by Wesley Dennis
from Rand McNally
for 3rd-8th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$9.60 (1 in stock)
Misty of Chincoteague
by Marguerite Henry; illustrated by Wesley Dennis
1975 Renewed from Rand McNally
for 3rd-8th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Museum Guide (old)
by Answers In Genesis
from Answers in Genesis
for 3rd-7th grade
in Old Edition Science (Location: OSCI)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
National Velvet
by Enid Bagnold
from Avon Books
Realistic Fiction for 4th-7th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$3.60 (1 in stock)
Outlaw Red
by Jim Kjelgaard
1986 printing from Bantam-Skylark
Realistic Animal Stories for 4th-8th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Real Book About Prehistoric Life
by Dorothy Shuttlesworth, illustrated by Matthew Kalmenoff
from Garden City Books
for 4th-8th grade
in Real Books series (Location: VIN-RBA)
$6.00 (2 in stock)
Robert Vavra's Classic Book of Horses
by Robert Vavra, illustrated by John Fulton
1st edition from William Morrow & Company
for 7th-Adult
in Horses & Ponies (Location: SCI-MAMHOR)
$16.00 (1 in stock)
San Domingo
by Marguerite Henry; illustrated by Robert Lougheed
from Rand McNally
for 3rd-7th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$9.60 (1 in stock)
Sandy's Spurs
by Lavinia R. Davis, illustrated by Grace Paull
1st edition from Doubleday & Company
for 4th-8th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$7.20 (1 in stock)
Scout's Distant Journey
Scout Series
by Piet Prins
from Inheritance Publications
Action/Adventure for 4th-8th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$9.31 $5.60 (1 in stock)
Seaman
by Gail Karwoski & James Watling
from Peachtree Publishers, Ltd.
Historical Fiction for 5th-8th grade
in Lewis & Clark Expedition (1801-1803) (Location: HISA-19L&C)
$9.99 $6.00 (2 in stock)
Seaman's Journal
by Patricia Reeder Eubank
from Ideals Children's Books
Historical Fiction for 5th-8th grade
in Lewis & Clark Expedition (1801-1803) (Location: HISA-19L&C)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Seven True Dog Stories
by Margaret Davidson
from Hastings House
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Shiloh
Shiloh #1
by Phyllis R. Naylor
from Aladdin Paperbacks
Realistic Animal Stories for 5th-8th grade
1992 Newbery Medal winner
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$7.64 $2.40 (1 in stock)
Smoky the Cow Horse
by Will James
1930 printing from Charles Scribner's Sons
for 4th-7th grade
1927 Newbery Book
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$7.20 (1 in stock)
Sounder
by William H. Armstrong
from HarperCollins
Realistic Fiction for 3rd-8th grade
1970 Newbery Medal winner
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$5.94 $3.20 (1 in stock)
Sounder
by William H. Armstrong
from Scholastic Inc.
for 3rd-8th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$1.20 (1 in stock)
Sounder
by William H. Armstrong
from HarperCollins
Realistic Fiction for 3rd-8th grade
1970 Newbery Medal winner
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
Sounder
by William H. Armstrong
from Harper & Row
Realistic Fiction for 3rd-8th grade
1970 Newbery Medal winner
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
Tolkien Reader
by J. R. R. Tolkien
from Ballantine Books
Fantasy for 4th-12th grade
in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Trails to Poosey
by Olive R. Cook
from Misty Hill Press
Pioneer Fiction for 4th-7th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$3.20 (2 in stock)
Treasury of Classical Mythology
by A. R. H. Moncrieff
from Barnes & Noble
for 7th-Adult
in Oversized History Books (Location: HISW-OVER)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Wilderness Champion
by Joseph Wharton Lippincott, illustrated by Paul Bransom
from J.B. Lippincott Co.
for 4th-8th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$9.60 (1 in stock)
Wind in the Door
Wrinkle in Time Series #2
by Madeleine L'Engle
from Square Fish Publishing
Fantasy for 4th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$7.64 $3.60 (1 in stock)
Winged Colt of Casa Mia
by Betsy Byars, illustrated by Richard Cuffari
1st edition from Viking Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Wolves: Life in the Pack
from Barnes & Noble
for 5th-Adult
in Dog Books (Location: SCI-MAMDOG)
$8.00 (1 in stock)