Bears, lions, and tigers, oh my!
Well, truthfully, it’s been more like dogs, cats, birds, and horses, oh my, here on the blog lately as we’ve been chatting about pet cozies and WWI stories about horses this month on Berryville Book Buzz. But that doesn’t have quite the same ring to it.
In any event, I’ve talked quite a bit about animals in fiction and fiction about animals in April and will continue to do so for the rest of the month, which naturally leads me to wonder about your favorite animals in books.
So:
- What is your favorite book about animals?
- What’s your favorite animal in a book?
- What’s your favorite type of animals to read about?
1. I’ve mentioned quite a few favorite animal books on the blog recently. I also really like Life of Pi, just because it’s such an odd member of the animal fiction genre. I remember resisting reading this book when it was popular a few years ago because I thought the set-up–teenage boy trapped on a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger, hyena, zebra, and orangutan–sounded way too cutesy, but I finally read the book and was pleasantly surprised to discover it was nothing like I expected.
I also love Animal Farm, though, of course, it’s use of animals is purely allegorical.
2. Chester, Harold, and Bunnicula from Bunnicula. I tried to think of something more recent, but I would be lying if I didn’t say Chester, Harold, and Bunnicula are still beloved by me and hilarious to me 20 years after I first met them. The scene where precocious cat Chester and good-natured dog Harold attempt to rid their household of an allegedly fiendish vampire bunny by driving a steak through his heart still makes me giggle every time I think about it.
3. Dogs, horses, tigers, wolves
What are your thoughts on animals in fiction? Share your favorites in the comments with us! And don’t forget that you can find any of the items mentioned above by just following this link to our online catalog.
Berryville Book Buzz 
For me, the ultimate animal book is The Velveteen Rabbit. My dad, may he rest, gave me a copy as a little girl and I fell in love with it. Sadly, I lost it around the time he died, but serendipitously, as I was going through some of the books he’d left me just about a year ago, I found it! He had borrowed it, and actually written a beautiful inscription inside it, meaning to give it back to me, but then he passed away and I didn’t find it for nearly 20 years. So for a variety of reasons, I love that book. The little rabbit is just so kind and humble in his “humanity,” for lack of a better term. There is also The Story of Ferdinand, the bull who would not fight because all he wanted to do was sit and smell the roses. I used to steal roses from my grandmother’s garden, so my nickname became Ferdinand. 🙂
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Oh that’s such a sweet story about The Velveteen Rabbit! I can definitely see why it is a favorite.
I was a big Ferdinand the bull fan too as a child! The story behind your childhood nickname is hilarious. 🙂
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“All Creatures Great and Small” by James Herriott is a great collection of short stories written by a vet in UK.
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Thanks for commenting! 🙂
I’ve had that book on my to-read list for a few years now and haven’t yet found the time. Everyone I know who has read it has said it is absolutely delightful.
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It sure is – many years ago, it was made into a tv series, too
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I’ve seen a few episodes, and they were hilarious! That’s what made me want to read the book. I need to watch the whole show too! 🙂
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the books are the best!
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