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Animal books form fond memories from our childhood, deeper reading in our adult lives and are loved all around the world. It’s hard to narrow the list down to our top 10 picks but we’ve got an assortment of the classics and some beautiful new stories. Many of these fascinating stories have been turned into scripts and shown on the silver screen proving just what heartwarming books they are.
The Jungle Book
“Look for the bare necessities, the simple bare necessities. Forget about your worries and your strife!”
The stories of Mowgli the man cub, Baloo and Shere Khan were first published in 1894 by Rudyard Kipling. The book tells the story of Mowgli’s journey to find his identity in the animal kingdom after being raised by wolves. The “Law of the Jungle” is a theme that runs throughout the stories and can be compared to the real world and how we should guide our morals with our family and community.
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The Tale of Peter Rabbit
“Once upon a time there were four little Rabbits, and their names were – Flopsy, Moppit, Cotton-tail, and Peter.”
A naughty young rabbit is the main character of Beatrix Potter’s animal world! This sweet story sees Peter Rabbit disobey his mother and wander into Mr. McGregor’s garden. Peter’s curiosity cannot be helped and he enjoys snacking on some of the vegetables in the garden. Mr. McGregor almost catches Peter but he manages to find his way home to his family and is sent to bed sick! It’s a lovely little tail…
War Horse
“..cause when there’s life, there’s still hope.”
War Horse is a classic novel that has been turned into a play and a film in recent years. The author, Michael Morpungo tells the story of a horse, Joey, and the relationship he forms with young Albert after his family buys him from an auction. Sadly, Joey is sold to the army to serve in World War I and this is heartbreaking for Albert. Years later, Albert becomes a British soldier and recognizes his old horse friend… he then tries to bring Joey home!
Charlotte’s Web
“You have been my friend,” replied Charlotte, “That in itself is a tremendous thing.”
Wilbur the pig and his barnyard friends enchant readers with their friendship and life at the farm. Wilbur is born the runt of the litter and Fern, a little human girl, has her heart stolen by him. Charlotte, the spider, helps Wilbur when he is in danger by writing messages in her webs that save him! The family then enters Wilbur into the county fair and you’ll have to read the book to find out the rest! This is a story that both children and adults love!
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
“Hey, Mr. English guy! I think your egg is hatching!”
Venturing into the world of fantasy, we discover some Fantastic Beasts in J.K Rowling’s “spin-off” series. This book was written in 2001 and the famous author published it under a pen name of “Newt Scamander”. It details all the mysterious and magical creatures that are found in the wizarding world! Warner Brothers took on the film and the second installment will be released in cinemas later this year! Long live the universe of Harry Potter!
A Dog’s Purpose
“As I sat in the sun on the wooden dock that jutted out into the pond, I knew this to be true; my name was Buddy, and I was a good dog.”
A Dog’s Purpose is one of the newest on this list, it was written in 2010 by W. Bruce Cameron. This book takes you through the four lives of a dog through reincarnation and the purpose he finds in each of his them. Get your tissues ready for this one even though it’s a backward from death to life story! This book was also made into a movie that was released in 2017!
Animal Farm
“Four legs good, two legs better! All Animals are Equal. But Some Animals Are More Equal Than Others.”
This short novel actually has some serious historic roots! George Orwell writes this political allegory about the Joseph Stalin’s betrayal of the Russian Revolution. The book is centered around a group of animals that overturn the humans who run the farm, and run it themselves! The pigs then turn the farm into a tyranny when it was meant to be free and happy. It has even featured on the Modern Library List of Best 20th Century Novels – this one is worth a read!
Fantastic Mr. Fox
“Then Mrs. Fox got shyly to her feet and said, ‘I don’t want to make a speech. I just want to say one thing, and it is this: MY HUSBAND IS A FANTASTIC FOX.”
Roald Dahl is the genius behind the whacky world of Fantastic Mr. Fox! The incredibly clever Mr. Fox provides for his family by stealing from farmers and now they’re on a mission to hunt him down! The farmers block Mr. Fox and his family’s exit and they start to run out of food. His other animal friends come to their rescue and enjoy a delicious feast and live happily ever after underground!
A Street Cat Named Bob: And How He Saved My Life
“Cats are notoriously picky about who they like. And if a cat doesn’t like its owner it will go and find another one. Cats do that all the time.”
And of course, we have to include a book about cats! Our feline friends are interesting and independent but also so ready to give their love – when they feel like it. A Street Cat Named Bob is a true story about a street musician and an injured cat he finds. They both end up changing each other’s lives and they become inseparable! You can watch this one as a movie as well!
Life of Pi
“It is true that those we meet can change us, sometimes so profoundly that we are not the same afterwards, even unto our names.”
The Life of Pi casts its spell on you from the moment you open the book. This tale by Yann Martel tells of Pi and his family and their cargo ship journey to Canada in 1977. This cargo ship also happens to be full of zoo creatures! The ship begins to sink and Pi finds himself on a lifeboat with some wildlife and most notably, a tiger… This novel takes place in three parts that go back and forth in time: present, past and future.
Animal books ranging from Peppa Pig to Black Beauty capture the reader in a special way that other stories can only dream of. The bond between animals and humans in these books show us how to be better and inspire us to create relationships with the creatures who share the world with us. Whether you’re a cat person, a dog lover, a horse rider or even love admiring tigers (from afar) there will be an animal book for you!
