Little Talking Animals

A few years ago, an 11 year old boy came into the library for something to read. He was, he admitted, troubled and tired by the hard-hitting novels he had been reading lately in class. "I just want books with little talking animals," he said wistfully.

He left carrying two of my favorites, and neither was a regression to lower levels of reading:

Perloo the Bold by Avi: Perloo, the shy and reluctant leader of the furry underground creatures called the Montmers, finds himself in danger from plots within the burrow and possible war with other furry creatures, the Felbarts. An allegory of government, power structures and morality. With little talking animals.

The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett: A talking cat, intelligent rats, and a strange boy cooperate in a Pied Piper scam until they try to con the wrong town and are confronted by a deadly evil rat king. Again, talking animals stand in for all kinds of human machinations.

The tradition of talking animals in literature goes at least as far back as Aesop. Why are there so many animals with human characteristics in children's stories? Warrens of tricky rabbits, farrows of friendly pigs, herds of wily wolves and hordes of studious mice populate the picture book shelves. They not only talk: they scheme, outwit, nurture one another and otherwise delight us all. What's with that?

Most children are curious about and fond of animals, making them a natural empathetic set of characters with which to identify. I often hear a child respond to an illustration, exclaiming "I'm that one!" It is easier to identify with a small creature of indeterminate race or gender than an actual human character. The use of animals also provides a psychological and intellectual distance: the young reader knows she is superior to a badger, so she can laugh as Frances pulls many of the same stunts that she herself does.

Many animal stories deal with themes and subjects that children confront every day: power versus weakness, friendship and loyalty, ethical decisions, making sense of the world. Stories that would be irritating in their didactic nature if they featured humans are softened when furry critters solve a problem or learn an embarrassing lesson. Children also take deep pleasure in making inferences with animal stories and making connections; the last thing they need is an adult pointing out to them the similarities to their own lives. Humor is inherent in many of these stories, yet children are doing serious learning.


There are too many picture books to even begin. Here is a short list of some of my favorite anthropomorphic novels:

Lower Elementary and Older
Poppy and others in The Dimwood Forest Chronicles by Avi
Babymouse series of graphic novels by Jennifer Holm
Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
The Lemming Condition by Alan Arkin
The World According to Humphrey by Betty Birney
Pigs Might Fly by Dick King-Smith

Middle Elementary and Older
The Night Fairy by Laura Amy Schlitz
Masterpiece by Elise Broach
The Tale of Despereaux by Kate diCamillo
Warriors: Into the Wild and sequels by Erin Hunter
Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat by Lynne Jonell
Urchin of the Riding Stars, from the Mistmantle Chronicles by Margaret McAllister
Gully's Travels by Tor Seidler
The Wainscott Weasel by Tor Seidler
Mean Margaret by Tor Seidler
Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of N.I.M.H. by Robert C. O'Brien
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame, admittedly challenging but a masterpiece

Upper Elementary and Older
The Underneath by Kathi Appelt
The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett
Redwall series by Brian Jacques
Watership Down by Richard Adams

And now, a short video of talking animals; thanks to Lauren Jonker for the link:
(If the embed doesn't work, click here)