# Children's books with animals as main characters. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 19, 2005, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/childrens-books-with-animals-as-main-characters/317689 "2005-08-19T01:02:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2005, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/childrens-books-with-animals-as-main-characters/317689/1 "2005-08-19T01:02:17Z")
We are presently reading [Tales of Despereaux](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0763617229/qid=1124413265/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-3802887-9024113?v=glance&s=books&n=507846) which my children are thoroughly entranced by the mouse. (Who doesn’t like stories of mice?) I know the **RedWall Series** are based in a mouse world, though, I’m thinking the age group for that is about 9-10 and up. (Haven’t read the 9000 books in this series. Yet.) \*\*Cricket in Time Square \*\* features a Cricket and, IRC, a cat. Grade 3ish. **The Wainscot Weasel** is about weasels and their community and dealing with having a successful older sibling that you can not ever be as good as no matter how good you do. Grade 3-4 **Bunnicula** is the charming tale of the family cat who thinks the new pet bunny is a vampire. The family dog is involved in the entire affair as well. Very cute. Grade 1-2. **The Brambley Hedge Series** by Jill Barklem. Just an adorable set of stories of a mouse community during the seasons. Captivating artwork that you could lose yourself in and wish you were a mouse. Out of print now, but worth finding. Preschool on up. What other stories do animals come alive and have adventures in? ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2005, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/childrens-books-with-animals-as-main-characters/317689/2 "2005-08-19T01:05:03Z")
Sorry, I had a brainfart. The story line for Wainscot Weasel is: > [@](#): > > It concerns Bagley Brown, Jr. He is the son of a famous, brilliant weasel. Bagley has neither lived up to his family name nor lived down his parents death. To further his troubles, he falls in love…with a fish. Eventually, Bagley must try to save his love and live ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2005, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/childrens-books-with-animals-as-main-characters/317689/3 "2005-08-19T01:13:39Z")
Thornton Burgess’s _[Mother West Wind](http://www.boop.org/jan/omww/)_ books. Robert Lawson’s [_Rabbit Hill_](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/014031010X/002-4825016-1224068?v=glance) ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2005, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/childrens-books-with-animals-as-main-characters/317689/4 "2005-08-19T01:16:09Z")
:smack: E.B. White’s _Charlotte’s Web_ and _Stuart Little_. Beverly Cleary’s _[The Mouse and the Motorcycle](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0380709244/002-4825016-1224068?v=glance)_. All three of those involve humans as well, but animals are the main characters. ---
**Author:** ![Eureka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/74df32/32.png) [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2005, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/childrens-books-with-animals-as-main-characters/317689/5 "2005-08-19T01:25:41Z")
[Thornton W. Burgess](http://www.thorntonburgess.org/)wrote a huge series of books about animals. My favorite was “The Adventure of Bob White” which told the story of Bob White and Mrs. White (which may not be her name) and how they raised a set of chicks- including when the whole family moved in with Peter Cottontail and his wife who lived in a bramble patch. I owned two or three, and read a half dozen more before I tired of them. If I’d known I could check them out of the library when I was a little younger I might have read more before I tired of them. Each book in the series is mostly separate, though characters recurr and I suppose some events occur which then show up in other books. They are kind of interesting books because they mostly show the lives of animals in the wild- with less anthromorphism than Beatrix Potter- but the characters all talk in English to each other so it isn’t truly realistic. > [@Thornton W. Burgess Society Webpage](#): > > Over 170 books and 15,000 stories by Burgess chronicle the tales of Peter Rabbit and his animal friends, including Jimmy Skunk, Grandfather Frog, Johnny Chuck, Sammy Jay, Reddy Fox, Hooty Owl and many others. Through these engaging stories, generations of young people have learned about the natural world and have developed an understanding of the importance of conservation of our natural resources. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2005, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/childrens-books-with-animals-as-main-characters/317689/6 "2005-08-19T01:26:37Z")
The Freddy the Pig stories! I loooooooooooooove Freddy the Pig! ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2005, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/childrens-books-with-animals-as-main-characters/317689/7 "2005-08-19T01:29:54Z")
Don’t forget **The Wind in the Willows**. I still love this book as an adult. ---
**Author:** ![KRC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@KRC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KRC)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2005, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/childrens-books-with-animals-as-main-characters/317689/8 "2005-08-19T01:30:19Z")
Didn’t E.B. White also write _The Trumpet of the Swan_ ? It’s about a trumpeter swan who is mute and learns to play the trumpet to express himself. _The Wind in the Willows_ has an awful lot of animal characters. And there’s always _Bambi._ ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2005, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/childrens-books-with-animals-as-main-characters/317689/9 "2005-08-19T01:30:28Z")
_Frog and Toad_!! Almost forgot them, can’t believe it. And, that reminds me of Kenneth Grahame’s _The Wind in the Willows_, which is aimed at a little older crowd than the OP was looking for, I think, but cannot be forgotten in a thread on this subject. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2005, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/childrens-books-with-animals-as-main-characters/317689/10 "2005-08-19T01:31:34Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > And, that reminds me of Kenneth Grahame’s _The Wind in the Willows_, which is aimed at a little older crowd than the OP was looking for, I think, but cannot be forgotten in a thread on this subject. And wasn’t, obviously. 🙂 Good simulpost, folks! ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2005, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/childrens-books-with-animals-as-main-characters/317689/11 "2005-08-19T01:32:54Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > The Freddy the Pig stories! I loooooooooooooove Freddy the Pig! Sorry – here’s a [link](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1585673463/qid=1124415295/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-3733960-5940806?v=glance&s=books&n=507846). ---
**Author:** ![roger\_thornhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@roger\_thornhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roger_thornhill)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2005, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/childrens-books-with-animals-as-main-characters/317689/12 "2005-08-19T01:37:03Z")
I hope I will be forgiven for publicising my own humble effort, but there are still so many in the warehouse and I’ve got to shift them somehow. Sob! Sob! Anyway, welcome to the world of [Piccolo, the Monster Cat](http://www.earthycartoons.com/bookviewer.asp?bid=1015). (There’s a wide age range because of the differences between first language and foreign language learners.) My latest effort is aimed at a slightly higher age bracket (that just below Harry Potter - the golden 9-99 spread), and features dogs rather than cats (cos I was told they sell better). Can _Georgie Porgescu Spy Dog Extraordinary_ finally put me on the map? Well, at least my kid enjoys the manuscript… ---
**Author:** ![KRC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@KRC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KRC)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2005, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/childrens-books-with-animals-as-main-characters/317689/13 "2005-08-19T01:44:26Z")
I guess I’ll add _Black Beauty_, though parts of it may be disturbing to younger readers. There’s also _The True Story of the Three Little Pigs_ , in which the Big Bad Wolf, now in jail, gives his side of the story. I got it for my nephew but I can’t remember the author. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2005, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/childrens-books-with-animals-as-main-characters/317689/14 "2005-08-19T02:00:23Z")
I have to give a plug to my friend and former English professor, author of [Sticklewort and Feverfew](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0936044004/qid=1124417117/sr=1-8/ref=sr_1_8/103-0920685-1976623?v=glance&s=books). ---
**Author:** ![Oregon\_sunshine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/50afbb/32.png) [@Oregon\_sunshine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oregon_sunshine)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2005, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/childrens-books-with-animals-as-main-characters/317689/15 "2005-08-19T02:03:15Z")
_Watership Down_ was a freakin’ miracle of a book, at least for me when I was a kid. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2005, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/childrens-books-with-animals-as-main-characters/317689/16 "2005-08-19T02:05:56Z")
A.A. Milne’s **Winnie the Pooh** series (with one human). \*\*Alice in Wonderland \*\* has quite a few talking animals. ---
**Author:** ![Greywolf73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d9b06d/32.png) [@Greywolf73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greywolf73)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2005, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/childrens-books-with-animals-as-main-characters/317689/17 "2005-08-19T02:40:13Z")
**Heavenly Horse from the Outermost West** and\*\* Piper at the Gate\*\* by Mary Stanton are must-reads for a young horse lover. They’re the Watership Down of horse stories. I think I lost count of how many times I read those two books-I’ve even reread them recently and was happy to discover they hadn’t lost a bit of their charm or magic. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2005, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/childrens-books-with-animals-as-main-characters/317689/18 "2005-08-19T03:27:06Z")
How about [Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0689710682/qid=1124422207/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-0730034-0195020?v=glance&s=books&n=507846) ? It’s been years since I read that book, but I remember being enchanted by it. StG ---
**Author:** ![Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f08c70/32.png) [@Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crowbar_of_Irony_3)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2005, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/childrens-books-with-animals-as-main-characters/317689/19 "2005-08-19T03:46:28Z")
Enid Blyton wrote a series of short stories about a rascal rabbit and his misadventures with all sort of of animal friends and nemsis. That was ages ago, but some stories I remember are how he dressed up with pots and pans to scare his arch-nemesis, the Fox and Wolf away, and the numerous times he escaped from being cooked and eaten. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2005, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/childrens-books-with-animals-as-main-characters/317689/20 "2005-08-19T06:44:36Z")
Geez, am I the first to mention **Curious George** and **Stewart Little?** [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/childrens-books-with-animals-as-main-characters/317689.md?page=2)