10 Animal Fantasy Masterpieces

Animal fantasy is a fairly popular type of literature in which animals are endowed with human features, sometimes they can talk, and even are the authors of stories. We bring to your attention 10 books that deservedly can be called masterpieces in the world of animal fantasy for children and adults.

Of course, this list is far from complete. And you can complement it by leaving feedback on your favorite animal fantasy books in the comments.

Hugh Lofting “Doctor Dolittle”

The cycle about the good Doctor Dolittle has 13 books. Doctor Dolittle lives in the South West of England, treats animals and is endowed with the ability to understand them and speak their language. What he uses not only for work, but also for a better understanding of nature and world history. Among the close friends of the glorious doctor are the Polynesia parrot, Jeep the dog, the Gab-Gab pig, the Chi-Chi monkey, the Dab-Dub duck, the Tiny Push, the Tu-Tu owl and the Whitey mouse. However, children who grew up in the USSR know the story of Dr. Dolittle from the fairy tales about Aibolit – after all, it was the plot invented by Hugh Lofting that was reworked by Chukovsky.

Rudyard Kipling “The Jungle Book”, “The Second Jungle Book”

The she-wolf adopts the human cub Mowgli, and the baby grows up in a pack of wolves, considering them relatives. In addition to wolves, Mowgli has Bagheera the panther, Baloo the bear and Kaa the tiger python as friends. However, the unusual inhabitant of the jungle also has enemies, the main of which is the tiger Shere Khan.

Kenneth Graham “The Wind in the Willows”

This famous fairy tale has been extremely popular for more than a century. It describes the adventures of four main characters: Uncle Rat’s water rat, Mr. Mole, Mr. Badger and Mr. Toad the toad (in some translations, the animals are called Water Rat, Mr. Badger, Mole and Mr. Toad). Animals in the world of Kenneth Graham not only know how to talk – they behave just like people.

David Clement-Davies “The Firebringer”

In Scotland, animals have magic. The evil Deer King decided to bend all the inhabitants of the vast forests to his will. However, he is challenged by a young deer, endowed with the gift to communicate with all creatures, including humans.

Kenneth Opel “Wings”

This trilogy can be called a real heroic quest about bats. The clan migrates, and the main character – the mouse Shade – goes through the path of growing up, experiencing many adventures and overcoming dangers.

George Orwell “Animal Farm”

The story of George Orwell is also known in other translations under the names Animal Farm, Animal Farm, etc. It’s a satirical dystopia set on a farm where animals take over. And although “equality and brotherhood” is proclaimed at the beginning, in reality everything turns out to be not so rosy, and some animals become “more equal than others”. George Orwell wrote about totalitarian societies in the 40s, but his books are still relevant today.

Dick King-Smith “Babe”

Piglet Babe is destined to share the sad fate of all pigs – to become the main dish on the table of the owners. However, he takes on the job of guarding Farmer Hodget’s sheep flock and even earns the title of “Best Shepherd Dog”.

Alvin Brooks White “Charlotte’s Web”

Charlotte is a spider that lives on a farm. Her faithful friend becomes the piglet Wilbur. And it is Charlotte, in alliance with the farmer’s daughter, who manages to save Wilbur from the unenviable fate of being eaten.

Richard Adams “The Hill Dwellers”

Books by Richard Adams are deservedly called masterpieces of animal fantasy. In particular, the novel “Inhabitants of the Hills”. The characters in the book – rabbits – are not just animals. They have their own mythology and culture, they know how to think and speak, just like people. The Hill Dwellers is often put on a par with The Lord of the Rings.

Richard Adams “Disease Dogs”

This philosophical novel follows the adventures of two dogs, Raf the mongrel and Shustrik the fox terrier, who manage to escape from a laboratory where animals are subjected to cruel experiments. An animated film was made based on the book, which caused a huge response: the public violently attacked the governments of many countries, accusing them of inhumane treatment of animals and the development of biological weapons.

Critics commented on the novel “Plague Dogs” as follows: “A smart, subtle, truly humane book, after reading which, a person will never be able to treat animals cruelly …”