Kid Tested, Librarian Recommended: Animals tell their stories

Have you ever wondered how animals see the world? In most books told from animal perspectives the animals are anthropomorphized, meaning they act a lot like humans. In other books animals behave very similar to real animals.

I like to read stories told from animals’ perspectives because it helps me to understand the world around me in a deeper way. I rarely read a novel about animals without finding out some new animal facts. Even when the characters are fully anthropomorphized and act almost exactly like humans, it’s fun to imagine what life would be like if I were two feet tall and had fur and a tail.

Here are some of my favorite books told from animals’ perspectives that range all over the spectrum of anthropomorphism.

Bamboo Kingdom Series by Erin Hunter

Erin Hunter is well-known for her book series told from the perspectives of animals. When I was in grade school, I was obsessed with her Warriors series told from the perspective of cats. I was very excited when she came out with this series told from the perspectives of pandas – my favorite animal! Read about the adventures of three panda siblings who come to find each other, and the great destiny they were born for.

"The animals are well depicted, with clear personalities, and the challenges they face are daunting, nicely sustaining the suspense.... Perfect for eager readers of animal adventures." — Kirkus Reviews

The Rabbit’s Rebellion written by Ariel Dorfman & illustrated by Chris Riddell

The wolf king declares that rabbits do not exist and prohibits any mention of anything to do with rabbits. However, the rabbits will not be erased so easily. When they keep showing up in the pictures the king’s monkey photographer takes of him, the photographer is faced with a choice between doing what’s easy and doing what’s right. The text is accompanied by charming illustrations. It’s hard not to smile and laugh at the cotton-tailed antics the bunnies get up to as they fight for their place in the world.

"Uncannily timed ... In prose that speaks volumes, Dorfman's eerily prescient allegorical gem shapes a resounding portrait of power abused and censorship foiled, reinforced by Riddell's droll, spot-on line drawings. A tale for the ages--and for all ages." –Publishers Weekly

Garfield by Jim Davis

It’s hard not to love this wise-cracking, tubby tabby. Garfield lives with his owner Jon and Jon’s dog Odie. The comic focuses on Garfield's sardonic reflections on their life. Fun fact: if you read closely there are hints the comic is set in Muncie, Indiana, which is the city Jim Davis lives in and is also the city where I was born! Each comic strip contains few words and many pictures, making it delightfully easy to read.

Garfield history from book 1, "Garfield was born in the kitchen of an Italian restaurant on a winter's night in 1978, while outside snow fell like grated Parmesan cheese. He weighed five pounds, six ounces at birth –that's big for a kitten!– and right from the start showed a passion for Italian food. The restaurant owner, forced to choose between Garfield and closing his doors for lack of pasta, sold Garfield to a pet store. Garfield thought he was a goner until Jon Arbuckle walked in the door."

How do Meerkats Order Pizza? by Brooke Barker

Here is a fun nonfiction book told from the animals' perspectives. Join a group of ragtag, cartoonish animals as they turn the tables and study the humans who study them! This book is packed full of fun facts, hilarious illustrations and inspiring stories. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves animals or science or meerkats or pizza.

"The text is set off with white space and comics in panels with speech balloons full of commentary from the animals. Scientists who study white-tailed deer, roosters, jaguars, humpback whales, and more are included. The amusing, spare illustrations depict animals that are just as interested in the scientists’ research as readers will be. Also covered is a scientist whose studies of the ocean parallel some of the environmental issues mentioned in other sections. The scientists are racially diverse, as are the other people depicted in the illustrations. A concluding spread suggests ways readers can emulate the individuals profiled. A pleasing and informative collection of animal facts — and the scientists responsible for unearthing them." –Kirkus Reviews

A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond

Paddington is a charming, delightful, well-mannered bear. He is adopted by Mr. and Mrs. Brown in the Paddington Station for which he is named. This book features some of his adventures as he adjusts to living with a human family. Paddington’s adventures are classic stories sure to warm your heart as you read about the polite little bear who gets into some scrapes and misadventures, but always has good intentions at heart.

"The story featuring the marmalade-loving bear was first published in 1958 by William Collins & Son (now known as HarperCollins). The classic tale begins when a bear from Peru winds up in London's Paddington Station and is subsequently adopted by the Brown family (humans from the Notting Hill area). Unfailingly polite and affecting a rather shabby charm—accomplished in no small part by Peggy Fortnum's delightful line drawings—Paddington went on to have dozens of adventures over the years, spawning more than 50 titles translated into over 30 languages." –School Library Journal