Best Animal Books in Fantasy

Author

Richard Adams

Librarian's note: See alternate cover edition of ISBN13 9780380395866 here.

Set in England's Downs, a once idyllic rural landscape, this stirring tale of adventure, courage and survival follows a band of very special creatures on their flight from the intrusion of man and the certain destruction...

Author	Erin Hunter
ISBN	0061284203

For generations, four Clans of wild cats have shared the forest according to the laws laid down by their warrior ancestors. But the ThunderClan cats are in grave danger, and the sinister ShadowClan grows stronger every day. Noble warriors are dying-- and some deaths are more mysterious than others....

Author	Robert C. O'Brien
ISBN	0689862202

Mrs. Frisby, a widowed mouse with four small children, must move her family to their summer quarters immediately, or face almost certain death. But her youngest son, Timothy, lies ill with pneumonia and must not be moved. Fortunately, she encounters the rats of NIMH, an extraordinary breed of highly...

Author	Erin Hunter
ISBN	0060525592

Fireheart could hear a roaring around him, like wind in tall trees. The acrid stench of the Thunderpath stung his nostrils, together with a new smell, sharper and more terrifying. Fire! Book Two of WARRIORS continues Fireheart's quest to be a true warrior, when he finds new danger lurking in the woods...

Author	Erin Hunter
ISBN	0060525657

ShadowClan has a dark new leader, but will he be satisfied with his power now -- or does his desire for revenge burn even more strongly? Fireheart fears that there is a connection between the rise of Tigerstar and the terrible dreams that haunt his nights, murmuring of danger and death. Meanwhile, a mysterious...

Author	Peter S. Beagle
ISBN	0451450523

alternate cover editions can be found here, here and here

She was magical, beautiful beyond belief—and completely alone...

The unicorn had lived since before memory in a forest where death could touch nothing. Maidens who caught a glimpse of her glory were blessed by enchantment...

Author	David Clement-Davies
ISBN	0142300608

Young buck Rannoch was born on the night his father was murdered and into a herd of deer where hunger for power has gradually whittled away at all that is true and good. He knows he must escape to survive. Chased by stags, with their fearsome antlers sharpened for the kill, he begins a treacherous journey...

Author	Tad Williams
ISBN	0886779537

Meet Fritti Tailchaser, a ginger tom cat of rare courage and curiosity, a born survivor in a world of heroes and villains, of powerful feline gods and whiskery legends about those strange furless, erect creatures called M’an.

“The hour of Unfolding Dark had begun, and the rooftop where...

Author	Kathryn Lasky
ISBN	0439405572

Mum: How many stars would you give this?

LRN: I think a solid five. It was very good; better than the movie even.

Mum: So what happens in this book?

LRN: Soren is pushed out of his hollow by his brother, Kludd.

Mum: Ugh, that's an ugly name.

LRN: I know. It's a bad...

Author	Kenneth Oppel
ISBN	0006481795

Shade is a young Silverwing bat, the runt of his colony. But he's determined to prove himself on the long, dangerous winter migration to Hibernaculum, millions of wingbeats to the south. During a fierce storm, he loses the others and soon faces the most incredible journey of his young life. Desperately...

Author	Richard Adams
ISBN	0345494024

Richard Adams, the author of Watership Down, creates a lyrical and engrossing tale, a remarkable journey into the hearts and minds of two canine heroes, Snitter and Rowf.

After being horribly mistreated at a government animal research facility, Snitter and Rowf escape into the isolation,...

Author	Kathryn Lasky
ISBN	0439405599

Ever since Soren was kidnapped and taken to the St. Aegolius School for Orphaned Owls, he has longed to see his sister, Eglantine, again. Now Eglantine is back in Soren's life, but she's been through an ordeal too terrible for words. And Ezylryb, Soren's mentor, has disappeared. Deep within Soren's...

Author	Kathryn Lasky
ISBN	0439405580

It began as a dream. A quest for the Great Ga'Hoole Tree, a mythical place where each night an order of owls rises to perform noble deeds. There Soren, Gylfie, Twilight, and Digger hope to find inspiration to fight the evil that dwells in the owl kingdom.

The journey is long and harrowing. When...

Author	Rudyard Kipling
ISBN	0688143202

Here is the thrilling story of Rikki, a fearless young mongoose who finds himself locked in a life-and-death struggle to protect a boy and his parents from Nag and Nagaina, the two enormous cobras who stalk the gardens outside the family's home in India. Nobel Prize winner Rudyard Kipling's timeless...

Author	Roald Dahl
ISBN	0375822070

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GREG!!! YOU ARE OLD!!!! EVEN OLDER THAN LAST YEAR!

greg's birthday is today, so i am floating this now to remind you that you still have time to shower him with presents!

it is greg's birthday!!! and as a treat for him, i am going to create a book review in which i use plenty...

Author	Clare Bell
ISBN	0142408433

Ratha and her clan are the Named, a band of intelligent wild cats whose society is based on herding deer. The Named have laws, language, traditions, and leaders. They also have enemies. The predatory raiders of the un-Named are driving them close to the edge of survival. Then Ratha, a mere yearling, discovers...

Author	Kathryn Lasky
ISBN	0545093104

I was really surprised that I didn't like this one. I had enjoyed what I had read of Lasky's Ga'hoole series, and I was expecting this to be comparable in quality to that.

There were two main issues I had with this book. The first one is that it is horribly dull. The beginning was very exciting, but...

Author	Meredith Ann Pierce
ISBN	0142500534

Jan, the prince of the unicorns, is high-spirited, reckless-and the despair of his mighty father, Korr. Reluctantly, Korr allows Jan to accompany the other initiate warriors on a pilgrimage.   Soon Jan's curiosity leads him, along with his friend Dagg, and their mentor, the female warrior Tek,...

Author	E.B. White
ISBN	0064408671

Swan Song

Like the rest of his family, Louis is a trumpeter swan. But unlike his four brothers and sisters, Louis can't trumpet joyfully. In fact, he can't even make a sound. And since he can't trumpet his love, the beautiful swan Serena pays absolutely no attention to him.

Louis tries...

Author	M.I. McAllister
ISBN	0786854863

As someone who grew up devouring the Redwall books, I was super excited to discover the Mistmantle Chronicles. However, this series is not just a Redwall knock off. The author has her own unique voice and presentation style and deserves full credit in her own right for an imaginative story.

Urchin...

Author	William Horwood
ISBN	0099443007

It seems the world has almost forgot about Duncton wood. The books are hard to find in second hand shops. I would rate the books up there with Lord of the rings, Dune, the dark materials trilogy and watership down. If you like that sort of stuff you will simply be amazed by the moles of Duncton Wood. Amazed...

Author	S.F. Said
ISBN	0440420768

Mesopotamian Blue cat, Varjak Paw, has never been Outside before; he and his family have always lived in the isolated house at the top of the hill. But Varjak is forced out into the city when the sinister Gentleman and his two menacing cats take over his home. With help from his mystical ancestor, Jalal,...

Author

David Clement-Davies

In this dark, thrilling fairy tale, it is the wolf who saves the girl. Fell, the dark-furred twin brother of Larka, the heroine of The Sight, must face life without his sister or the rest of his loving pack. He’s a lone wolf now, a “kerl,” an outcast from his kind who shares his sister’s fatal gift...

Author	Farley Mowat
ISBN	0440413613

Farley Mowat's funniest book tells the adventures of Wol and Weeps, two owls from Saskatchewan who shape up a whole neighbourhood, turn a house topsy-turvy, and outsmart Mutt, the dog hero of The Dog Who Wouldn't Be. Wol brings dead skunks to the family dinner table and terrorizes the minister, the postman,...

Author

Tui Allen

Have you ever wondered what goes on in the great marine intellects of the whales and dolphins? What wonders might they have achieved during the tens of millions of years of planetary rule they enjoyed before humans came down from the trees?

Recently, forces from the universe decided that the...

Author	Diane Duane
ISBN	0446606332

Rhiow seems a perfectly ordinary New York City cat. Or so her humans think -- but she is much more than she appears. With her partners Saash and Urruah, she collaborates with human wizards to protect the earth from dark forces and maintain the network of magical gateways that connect to different realities....

Author	Garry Kilworth
ISBN	0044406150

Well, I sure hope I can do justice to this.

Hunter's Moon is an allegory of emotion biting, realistic proportions. This is animal fiction at it's prime; adult, realistic and competent. Garry Kilworth absolutely nails personification here. Unlike a portion of animal related books, these...

Author	A.A. Milne
ISBN	0525444440

Winnie-the-Pooh, the Best Bear in All the World, has long been adored by readers young and old. In this beautiful full-color gift edition of "The House at Pooh Corner, " Ernest H. Shepard's classic illustrations have been painstakingly hand-colored. An exquisite volume and the perfect gift for any...

Author	Evan Dorkin
ISBN	1595825134

Welcome to Burden Hill - A peaceful suburb like any other with white picket fences and vibrant green grass - home to an unlikely team of paranormal investigators.

Black magic, demonic frogs, and zombie roadkill are just a few of the problems plaguing this seemingly sleepy little town. With...

Author	Grant Morrison
ISBN	1401204953

Writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely tell the unforgettable story of three innocent pets-a dog, a cat and a rabbit-who have been converted into deadly cyborgs by a sinister military weapons program.With nervous systems amplified to match their terrifying mechanical exoskeletons, the...

Author	Richard Bach
ISBN	0743278909

This is a story for people who follow their hearts and make their own rules...people who get special pleasure out of doing something well, even if only for themselves...people who know there's more to this living than meets the eye: they’ll be right there with Jonathan, flying higher and faster than...

Author	William Horwood
ISBN	0006496946

An age of heroes is dawning...The time has come for the wolves of Europe to take back their ancient Heartland. For centuries is has been corrupted and poisoned by the Mennen and by the evil Magyar wolf-pack. Only by reclaiming it can the true gods be reborn and the natural order restored. All over Europe,...

Author	Mary Stanton
ISBN	0671654101

The Heavenly Horse is the Dancer, a shining Appaloosa stallion, first of all horses in the Army of One Hundred and Five and guardian of the Courts of the Outermost West.

Anor the Executioner, monstrous and fanged, is the servant of the Dark Horse. He comes from the Gates of Death—and if he can,...

Author	R.T. Kaelin
ISBN	0615421032

Nikalys and his sister Kenders grew up living a peaceful life in the quiet farming village of Yellow Mud... until the blistering hot day when they go to the nearby lake for a swim. When they reach the lake, they spy an unknown mage conjure a massive water creature hundreds of feet tall. They watch in horror...

Author	Colin Dann
ISBN	1405225521

A group of forest animals unite to help each other to safety in this classic tale of tolerance, cooperation, survival, and friendship. When bulldozers enter Farthing Wood, the animals must escape before their homes are destroyed. They promise to stick together and protect each other—but then they...

Author	Ursula K. Le Guin
ISBN	0439551897

Catwings is a heartwarming coming-of-age, but contemporary issues and symbolism simmer beneath the surface for those willing to paw their way to greater meaning. In just forty-eight pages, Le Guin's memorable tale of four winged-kittens explores marginalized communities, race, and compassion.
...

Author	A.A. Milne
ISBN	0525467564

The Bear of Very Little Brain and his friends from the Hundred Acre Wood have delighted generations of readers since Winnie-the-Pooh was first published in 1926.

Back by popular demand, the four full-color gift editions of the original Pooh classics are available again. These elegant books,...

Author	Erin Hunter
ISBN	0060525851

ThunderClan's darkest hour is upon them, as Tigerstar's quest for power plunges all the Clans into the most terrible danger any cat has ever faced. In order to save his Clan and his friends, Fireheart must uncover the meaning of an ominous proclamation from StarClan:

"Four will become two....

Author	Tamora Pierce
ISBN	1416903372

Sent to Carthak as part of the Tortallan peace delegation, Daine finds herself in the middle of a sticky political situation. She doesn't like the Carthaki practice of keeping slaves, but it's not her place to say anything -- she's just there to heal the emperor's birds. It's extremely frustrating!...

Author

Tamora Pierce

During a dire battle against the fearsome Skinners, Daine and her mage teacher Numair are swept into the Divine Realms. Though happy to be alive, they are not where they want to be. They are desperately needed back home, where their old enemy, Ozorne, and his army of strange creatures are waging war against...

Author	Hugh Lofting
ISBN	0060775971

Doctor John Dolittle loves animals. He loves them so much that his home and office overflow with animals of every description. When Polynesia the parrot teaches him the language of the animals, Doctor Dolittle becomes a world-famous doctor, traveling even as far away as Africa to help his friends....

Author	Brian Jacques
ISBN	0142501549

Years ago, the vermin clan of Sawney Rath kidnapped one of Redwall's own-a baby otter, destined to become their "Taggerung," a warrior hero of ancient legend. But as young Tagg grows, he rebels against his destiny. The young otter journeys in search of his birthplace, a member of Sawney's clan always...

Author	Walter Moers
ISBN	1585677256

From the author of the cult classic "The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear" comes another fantastical journey into Zamonia. This captivating story from the unique imagination of Moers is astonishingly inventive, amusing, and engrossing.

Rumo is a little Wolperting - a domesticated creature...

Author	Roald Dahl
ISBN	0224064924

Mr. Hoppy is in love with Mrs. Silver, but her heart belongs to Alfie, her pet tortoise. Mr. Hoppy is too shy to approach Mrs. Silver, until one day he comes up with a brilliant idea to win her heart. If Mr. Hoppy's plan works, Mrs. Silver will certainly fall in love with him. But it's going to take one hundred...

Author

Juan Díaz Canales

Private investigator John Blacksad is up to his feline ears in mystery, digging into the backstories behind murders, child abductions, and nuclear secrets. Guarnido's sumptuously painted pages and rich cinematic style bring the world of 1950s America to vibrant life, with Canales weaving in fascinating...

Author	Jane Leslie Conly
ISBN	0064403874

When Margaret and her younger brother, Artie, get lost in the woods on a family camping trip, they are rescued by rats -- the superintelligent rats of NIMH. Taken into the rat's community, the children are safe for the time being. But winter is coming. Margaret and Artie have to get back home. And when they...

Author	Mark Caney
ISBN	1905492235

People have often wondered if we are the only intelligent life in the universe — well we're not, and they’ve been here all along.

Dolphin Way: Rise of the Guardians is a novel set amongst the lives of the other major civilization inhabiting this planet: the dolphins. The book is aimed at adult...

Author	Walter Wangerin Jr.
ISBN	0060574607

This unique book, written in 1978, is grisly, gritty, earthy, painful, and beautiful. I have never read anything like this book before. It is a creation of great courage. Wangerin has taken stark good and evil and played them out in an almost predictable manner, unafraid of arrangements that could be...

Author	Arthur C. Clarke
ISBN	0441152201

Set in the near future, a cargo hovership makes an emergency stop in the Midwest to make repairs. An adventurous teenager, Johnny Clinton, sneaks on board.

About a day later there is an explosion, the craft comes to a stop in the southern Pacific Ocean, and starts to sink. Its crew, not aware they...

Author

Garry Kilworth

The wolf Meshiska gave birth to five cubs on the night before full moon. Outside the den a storm was lashing the spruce trees. The sky and the land had become part of each other: a scatterwind night swirling with fragments of black and white. Snow became darkness and darkness snow, and any creature lost...

Author	Adam Jay Epstein
ISBN	0061961086

Is the kingdom's fate in the hands of an orphan cat? Running fast to save his life, Aldwyn ducks into an unusual pet store. Moments later Jack, a young wizard in training, comes in to choose a magical animal to be his familiar. Jack thinks his birthday pet is magical, and Aldwyn plays along.

He just...

Author	Garry Kilworth
ISBN	0552141119

In every mouse's long life, there comes a time when ancestral voices tell him to move on. Pedlar, a yellow-necked mouse, has reached that point. Told to leave the Hedgerow and go on a long journey, the adventurous mouse says his farewells and sets out for a far-distant country knows as The House. Reaching...

Author	Paul Gallico
ISBN	0140019421

'Been crying since the third chapter - just one of the most touching nevels I've read. Paul Gallico, being a great cat-lover, has described their habits and behavior so well (except that part of cleaning under the chin:)) that I would feel like being a cat if I wasn't one already:)
Not your average...