Favorite Animal Fantasy Books and Movies For Young Readers

Fantasy, science fiction and mysteries are my favorite genres and I love animals of all shapes and sizes, so when you put them together, well, I could stay happily occupied for hours. This page contains an annotated bibliography of the animal fantasy books that I liked as a child and still enjoy as an adult.

Some of my all time favorites include Rabbit Hill, Charlotte's Web and Bambi. Today, you can find many print and multimedia versions of these old favorites, as well as plush stuffed animals and other toys, too.

As I looked over the list of my favorite fantasy books about animals, I realized that the majority of them were written for children. Why is that? Perhaps the reason lies in the fact that so many adults lose their sense of wonder and they "stop hearing the bells" (like the children in the Polar Express).

Some cynical people would say it's because some of us just never grow up. Well, I'm proud to say that we are among the delightful number of adults who have a bit of the Peter Pan syndrome. Each day and each interaction with nature and animals is a joyful experience filled with learning with a bit of magic thrown in. We hope that we will never lose this wonder and love for all living things that we have retained from our childhood.

My favorite genres to read for fun are Fantasy and Science Fiction. I enjoy reading a variety of non-fiction books, too. I hope, as a retired school librarian, that I am serving as a good model by being a Lifelong Learner. Catching the reading bug early in life is an important skill and a "hobby" that will serve you as long as you live. Books are an important part of learning, but we must embrace all learning styles, so I have included links to multimedia versions for some of the favorites in the list.

Now, on to our favorite animal fantasies. We hope you enjoy them all.

Curious Cottontail by naturegirl7

The first animal fantasies for the very young should be those written by Beatrix Potter. The Tale of Peter Rabbit is probably the most familiar, but there are many more delightful stories for the little ones to enjoy like The Tale of Benjamin Bunny, The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin (one of my favorites) and the Tale of Two Bad Mice.

Another classic rabbit tale that every young child should hear is the Velveteen Rabbit. It is a magical story about how love can make wishes come true. Since the velveteen rabbit in the story is a stuffed animal, this book is often offered in a plush toy and book boxed set. Read this aloud to a child you love.

We have our own little Georgie, who come clippity-clipping out when my husband goes up the long drive to get the paper each morning. Al always leaves him a little treat of carrots or rabbit chow by the edge of the woods and the little guy usually stays to finish up his snack when he comes back to the house.

To me, the story of the new folks on Rabbit Hill is an early tale of sustainable gardening. Illustrator Robert Lawson and his wife actually lived on the hill and they befuddled the locals with their odd ideas about animals and gardening. It is a lovely story about coexisting with and providing a place for the wild creatures that your home or neighborhood may have displaced.

An adventure story with an unlikely heroine, Mrs. Frisby, a field mouse, who has to brave a visit to the Rats and the Great Owl in order to save her children. There are some delightfully entertaining characters who help her find a way to move her house to safety. This winner of the Newbery Award for children's literature was made into an outstanding animated film which helped to popularize it.

The Circle of Light Series by Neil Hancock is one of my favorites, but is no longer readily available. This series was a predecessor of the Redwall series by Brian Jacques and was geared more towards adults and young adults. If you can find copies at the library or in a second hand bookstore, they are definitely worth reading.

There are many books in the Redwall Series that you can read and enjoy as well as several animated film version of the books are available. I also found an excellent thematic unit of study based on the series of books.

Lovable Wilbur the Pig, Charlotte the spider, Templeton the Rat and Fern the little girl, join forces in an attempt to save Wilbur from the slaughterhouse and a lasting friendship is born. This delightful story demonstrates how the relationship between humans and animals can be. Charlotte's Web is often used as the focus of a thematic unit of study because of the lessons that it teaches.