Childrens Animal Stories
Animal stories are perhaps the largest component of children's literature and oral tradition. Every culture has animal lore, often with characters that serve similar purposes. The trickster character, for example, is Br'er Rabbit in the Uncle Remus stories. Rabbit is also a trickster in many Native American cultures, but in others the trickster is Fox or Raven. In African cultures, Anansi the spider carries out the trickster tradition. The broad term "animal stories" lends itself to many different types of tales. In some stories, the animals are purely animals. These are often adventure or quest stories, such as the 1939 classic, Lad: A Dog. In Aesop's fables, the animals retain their animal form and habits, but exhibit human personalities. In the Uncle Remus stories, the animals wear clothes and have human traits, but still live in the woods (or the briar patch!). In Charlotte's Web, Charlotte and Wilbur live their animal lives but showcase personalities that are very human. There are also many books in which animals are almost entirely human. Michael Bond's hilarious Paddington Bear books are an excellent example. Babar the elephant king and those lovable hippos George and Martha also fall in this category. At Bouncing Ball Books, we welcome submissions of animal stories for children. Our authors range from age eight to 76, and bring eclectic points of view to our collection. Formats may include picture books, chapter books with pictures, or short stories. Contact us at Bouncingballbooks.com for more information on how to submit your work.
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