The Children's Treasury of Animal Stories

Lisa Arsenault is an elementary-school teacher in Ajax.

This is an excellent collection of 18 animal stories by much-loved
children’s authors such as Hans Christian Andersen, Rudyard Kipling,
and Andrew Lang. Many are traditional folk tales, while others entirely
the author’s invention. Andersen’s story is particularly noteworthy
in that it describes the reactions of the creatures in the sea to the
arrival of the transatlantic telegraph cable in their ocean. The tale is
based on a scientific invention of his own era that obviously had great
impact on the writer. Many of the selections are lesser-known works,
which adds a fresh dimension to the traditional body of work of these
famous authors.

With only one full-page color picture introducing each story and one or
two small black-and-whites, these are not picture stories, but they are
short (averaging 12 pages) and appropriate for young school-age
children. They would be an excellent choice for introducing the genre of
animal literature. This collection would also be useful curriculum
support as a comprehensive overview of the works of some of the best
traditional children’s authors.