Favorite Books Where Animal Are the Main Characters (best, development, story)

[jsqueezer]

I'm reading a wonderful book right now.... starring a dog and his private detective companion. "Dog On It" by Spencer Quinn ("A Chet and Bernie Mystery").

The dustjacket blurb by Stephen King says it all: "Spencer Quinn speaks two languages--suspense and dog-- fluently. Sometimes funny, sometimes touching, and in a few places terrifying."

I'm hating for this one to end, I'm enjoying it so much. Check it out. (Nope, I'm not related to the author!)

[totallyfrazzled]

This is a great thread! I've always loved animal-character books ever since reading Beatrix Potter's as a very young child.

Somewhere in my storage boxes there is a book, completely dog-eared and almost falling apart from past reading, called "Pumpkin, Ginger and Spice" about three dachshunds and their adventures. That was the first book that I was able to read all by myself, rather than having it read to me as the Beatrix Potter ones originally were.

So my list would include:

All the Beatrix Potter books
Pumpkin Ginger and Spice
Black Beauty
Watership Down
Wind in the Willows
Rikki Tikki Tavi

jsqueezer, if you like human/animal detective books I highly recommend the Joe Grey mystery series by Shirley Rousseau Murphy! Joe Grey, his ladycat friend Dulcie, and their other feline pals are a delight. A great twist is that Joe, Dulcie and some others have the unexpected ability to converse in human speech -- which must be kept a secret from all but a very few trusted human companions of course.

Mooseketeer, what is "Chocolate" about? The title alone intrigues me, LOL!

[jsqueezer]

Thanks for the recommend, frazzle!

I didn't even know I liked human/animal books (although I DID like Watership Down) but now I think I do. My reading habits had gotten so terribly serious and I was caught up in reading "important" books, forgetting that sometimes you just want to relax and go somewhere different and fun.
I will certainly check out the Joe Grey series.

[StarlaJane]

Thanks to all who contributed! I am about to finish my current book (which I am really not enjoying) and was at a loss as to what to read next... until now! Now, I am so excited about what I will be reading next (and I haven't felt this way in a while--so depressing when you are not looking forward to what you'll be reading next!!)
Excellent suggestions, I can't wait to finish this book and head to the book store to check these out, thank you, thank you, thank you!!
P.S. Can't you tell how excited I am?! Look at all of the exclamation points that I've used *LOL*!!!!!!!

[Ketabcha]

"Hank the Cowdog" is another series of delightful animal antics.

[matchpoint]

I think "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel sort of meets this requirement. Animal characters are featured...and, well, it's a hell of a great book.

[Tzaphkiel]

When I was young I adored the Freddy the Pig books.
I love the Winnie the Pooh books.
And I still cry when I read Charlotte's Web.
Animal Farm is great and chilling.
Pat the Bunny
Lengthy (the librarian in grade school actually got angry at me for checking this book out so often)
Runaway Bunny

not on the shelves, but a family favorite at my house is a collection of stories written by my son in middle school featuring a chicken (that got concerned when the coyote moved in next door and opened a fast-food chain called "Let's eat poultry"), a spider that was dating and nervous about meeting the girlfriend's parents, and others. I still laugh so hard I practically pee reading those stories out loud.

In the non-fiction arena, any and all bird guides.

[Mainer61]

The Brementown Musicians....still a favorite. Also, the Runaway Bunny and Velveteen Rabbit. Buster the Cat Goes Out is a sentimental favorite because I had a cat Buster who looked just like the character.

[soonerguy]

I'm not really into animal characters and I didn't read Black Beauty until I was an adult but once I did it became one of my favorites.

Tale of Despereaux is good, too, as well as The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, also by DiCamillo, although the animal character is not a real animal but a toy one....

['M']

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle...what a book