If you are an animal lover or know someone who is, you know how enjoyable it is to learn more about animals, whether it’s through documentaries or books.
These can include real-life stories and nonfiction works that reveal what really goes on in the animal kingdom, or heartwarming novels that explore the relationship between animals and humans.
Books About Animals for Adults
In our list of animal books for adults, we’ve include both nonfiction and fiction selections, so you can stay equally informed and entertained.
1. The Animal Dialogues by Craig Childs
Craig Childs is a naturalist who writes about his amazing real-life experiences with animals in the wild, including sharks, elk, grizzlies, and even bighorn sheep. Also watch out for the very interesting description of a porcupine that he includes in this book!
2. My Life with the Chimpanzees by Jane Goodall
Scientist Jane Goodall is well-known for her work with chimpanzees. At 26 years old, Jane journeyed into the African jungles to observe chimpanzees in their natural habitat.
Through this experience, she became intimately acquainted with a group of wild chimpanzees, whom she found to be intelligent animals with have family relationships, and who work and play in a way surprisingly similar to humans!
3. Beyond Words by Carl Safina
Using science and actual field observations, the author challenges the mindset that animals and humans are different in their very cores. The book delves into the inner lives of wild animals such as elephants, whales, and wolves, giving us a glimpse into the minds of these amazing creatures.
4. All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot
James Herriot was a country veterinarian who shared many of his real-life experiences tending the animals in Yorkshire in northern England through his books. This includes pets as well as livestock, giving you an insider’s glimpse into the life of animals in the countryside.
5. Wild Animals I Have Known by Ernest Thompson Seton
In this book, the author shares his own experiences with wild animals. For example, in the story of Lobo, he tells the heartwrenching tale of how a small village attempts to ensnare the legendary wolf that keeps evading them, and resorts to killing his mate in order to serve as bait for finally capturing the creature.
6. Freckles by Gene Straton Porter
In this book, set in the Limberlost Swamp, Freckles is a grown orphan who applies for work as a guard for the timber in the swamp.
Even with a missing right hand, he rises to the task and forms close relationships with the birds that live in the swamp, attracting the attention of a famous photographer who becomes interested in Freckles’s past.
7. Watership Down by Richard Adams
Perhaps one of the most realistic fictional stories of how rabbits behave in the wild, Richard Adams takes us into the harrowing journey that a group of rabbits undergo in leaving their warren in search of a new place to live.
Although the characters in this book talk like humans, their habits and behaviors are very realistic and believable, with stories of loyalty and courage to boot.
Books About Animals for Children
It’s never too early for children to learn about animals, and in fact, many naturally have a greater curiosity about these creatures than their adult counterparts. Check out some of these great reads to continue fostering a love for the animal kingdom.
8. The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
Beatrix Potter is known for her engaging stories and equally attractive illustrations. Although her stories feature animals who talk and behave like humans, she still remains true to the habits of the real creatures in her stories.
9. The Burgess Animal Book for Children by Thornton W. Burgess
Using Peter Rabbit as his main character, Thornton Burgess tells engaging stories of the habits of animals in the woods through a continued dialogue between different animals who attend a class that Mother Nature herself oversees.
10. Brighty of the Grand Canyon by Marguerite Henry
In this book, Marguerite Henry tells the tale of Brighty, a little burro living among the cliffs of the Grand Canyon who loses his prospector friend to an inhumane crime.
Brighty eventually wins the heart of everyone who knows him, including President Teddy Roosevelt, and even risks his life to bring justice to his friend’s killer.
11. Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
This book, initially banned during its first publication, tells the story of Black Beauty while advocating against animal cruelty. The author effectively shows how proper care for a horse contrasts against inhumane treatment, visibly observed through a horse’s reactions to circumstances around him.
12. The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling
This classic tale brings you into the jungles, beginning with the story of Mowgli, the man-cub brought up by his wolf family. Here you can read about laws that govern different animal tribes, and although the story takes on a fantastical slant, he still remains true to basic animal behavior.
Reading Books About Animals
Reading more animal books will help you develop a love and respect for our fellow creatures. And we believe that the earlier we cultivate this love in our children, the bigger the chance that they will grow up respecting the rights of animals in the long run.
Perhaps, by investing in some of these books for our friends and family, we can make a difference in the ongoing fight to end animal cruelty in all its forms.
Do you have a favorite book about animals? Share it with us in the comments below!
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Yen Cabag is the Blog Writer of TCK Publishing. She is also a homeschooling mom, family coach, and speaker for the Charlotte Mason method, an educational philosophy that places great emphasis on classic literature and the masterpieces in art and music. She has also written several books, both fiction and nonfiction. Her passion is to see the next generation of children become lovers of reading and learning in the midst of short attention spans.
