Animal stories seem to be very popular with young children. They did stay popular with older children too, as I remember.
My favorites were horse stories. I read lots of them, fiction and nonfiction, until my mother started limiting how many I could check out. Then I moved to nature stories and still read many of both.
“Clarence: The Life of a Sparrow”
I picked up this little book years ago. It lived on my book shelf for years as I read others instead. It finally rose to the top of my reading list and I wish I had read it sooner.
Clare Kipps, the author, found Clarence as a hatchling on her door step. He had no feathers. His eyes were still closed. She fed the little mite some warm milk and went to bed thinking he wouldn’t make it through the night.
This common house sparrow was her companion for twelve years. He showed behaviors not seen in wild sparrows. She writes of his accomplishments and adventures, the devotion between them evident on every page.
My Goats
When I started writing books, I started with a book about goats, “Goat Games”, and have written about my goats in several other books. Most of the books are novels, but the actions and adventures are based on things my goats have done over the years.
The last and more serious book about goats was “For Love of Goats”. Goats have been part of my life for fifty years now. The things in this little book are based on my relationships with goats. The memoir pieces are actual happenings.
Picture Books and Animal Stories
I’ve been reading several picture books a week. Animal stories abound on the shelves. Two recent ones are “Togo” about the dog sleds taking serum to cure diptheria from Anchorage to Nome and “Muncha! Muncha! Muncha!” about a gardener trying to outwit some hungry bunnies.
The first of my Opal and Agate: Partners in Adventure series is half written and I am beginning to do sketches for it. Much as I enjoy writing novels, it is relaxing to again be remembering my goats.
Why Are Animal Stories so Appealing?
Perhaps these stories help us remember our relationship to the Earth and the animals that become important parts of our lives.