Top 10 anthropomorphic books

This week marked 140 years since the death of Anna Sewell, author of Black Beauty, one of the bestselling children's novels of all time! In memory of Ms Sewell, I'm going to share some great books that, like Black Beauty, are narrated by our four legged animal friends.

War Horse - Michael Morpurgo

If anthropomorphized horses are your thing and you enjoyed Black Beauty, then War Horse might be worth a try. War Horse follows Joey and his journey through the First World War. It's a truly emotional, touching story, which takes quite the different approach than the standard animal novel.

Watership Down - Richard Adams

Bunny narrators? What I hear you ask? Well honestly I've thought the same thing too, but it's such a well loved book that there's got to be something there! Watership Down follows Fiver, Hazel and Bigwig as they flee from the destruction of their home in hopes of finding somewhere safe for them to live.

Fantastic Mr Fox - Roald Dahl

Roald Dahl was a staple of my childhood and Fantastic Mr Fox, the story of how a family of foxes outwit a bunch of mean farmers, is just joyful (and slightly sinister as with all Roald Dahl books, but that's just part of the fun!).

The Wind In The Willows - Kenneth Grahame

A whimsical, slightly odd, story, following the misadventures of four woodland animals, as they go about their human-like lives: Ratty, Mole, Toad and Badger.

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Animal Farm - George Orwell

It's not really my kind of thing, but I felt like I had to include it because, you know, it's a classic. If you, unlike me, love the idea of an animal story with heavy handed political themes, then by all means, give it a try!

The Silver Brumby - Elyne Mitchell

The Silver Brumby follows Thowra, a wild stallion as he fights to take control of his herd and evade capture by man. My dad loved this series books when he was younger and passed them on to my sister and I, as we went through a phase of reading every horse book going when we were kids.

A Dog's Purpose - W.Bruce Cameron

This heartwrenching novel, follows the soul of a dog throughout each of his four lives as he struggles to find his purpose. If a novel that will have you reaching for the tissues is your kind of thing, then definitely check out this one.

Bambi - Felix Salten

All of us are familiar with the heart wrenching Disney movie, but if you happen to feel like having your heart torn in two again, then Bambi is also a book, told from the perspective of the titular deer.

101 Dalmatians - Dodie Smith

Yes, the Disney movie was originally a book! I'm sure I don't need to explain the story of 101 Dalmatians, but for anyone who isn't familiar, it follows Dalmatians Pongo and Missis (nope, not Perdita, the movie lied to you), as they struggle to rescue their puppies from the clutches of the evil Cruella Devil, who wants to make them into fur coats.

Black Beauty - Anna Sewell

And yes, I am including Anna Sewell's own book on here, because what better way to remember an author than by reading their book? In all seriousness, Black Beauty is a wonderful story, following the titular horse through his life and many different owners, and although it was the only story Anna Sewell ever wrote, it made a huge difference for animal rights at the time it was written. Pretty cool no? (if you want to read more about that, check out this article from last month!)