Animals (Tamariki).

For all you animal lovers, have a read of books about horses, cats, pigs and many more who go through trails, journeys and are even heroes in their own stories. From Black Beauty to Fanatstic Mr Fox, you can't can't go wrong with this list.

Updated August 20, 2024
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Watership down
Cottrell Boyce, Frank
Paper Book
Discover--or revisit--the enchanting world of the Sandleford Warren rabbits in this first-ever illustrated edition of a celebrated modern classic. A phenomenal worldwide bestseller for almost forty years, Richard Adams's Watership Down is a timeless classic and one of the...
The one and only family
Applegate, Katherine
Paper Book
An instant #1 New York Times and indie bestseller! For more than a decade, readers have been enchanted by the modern classic The One and Only Ivan, a Newbery Award winner and a #1 New York Times bestseller, and by its bestselling sequels, The One and Only Bob and The One and Only Ruby....
The one and only Ruby
Applegate, Katherine
Paper Book
From beloved powerhouse author Katherine Applegate comes The One and Only Ruby, starring the adorable baby elephant from the Newbery Medal-winning modern classic The One and Only Ivan and its bestselling sequel, The One and Only Bob. Ruby's story picks up a few months after...
The one and only Ivan
Applegate, Katherine
Paper Book
The #1 New York Times bestselling and Newbery Award-winning novel The One and Only Ivan is now a major motion picture streaming on Disney+ This unforgettable novel from renowned author Katherine Applegate celebrates the transformative power of...
Margery Williams's The velveteen rabbit, or, How toys become real
Fancher, Lou
Paper Book
There was once a velveteen rabbit, and in the beginning he was really splendid. "Real" is a magical word to the Velveteen Rabbit -- he doesn't know quite what it means. But the Skin Horse, who is old and wise, knows, and he shares the secret: Being Real means being loved. ...
The incredible journey
Burnford, Sheila Every
Paper Book
'Only one thing was clear and certain - that at all costs he was going home, home to his own beloved master...' The Hunter children must go abroad for the summer, so they reluctantly leave their three pets in the care of a friend. But the faithful animals only know they must get...
Snake and lizard
Cowley, Joy
Paper Book
A beautiful 10th birthday edition of this much-loved, timeless classic by Joy Cowley. A chapter book for children ages 5 and up.Snake and Lizard are a lovable, foolish pair. They are always arguing, embarking on unlikely enterprises and telling one another hotly contested tales. But none of this...
Bow down Shadrach
Cowley, Joy.
Paper Book
Shadrach is a very old, circus-trained Clydesdale horse - and the favourite family pet. When Hannah discovers that Shadrach has been sold to a dog food factory, she decides to mount a heroic rescue and enlist the help of her two younger brothers. From the beginning, their plans go seriously wrong....
Gladly, here I come
Cowley, Joy.
Paper Book
Shadrach girl
Cowley, Joy.
Paper Book
Hannah is now sixteen and looking forward to university. Sky and Mikey are growing up fast and Eden still has a close relationship with Gladly, Hannah's precious horse. But before Hannah farewells childhood forever, the family security is shattered. Their mother, Sophie, seems gravely ill and no one...
Fantastic Mr Fox
Dahl, Roald
Paper Book
Boggis is an enormously fat chicken farmer who only eats boiled chickens smothered in fat. Bunce is a duck-and-goose farmer whose dinner gives him a beastly temper. Bean is a turkey-and-apple farmer who only drinks gallons of strong cider. Mr Fox is so clever that every evening he...
Esio trot
Dahl, Roald.
Paper Book
A shy man, Mr Hoppy has only the courage for polite conversation with Mrs Silver, as she tends her pet tortoise Alfie, on the balcony below. But, when he learns that her dearest wish is for Alfie to grow bigger, he hatches a plan involving a giant pair of metal claws and 140 tortoises.
The tale of Despereaux : being the story of a mouse, a princess, some soup, and a spool of thread
DiCamillo, Kate
Paper Book
The beloved author of Because of Winn-Dixie enlightens us with a tale of adventure, despair, love, and soup. Welcome to the story of Despereaux Tilling, a mouse who is in love with music, stories, and a princess named Pea. It is also the story of a rat called...
The diary of a killer cat
Fine, Anne
Paper Book
Everyone loves the wickedly dry sense of humour of The Diary of a Killer Catby Anne Fine. Okay, Okay. So hang me. I killed the bird. For pity's sake, I'm a cat. Poor Ellie is horrified when Tuffy drags a dead bird into the house. Then a mouse. But Tuffy can't understand...
The wind in the willows
Grahame, Kenneth
Paper Book
Spend a season on the river bank and take a walk on the wild side . . . Spring is in the air and Mole has found a wonderful new world. There's boating with Ratty, a feast with Badger and high jinx on the open road with that reckless ruffian, Mr Toad of Toad Hall. The four...
Hoot
Hiaasen, Carl.
Paper Book
This Newbery Honor winner and #1 New York Times bestseller is a beloved modern classic. Hoot features a new kid and his new bully, alligators, some burrowing owls, a renegade eco-avenger, and several extremely poisonous snakes. A PARADE BEST KIDS BOOK OF ALL TIME...
Mossflower
Jacques, Brian.
Paper Book
The thrilling prequel to "Redwall". The clever and greedy wildcat Tsarmina becomes ruler of all Mossflower Woods and is determined to govern the peaceful woodlanders with an iron paw. The brave mouse Martin and quick-talking mouse thief Gonff meet in the depths of Kotir Castle's dungeon. The...
Babe : the gallant pig
King-Smith, Dick.
Paper Book
Knopf is proud to present a handsome 20th-anniversary edition of Dick King-Smith’s bestselling novel that became an Academy Award–nominated movie. When Babe arrives at Hogget Farm, Mrs. Hogget’s thoughts turn to sizzling bacon and juicy pork chops—until he reveals a...
A collection of Rudyard Kipling's Just so stories
Kipling, Rudyard
Paper Book
A beautifully illustrated collection of Rudyard Kipling's timeless animal tales.How did the rhinoceros get his wrinkly skin? Why won't cats come when they're called? How did one curious elephant with a nose for trouble change the lives of all elephants everywhere? These eight well-loved stories give...
Frog and Toad : the complete collection
Lobel, Arnold
Paper Book
A beautiful hardback gift to treasure. This collection brings together all of Arnold Lobel's engaging, warm and funny stories about Frog and Toad, and features a special foreword by Julia Donaldson. A collectable classic treasury that every child should read and own. Julia...
Winnie-the-Pooh
Milne, A. A.
Paper Book
The silver brumby
Mitchell, Elyne
Paper Book
To celebrate the centenary of Elyne Mitchell's birth, this special edition will contain the first four titles in the Silver Brumby series plus a specially commissioned biography of Elyne including family photographs. To many people the name Elyne Mitchell is synonymous with the...
The nine lives of Montezuma
Morpurgo, Michael
Paper Book
The charming tales of one mischievous cat from War Horse author and former Children's Laureate Michael Morpurgo. A cat's nine lives are full of adventure and excitement and none more so than Montezuma, the farmyard cat. From a young kitten to a grand old cat, he is cunning and proud while...
The butterfly lion
Morpurgo, Michael.
Paper Book
ILLUSTRATED BY CHRISTIAN BIRMINGHAM.A lyrical and moving tale of a young boy growing up in Africa, and his lifelong friendship with a white lion. "All my life I'll think of you, I promise I will. I won't ever forget you." Bertie rescues an orphaned white lion cub from the...
War horse
Morpurgo, Michael
Paper Book
Before the Steven Spielberg film, before the National Theatre production, there was the classic children's novel... In the deadly chaos of the First World War, one horse witnesses the reality of battle from both sides of the trenches. Bombarded by artillery, with bullets knocking riders...
Why the whales came
Morpurgo, Michael.
Paper Book
'You keep away from the Birdman, ' warned Gracie's father. 'Keep well clear of him, you hear me now?' But Gracie and her friend Daniel discover the Birdman isn't mad or dangerous as everyone says. Yet he does warn them to stay away from the abandoned Samson Island - he says it's cursed. And when the...
Wild born
Mull, Brandon
Paper Book
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Mull comes Spirit Animals, an epic book series that leaps from the page into a riveting online game. Your book is the key to claim your spirit animal!In the world of Erdas, four children are about to discover if they have a spirit animal bond, a rare...
Silverwing
Oppel, Kenneth
Paper Book
Shade is a young silverwing bat, the runt of his colony. But he's determined to prove himself on the long, dangerous winter migration to Hibernaculum, millions of wingbeats to the south. During a fierce storm, he loses the others and soon faces the most incredible journey of his young life....
Nim's island
Orr, Wendy
Paper Book
An irresistible adventure fantasy about Nim - a young girl alone on a tropical island except for her three amazing friends: an iguana, a sea-lion and a turtle. When a hurricane strikes, Nim becomes a hero in a single-handed sea rescue. Now a major feature film starring Jodie Foster, Abigail Breslin...
Immortal guardians
Schrefer, Eliot
Paper Book
A dark threat faces the world of Erdas in this riveting new saga from the New York Times bestselling series.A heart-pounding new adventure from the New York Times bestselling series.In the world of Erdas, every child must discover if they will summon a spirit animal, a rare and...
Black Beauty
Sewell, Anna
Paper Book
Puffin Classics: the definitive collection of timeless stories, for every child Yes,' she said, 'he is really quite a beauty, and he has such a sweet good-tempered face and such a fine intelligent eye - what do you say to calling him Black Beauty? Black...
The adventures of Nanny Piggins
Spratt, R. A.
Paper Book
Three children and their hilariously subversive nanny pig embark on zany adventures in this award-winning middle grade debut illustrated by Caldecott winnter Dan Santat. The three Green children are cared for by a nanny pig. Yes, a pig--a fabulously sassy and impeccably dressed...
Stuart Little
White, E. B.
Paper Book
The enchanting tale of the mouse who is small in size but enormous in spirit. Stuart Little is no ordinary mouse. Born to a family of humans he lives in New York City with his parents, his older brother George and Snowball the cat. Though he's shy and thoughtful, he's an adventurous and...

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