Classic Animal Stories

Grade 1–4—An enjoyable assortment of stories. Kicking off with Aesop and Kipling, the book also contains excerpts from Laura Ingalls Wilder's Farmer Boy (HarperCollins, 1933), George Selden's The Cricket in Times Square (Farrar, 1960), and Gerald Durrell's My Family and Other Animals (Penguin, 1956). In fact, 11 of the 16 stories are extracts from longer novels, and their inclusion will hopefully tempt readers to seek the complete works. The entries are freshly illustrated with lively artwork, each by a different artist. Their styles tie loosely together through common page layouts. Grindley provides a foreword and a small conversational introduction to each selection. Back matter includes notes on the authors. This serviceable collection could be fun for sharing at home or in the classroom.—Julie Roach, Cambridge Public Library, MA