Mandel Public Library Of West Palm Beach: Tales And Tails: Our Favorite Animal Stories

Press release from Mandel Public Library of West Palm Beach:

06/14/2021 10:14 AM

Summer Reading 2021 has begun, and we are celebrating this year's theme, Tales and Tales, with our favorite animal stories! From cats and dogs to lions and vampire bunnies, our staff is sharing our favorite books and movies that feature furry friends. And the best part is that all these titles are available at the library for free with your library card! So whether they're singing and dancing or fighting epic battles, join us and our animal friends this summer! If you haven't signed up for the Summer Reading Program, you can still do so at mandelpubliclibrary.beanstack.com so the whole family can log their reading and earn prizes. If you're looking for even more books with animals, check out our featured shelf in cloudLibrary of downloadable ebooks. Happy reading!

Books

Sarah's Pick: Fox 8 by George Saunders

Fox 8 has learned to communicate with humans and is using this talent to try to understand why his den and pack have been displaced by the building of a shopping mall. Clocking in at just under 50 pages, this story showcases Saunders and his talent for crafting beautiful short fiction.

Kimi's Pick: The Redwall series by Brian Jacques

The book series that turned me into a lifelong reader started with Redwall by Brian Jacques. British wildlife such as badgers, hares, hedgehogs, mice, and stoats make up the extensive cast of characters. These are the perfect adventure stories full of intrigue, legends, and very detailed descriptions of food. The Redwall series holds up well every time I reread it, so maybe you can read these along with your children for the Summer Reading Program! Start at the beginning with Redwall, but we have the rest of series in print and on audiobook.

Tara's Pick: Bunnicula: A Rabbit Tale of Mystery by Deborah and James Howe

The Monroe family brings home a new pet: a bunny they found at the movie theater. Due to the black pattern in his fur that resembles a cape, they name him Bunnicula. Chester, the family cat, notices that Bunnicula doesn't eat the vegetables they put in his cage but instead sucks the juice out of them! Is Chester just overreacting and jealous of the new pet, or is Bunnicula really a vampire? A suspenseful and hilarious story narrated by Harold, the family dog. My kids and I still quote this book and its sequels.

Faith's Pick: Have Dog Will Travel: A Poet's Journey by Stephen Kuusisto

This was a fantastic book written by a blind man, about his guide dog journey. Corky and Kuusisto learn to rely on one another as the blind poet makes a career change from a small rural college professor to a traveling speaker.

Films

Emily's Pick: Cats Don't Dance

This 1997 animated musical is all about a cat named Danny who wants to make it big in Hollywood - except Hollywood only casts animals as background characters, never leading roles. With a soundtrack that's just as good as any Disney movie or Broadway show, this movie will have you rooting for the underdog, er-undercat? no matter how old you are. It's a childhood favorite of mine which you can watch now on hoopla digital!

Antoinette's Pick: An American Tail

This 1986 animated film is about a Russian mouse who lands in New York in the 1880s only to be separated from his family. He must learn to live on the streets and evade the mean cats. I love American Tail for its story of family, hope, and the classic music that came from the animated movie.

Leah's Pick: Hidalgo

Hidalgo is based on a true story about a washed-up American distance rider with a wild Mustang he rescued who competes in the "Ocean of Fire," an annual 3,000-mile race across the Sahara Desert in 1891. It has a great story and incredible scenery – also good for the kids!

Sandra's Pick: The Lion King (1994)

The 1994 version of The Lion King is the best of the two produced. It is the story of a young lion named Simba who is the heir to his father Mufasa. His uncle plots to get rid of the two, but only Mufasa is killed. Scar makes Simba believe that he is the reason for his father's death, so he runs away. Simba comes back as an adult and takes his rightful place as heir along with his friends' help.

Theresa's Pick: Hachi: A Dog's Tale

Get ready to grab a tissue for this heartwarming film based on an adaptation of a Japanese tale about a loyal dog named Hachiko. Hachi: A Dog's Tale stars Richard Gere as a college professor who finds an abandoned dog and soon forms a strong connection with the animal. The movie is a tribute to the devotion of dogs and how they are soul friends to all of us.

This press release was produced by Mandel Public Library of West Palm Beach. The views expressed here are the author’s own.