Some of the best and most overlooked characters in fiction are the animals. They create comic relief, like Pascal in Tangled. They provide companionship, like Narknon in The Blue Sword. And they offer a sympathetic ear, like Hedwig in Harry Potter.
Just as in real life, animals in fiction are often the best friends a person can have. They don't judge, gossip, backstab, or really have any agenda at all. (Besides being fed, of course!) Sometimes they even save your life, like Toothless in How to Train Your Dragon. Or ride into battle with you, like Talat in The Hero and The Crown. Or set you free, like Rosie in Water for Elephants.
Okay, in case it isn't totally obvious by now, I'm a big animal lover, and today's post is a tribute to our furry, feathery, scaly, and otherwise strangely skinned friends. If I could, I would adopt all of these beasties straight out of the pages I met them on.
What about you? Who are your favorites? Which animal sidekicks would you curl up with at night?
KH
I did love Pascal in Tangled - how cute was he?! I love Hermione's Crookshanks - I always thought he knew stuff, not just your average cat, y'know. Even though it's not the same, my daughter and I love the dogs in Phantom Tollbooth. She's 16 and it's still one of her faves!
ReplyDeleteCrookshanks IS hard to beat. There were a lot of good ones in HP. I really don't often read books with animal sidekicks (though there was the heartbreaking one in Courtney Summers' Cracked Up To Be) because most books for older teens don't really include them in a major way.
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned two mcKinley books, so I'm going to mention another. Ash in Deerskin (technically adult, but that's never stopped this teen before) saves Lissar's life in more ways than one, plus Ossin's fleethounds sound so beautiful. ;_;
ReplyDeleteAlso, this probably doesn't count because they talk, but the Narnian animals always made me jealous. Especially Jewel the unicorn and the horses in Horse and his Boy.
You're right--the animal companions in books are always overlooked. My favorite ones from books I've read that I would love to adopt are Hedwig from HP and Lyra's dæmon Pantalaimon from the Golden Compass. I like the idea of how both animal companions are like a part of the hero or heroine in the two books that it hurts both of them when they're apart.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great post and happy reading!
-leslie
booksandmakeup.blogspot.com
You know I love HP like nobody's business, but I have to say that I've always found Hedwig a bit lacking. I wanted to like her more because she's an owl and I have an owl thing (which you also know), but there's not much to her "character." I agree with others who site Crookshanks as the best animal sidekick in HP. At least he does stuff and knows stuff and even has his own secret life in the Prisoner of Azkaban.
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of animals in books, I think mostly of the books I read as a child. I never wanted to read anything that didn't have an animal story line, and those books - books for children - were willing to make the animals more than sidekicks. They were main characters. I loved the BLACK STALLION series - read all of them and there were more than 20! I also loved MY FRIEND FLICKA, BLACK BEAUTY, and THE CALL OF THE WILD, just to name a few others.
I'm such an animal lover that this is incredibly difficult. Let's see...this list is probably going to be incredibly stream of conscious-like:
ReplyDeleteMeeko from Disney's Pocahontas is one I'd probably like to have a good snuggle with, and Mushu would cheer me up when I need a laugh. Grimalkin from The Iron Fey series would tell me what I needed to hear even if it's not what I wanted to hear.
Charlotte from CHARLOTTE'S WEB, even though she's a spider, would there for those wise mama moments.
I wouldn't mind a Pascal either, though! And I always loved the rabbit from THE VELVETEEN RABBIT, does he count?
I love this topic! My favorite animal sidekicks are probably Toothless, Pascal, Sebastian from the Little Mermaid, Blackjack the Pegasus from the Percy jackson series, and of course I can't end the list without Crookshanks and Hedwig. :)
ReplyDeleteI just finished reading 'Blood Red Road' and Saba's crow Nero is just adorable. I'm actually scared of birds in real life, but in books I guess they're okay, haha. I just lovvved his character. He was quite human-like, with intelligence and emotions. I loved the way his character and his relationship to Saba was written.
ReplyDelete@Dawn-
ReplyDeleteYay another Pascal lover! And yes, how could I forget Crookshanks? He's a popular one here, it seems.
@Sunlight Shadows-
I really want to read that! Well, I really want to read ALL McKinley's books, actually.
@leslie-
That IS a cool idea -- how tightly bound the person and their animal might be. That concept can be found in Robin McKinley's PEGASUS, too. (We HIGHLY recommend that book.)
@Sonje-
I used to love all those horse books too! Unicorns and pegasii as well. :)
@kaye-
YES MEEKO! AND MUSHU! Disney does animal sidekicks so well. The Velveteen Rabbit is kind of a special creature all his own. I think I read my copy of that book so many times the pages started falling out... :P
LOVE LOVE LOVE. This may even inspire a post of my own one day, and if so, I will wholeheartedly give you and this post credit for being awesome and brilliant and inspirational.
ReplyDeletePascal and Maximus were my favorite characters in Tangled!!! The Maximus and Flynn scenes were hilarious.
Black Beauty! or the Black Stallion!
ReplyDeleteOr Lassie! ... wait .... the older dog in Incredible Journey--okay, I'm showing my age here *laughing*
When I was a kid, I was in love with the THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA, so my list is rather long. I'm sucker for realistic animal friends in fiction too. I loved Rontu in ISLAND OF THE BLUE DOLPHINS. Oh, and Meeko and Flit in Disney's POCAHONTAS.
ReplyDeleteFor the longest time, I'd avoid books with animals because they'd be killed off (Old Yeller and Where the Red Fern Grows scarred me. Deeply.). Now? I love Harry Potter for all the awesome Bestie Beasties especially Fawkes the Phoenix and Trevor the Toad. Oh, and Hedwig!
ReplyDelete@Donna-
ReplyDeleteAww, thanks! YES, Max and Flynn were hilarious. (And I know this post is supposed to be about animals, but Flynn in general was dreamy.)
@Kathryn-
Pssh, nah, Black Beauty is classic. ;)
@stephanie-
Hmm, it's been so long since I read ISLAND OF THE BLUE DOLPHINS that I don't remember Rontu. But I do remember learning the word "comorant"...?
@Mary-
Yes, unfortunately many beasties do get killed... We like Robin McKinley's books b/c she loves animals too much to kill them off, usually. We avoid the famously sad books.
Fawkes! We forgot about him!
KH
Thanks for dropping by my blog and commenting on reading outdoor. I love the book The Sky is Everywhere and think it is a perfect outdoor book.
ReplyDeleteConcerning animal side kicks, have you read Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein? It is narrated by a dog, Enzo. It is a wonderful and uplifting story.
Two of my favorites are Taggle from Plain Kate by Erin Bow and Grimalkin from the Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa (both talking cats). They both add so much life to the stories. They've also both utterly captured my heart. :)
ReplyDeleteHey there!
ReplyDeleteJust checking out your blog and some of your older posts. New follower! And I dig this post in particular because there have definitely been times when I've read a book or seen a movie or tv show and fallen in love with the animal companion as much as (or more than!) the human lead. : )
Happy Tuesday!
Ann @Semisweet
I love Toothless! He was so adorable! I also love some of the choices already mentioned...Meeko and Pantalaimon are fabulous!
ReplyDeleteAwesome post idea. I love animals in movies. Pascal is definitely one of my favorites. He is adorable!!
ReplyDeletePascal was adorable but i much preferred Maximus the Horse! Rewatched Tangled the other night <3
ReplyDeleteCrookshanks is my Number One literary animal though, alongside Scabbers (if he counts!). Does Dobby count as an animal?
@Anne-
ReplyDeleteYes, I've read Enzo's story, and he was a wonderful narrator!
@Small Review-
I wonder if I'll get to read about Grimalkin in SUMMER'S CROSSING. That's the only part of that series that I have right now...
@Ann/Semisweet-
Hiya! Thanks for dropping a line. :)
@Jadey-
Haha, I think he's more person than beast. But don't worry, I won't tell Hermione that you asked! ;P
KH
I just took my lil one to se How to Train your Dragon. It was fab!
ReplyDeletePascal in Tangled was amazing but i also liked the horse too (i can't remember his name though).
ReplyDeletei love stories with animals, Marley from "Marley and me" was one one my favorites..
OMG I love Mia's cat in The Princess Diaries...Fat Louie! :D Animal Sidekicks RULE.
ReplyDelete