Talking-animal tales have conveyed anticruelty messages since the 18th-century beginnings of children's literature. Yet only in the modern period have animal characters become true subjects rather than objects of human neglect or benevolence. Modern fantasies reflect the shift from animal welfare to animal rights in 20th-century public discourse. This revolution in literary animal-human relations began with Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and continued with the work of Kenneth Grahame, Hugh Lofting, P.L. Travers and E. B. White. Beginning with the ideas of literary theorist Mikhail Mikhailovich Bakhtin, this book examines ways in which animal characters gain an aura of authority through using language and then participate in reversals of power. The author provides a close reading of 10 acclaimed British and American children's fantasies or series published before 1975. Authors whose work has received little scholarly attention are also covered, including Robert Lawson, George Selden and Robert C. O'Brien.

In her reappraisal of canonical works such as Black Beauty, Beautiful Joe, Wind in the Willows, and Peter Rabbit, Tess Cosslett traces how nineteenth-century debates about the human and animal intersected with, or left their mark on, the venerable genre of the animal story written for children. Effortlessly applying a range of critical approaches, from Bakhtinian ideas of the carnivalesque to feminist, postcolonial, and ecocritical theory, she raises important questions about the construction of the child reader, the qualifications of the implied author, and the possibilities of children's literature compared with literature written for adults. Perhaps most crucially, Cosslett examines how the issues of animal speech and animal subjectivity were managed, at a time when the possession of language and consciousness had become a vital sign of the difference between humans and animals. Topics of great contemporary concern, such as the relation of the human and the natural, masculine and feminine, child and adult, are investigated within their nineteenth-century contexts, making this an important book for nineteenth-century scholars, children's literature specialists, and historians of science and childhood.

This book is a volume in the Penn Press Anniversary Collection. To mark its 125th anniversary in 2015, the University of Pennsylvania Press rereleased more than 1,100 titles from Penn Press's distinguished backlist from 1899-1999 that had fallen out of print. Spanning an entire century, the Anniversary Collection offers peer-reviewed scholarship in a wide range of subject areas.

"If you want to know what a slave looks like, look in the mirror!" Thus begins this rather unique primer on world slavery that was written by a psychologist (rather than a historian) who has visited many places in the world where historically slavery was a fact of life - from the ancient Babylonians to Nazi Germany. As such, there is considerable emphasis on how slaves were controlled physically, psychologically, and socially; how slaves dealt with their lack of freedom; the psychological price of their slavery; and why most slaves' attempts to free themselves failed. This book was designed for anyone interested in the topic of world slavery (especially as a supplemental reading for a world history course) and mankind's continual attempts to totally control others to the point of actually owning them. In addition to reviewing other disciplines's viewpoints of holding humans in bondage, the book aspires to give a more psychological view of slavery, attempts to view slavery from a slave's perspective, examines various myths about slavery that have arisen over the years, and separately addresses slavery as related to world religions, race, economics, and humans' latent needs to control others. Also briefly reviewed are sources of slaves, types of slaves, uses of slaves, etc. The author emphasizes that he makes no attempt to cover all aspects of slavery or offer the typical scholarly thoroughness on the subject. It is simply a primer on world slavery to give the reader an quick overview of man's worst crime against humanity - slavery - and how the system worked. It is a quick, but fascinating read about an important part of our history that most people know little about.

"The Adventures of Charlie and the Talking Animals" follows the journey of a young boy named Charlie, who has the ability to communicate with animals. Each chapter of the book features Charlie and his animal friends as they embark on exciting adventures together. Throughout the book, Charlie learns important lessons about courage, kindness, and perseverance, as well as the importance of respecting and appreciating the natural world and its inhabitants. Through its engaging and lovable characters, exciting plot, and positive message, "The Adventures of Charlie and the Talking Animals" teaches children important values and life lessons.

"Step into a world where magic and wonder come alive in 'The Magical Adventures of Sammy and the Talking Animals.' Join Sammy, an adventurous young boy, as he discovers a hidden forest filled with enchanting creatures and embarks on a quest to find the lost Rainbow Gem, a gem that can grant wishes. Alongside his new friends, Sammy faces thrilling challenges, solves mysterious puzzles, and encounters a guardian dragon on a breathtaking adventure that will take your breath away. This heartwarming tale weaves a tapestry of friendship, courage, and the belief that the extraordinary is just a step away, waiting to be discovered. Dive into the pages of this captivating story and let your imagination take flight."