On page 30, Melson says that we “can count on these animal companions to dispense affection, relieve childhood isolation, and give our offspring the quality time that we are too exhausted or distracted to provide”. Do we agree with this?…

What do we think of the term “other-than-human person” versus “non-human animal” versus “animal-persons”? What does it do to a book or to a story when the hunting or consumption of animals is portrayed? Is there an honest way to…

Two lines that stood out to me are: On the one hand, casting doubt on responsibility, on decision, on one’s own being-ethical, seems to me to be—and is perhaps what should forever remain—the unrescindable essence of ethics, decision, and responsibility…

What did we think about the ending of the book? Are we happy that three spiders remained to “entertain” Wilbur? I felt like his petulance did not deserve a reward, but maybe listening to the book enhanced the whiny-ness/petulance. Before…

This was my first interaction with Dr. Doolittle, in any form. The accompanying illustrations really cemented its offensiveness, and I am surprised it has remained a mainstay. So, what’s the deal? Are the movies just totally different and simply share…

Are there any contemporary periodicals (online or otherwise) that serve a similar purpose as The Brownie’s Book? Should there be? On page 417 in the “As the Crow Flies” essay, Fielder writes, “At times, Black people also framed their human-animal…

In a Chapter 17 footnote, Mr. Wood’s animal caresses are described as having “problematic sexual overtones that link his domination to sexual conquest”. Do we agree with this? Are there any “crazy cat ladies” with partners? Is that possible? What…

Tess Cosslett states that the authors of “animal autobiographies” are overwhelmingly female. Why do we think that is the case? Do we agree with Cosslett that it could be because women were responsible for socializing children (teaching them to be…

When I looked at the table of contents, I was surprised to see the word “empathy”. This is a word, or an idea, that I think about a lot, and I suppose I did not previously consider it in relation…

Do you think there is any truth in the argument that the fairy tale “gives the child material which he is incapable of handling”? Can you think of any children’s book that does an excellent job of meeting both the…