A fable book is a book that teaches a moral value through the usage of animals as the characters. It could be fables books toy with the idea of human’s pride. Fables books are exceptionally popular in children’s literature as it teaches them lessons while keeping them interested in the animal portrayals.
Animal fiction can go to places that other fictions cannot. In animal fiction, the worlds are depicted differently and presented from the views of non-human eyes. The adventures it tells are more exciting because you can be swept away by a river, hunted by a predator, or battered by the weather.
For today’s adults, fables books, as well as other moral books, have made their way into our shelf and television when they were kids, but somewhere along the way, they have probably forgotten some of the important lessons they teach. So, maybe it is about time we, adults, start to pick up one fable book or two in an attempt to do some nostalgia.
Russian Fable Book
Many Russian fables are homebred, and some are inspired by tales of other countries, be it in Asia or Europa. What are Russian fables usually about? Some fables are usually steeped in metaphor and use personifications of many things, and therefore, can be interpreted to mean a lot. There is a rich variety of such fables. Some are about brave folks, soldiers, seasons, and other sides to life.
The tradition of fables had been set up in Russia by Mikhail Lomonosov, Ivan Dmitriev, Ivan Krylov, and others. These authors’ imagination took them on a trip of the finding of human features in almost every living creature they encountered such as the valor of the goat, the taste of the bear, the heroism of the crawfish, the wish of the bumblebee, the melancholy of the cat, the annoyance of the piglet, the dignity of the cricket, the anger of the sparrow, the impulse of the mouse, et cetera.
In this article, I have already summoned 5 most favorite Russian fables books. Check it out.
- Uncle Fedor, Dog, and Cat by Eduard Uspensky
This book has been one of the most loved Russian fables books growing up, and as an adult, it is still absolutely superb. It teaches kids many valuable lessons such as friendship, responsibility, and the importance of a proper childhood. The story takes place in a Russian country house. The main characters are a precocious boy, a sarcastic cat, an adventurous dog, and a snoopy postman. Silly may it sound, but the characters really jump off the page and into your heart.
All of the characters are trying to become the best version of themselves with some fun adventures along the way. And this book has a lot of sly humor, and for some, it is constantly on the edge of highly entertaining. All in all, it is a cute tale with both human and animal characters.
- Gena the Crocodile and Friends by Eduard Uspensky
It was one of the most popular books as well as TV shows in Russia. It is a great story with a lot of humor and a good message. Something about the flow of the language and the ideas just work better. The main characters are Gena the crocodile, Cheburashka the cat, and many other animals. If you have been growing up in Russia, reading this book will give you a strong feeling of nostalgia.
- Catlandis by Anna Starobinets
The story is about what most people have suspected for a long time: All cats are otherworldly creatures and have come from a discreet place. According to Starobinets, they were from Kotlantida, a land which vanished beneath the ocean one day and left cats with extraordinary powers.
Starobinets mostly writes for adults and is well known in Russian as an author of science fiction. There are a lot of fantasy and imaginations in this Russian fable book that is impossible to put down until you reach the last page.
- In the Wolf’s Lair (Beastly Crime’s #3) by Anna Starobinets
The story in this book is very smart and amusing which children especially will come to love. In addition, it is accompanied by lovely illustrations. It is a fast-paced story with a wonderful flow which will certainly keep children entertained.
The genre of this book is a mystery. It tells a story about Mr. Rabbit who is missing. Other animals think he has been eaten. And the main suspect is Mr. Wolf. Mr. Wolf is cute with some humor and good reasoning skills.
Starobinets has created an anthropomorphic tale which is both clever and witty. The animal kingdom of In the Wolf’s Lair resembles an English village, complete with pub owners, wait staff, lawyers, and detectives. The latter honor belongs to a badger and his sidekick affectionately called a badgercat as in he is really a cat but was raised by−and believes himself to be−a badger.
Children will love the descriptions of the animals and how badgercat saves the day. And just as badgercat is looking forward to finally being able to hibernate, another case falls into his lap which is a fun way to signal to young readers that a sequel will be on its way. The book would be especially entertaining to read aloud.
- Classic Tales and Fables for Children by Leo Tolstoy
This book is a bit of an oddity, but a good and fun oddity. The stories included in the book are indeed fables and fairy tales, mostly aimed at children, all embodying a moral lesson. However, unlike other fables books, Tolstoy does not include an actual moral at the end, leaving that for the reader to decipher. Since many of these pieces are included in primers to help students learn to read, the moral should be relatively simple, but a good number of these contain ideas worth pondering.
So, those are 5 most favorite Russian fables books. Pick up one and enjoy it.