Meena Khorana

The introduction will provide a general overview of the treatment of animals in children’s and young adult literature. Types of animal stories include animal fables (such as the Panchatantra and Jatakas), realistic stories where animals serve as helpers or adversaries, animal fantasies, animal stories satirizing/commenting on human societies, science fiction, political allegories, and symbiotic relationships between animals and humans. The introduction will conclude with a discussion of mystical connections or transcendental harmony between humans and animals (as in Gay Neck: The Story of a Pigeon, by Dhan Gopal Mukerji).

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