Wednesday, June 5, 2013

No Talking Animals?

It was one of the first things I learned when I started studying how to get started in the children's book industry—No talking animals. No problem there. I have files and files of ideas, and none of them involve talking animals.

I still see "No talking animals please" in the wish-lists and guidelines of agents and editors. But recently I was talking with a very enthusiastic fourth grade teacher who was planning on participating in National Novel Writing Month. He wanted to write a middle grade novel, so he brainstormed ideas and decided to let the kids pick.

He said, "They picked the talking animal idea because, you know, kids love talking animal books. You know, the Warrior series . . ."

For a moment I wondered if I should warn him, but then I thought of my own bookshelves, the books beloved by my children, and by me. The Redwall series, The Mistmantle Chronicles, Babe the Gallant Pig, The Autobiography of a Self-Educated Hamster, The Tale of Despereaux, The Ralph S. Mouse books, Charlotte's Web.

So why no talking animal books? Are they harder to do well? Are they more likely to be written by people who haven't studied the business and honed their craft? Is this one of those areas where grown-up tastes just don't match up with kids' preferences?

I didn't tell that teacher he might have trouble finding a home for a talking animal story. I'll bet he grows a lot as a writer trying NaNoWriMo for the first time, and who knows—he just might churn out some irresistible furry heroes and fang-bearing villains. Whatever happens to his book, I'll bet his class loves it.


7 comments:

JeffO said...

I wonder if the 'no talking animals' edict was in response to some past glut of talking animal submissions. I've seen some say, "No vampires/zombies/werewolves, please".

Artemis Grey said...

I've heard the 'no talking animals' all the nineteen years I've been writing for publication, and yet, I've never yet figured out WHY there should be 'no talking animals'. When you look at a list of 'successful' published works that revolve around the POV of an animal, it's surprising (this is just one that popped up, and there are some overlaps) yet the edict of 'no talking animals' persists.

Plague dogs and Shardis by Richard Adams
Watership Down by Richard Adams
The Underneath by Kathi Appelt
The good dog by Avi
Poppy and Rye by Avi
The ghost of Opalina: or the cat’s nine lives by Peggy Bacon
Raptor Red by Robert Bakker (adult)
The last unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
Ratha’s creature (and series) by Clare Bell
War Dog by Martin Booth
The incredible journey by Sheila Burnford
The Sight (and others) by David Clement-Davies
The Cold Moons by Aeron Clements
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
Just a dog by Helen Griffiths
Sheep by Valerie Hobbs
Seeker by Erin Hunter
Warriors series by Erin Hunter
Redwall series by Brian Jacques
The Deptford Histories and The Hagwood trilogy by Robin Jarvis
Dogsbody by Diana Wynne Jones
Cracker! The best dog in Vietnam by Cynthia Kadohata
Straydog by Kathe Koja
Strays by Ron Koertge
Guardians of Ga’Hoole by Kathryn Lasky
Whinny of the wild horses by Amy Laundrie
Catwings by Ursula K. LeGuin
Stay: Keeper’s story by Lois Lowry
A dog’s life by Ann M. Martin
Mistmantle Chronicles by M. I. McAllister
War Horse by Michael Morpurgo
We 3 by Grant Morrison
Tremeraire series by Naomi Novik (dragons)
Silverwing series by Kenneth Oppel
Animal Farm by Geoge Orwell
Eragon series by Christopher Paolini
Chronicles of Ancient Darkness by Michelle Paver
Firebringer trilogy by Meridith Ann Pierce
I am the great horse by Katherine Roberts
Varjak Paw and The outlaw Varjak Paw by S. F. Said
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
The Captain’s dog by Roland Smith
The art of racing in the rain by Garth Stein (adult)
Pride of Baghdad by Brian K. Vaughan
Tailchaser’s song by Tad Williams

ON FOUR LEGS list (some overlap):
Adams, Richard Watership Down
Aesop Aesop’s Fables
Applegate, K. A. Animorphs (series)
Atwater, Richard Mr. Popper’s Penguins
Avi Poppy (series)
Burnford, Sheila The Incredible Journey
Carman, Patrick The Dark Hills Divide
Cleary, Beverly The Mouse and the Motorcycle
Collins, Suzanne Gregor the Overlander
Farley, Walter The Black Stallion
George, Jean Craighead Julie of the Wolves
Howe, James Bunnicula (series)
Hunter, Erin Warriors (series)
Jacques, Brian Redwall (series)
Kipling, Rudyard The Jungle Book
Laskey, Katherine Guardians of Ga’Hoole (series)
Lewis, C. S. Chronicles of Narnia (series)
Lofting, Hugh Doctor Doolittle (series)
London, Jack The Call of the Wild
Mcallister, M. I. The Mistmantle Chronicles (series)
O’Brien, Robert Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
Orwell, George Animal Farm
Said, S. F. Varjak Paw
Salten, Felix Bambi
Selden, George The Cricket in Times Square
Sewell, Anna Black Beauty
White, E. B. Charlotte’s Web

And I am quite sure there are dozens more out there, many of which are good.

Angela Townsend said...

I think you're right JeffO. I love talking animals! I'd be lost without them in my favorite classics such as those by Beatrix Potter. I think this rule is mainly for novel length fiction where agents and editors must brace themselves for page after page of yapping critters. Picture books would surly be different and I think editors are used to reading many submissions with anthropomorphic creatures of all kinds.

R.R. Russell said...

Angie, you're right. I was talking about middle grade novels. I haven't noticed a trend of objecting to talking animals in picture books, but then I haven't been trying to submit picture books . . .

Wow, Artemis, what a list! I think I just found some new books to add to the TBR pile.

Andrea Mack said...

Maybe it's hard to write talking animal characters that also portray the animal characteristics? This is a good question and one I've wondered about.

Rena Jones said...

I loved talking animals as a kid and I still love them as an adult. I think there will always be a market for them, regardless of what the big publishers choose to put out.

Jemi Fraser said...

Redwall is such a great series! And my students do enjoy talking animal books too - this just seem to go in cycles and it's not as popular now for some strange reason :)