Talking Animals in British Children's Fiction 1786-1914

In this study, Cosslett investigates how 19th-century debates about humans, animals, and evolutionary theory were reflected in British children's literature of the time. Particular attention is paid to anti-cruelty messages embedded in books about talking animals that encouraged children to be kind to the animals they encountered in the world outside the book. Cosslett (children's literature, Lancaster U., UK) also traces the contributions of these stories to the rise of the animal protection movements. Annotation c2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Tess Cosslett is Reader in Victorian Studies and Women's Writing at Lancaster University, UK. She has recently taken up an interest in children's literature, and teaches a course at Lancaster on the subject. She has published widely on literature and science, women's fiction and autobiography and children's literature.