I love all the great booklists that bloggers have put together like Jen Robinson’s List of 200 Cool Girls from children’s literature, Journey Woman’s list of Great  Antagonists of Kids’ Lit!  and the list of 100 Cool Teachers in Children’s literature over at A Reading Year. But as I read the lists I realized that something was missing. Something that quite often walked around with legs and a tail and a personality that that dared us to forget them.

Yes, I am talking about a new list, 100 Animals (or maybe more) that hold our heart from children’s literature.
 
Here’s the catch – no talking animals, only realistic portrayals of dogs being dogs, cats being cats, and so on. What do you say? Who should be on the list? I’ll start it off. Once we get to a nice round number (dare I hope for 100?) I’ll compile a master list.
 
 
100 Animals (or maybe more) that hold our heart from children’s literature 
 
1) The dog Old Yeller from Old Yeller by Fred Gipson 
2) Another dog called Winn-Dixie from Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo 
3) Flag the fawn in The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
4) The very special dog Shiloh from the book Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor 
5) Hunting dogs Old Dan and Little Ann from Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls

Your turn! What animal in children’s literature has a hold on your heart?