Animal Tales

Meet the dog who sets up as a GP, the crocodile who’s desperate to get a proper job and a golden snail resident of Surbiton. Terry Jones’s irreverent wit and quirky humour make a compendium of stories that will be enjoyed by children and adults alike.

This collection is the latest instalment in what has been a fruitful collaboration between Jones and illustrator Michael Foreman, whose drawings beautifully illustrate the writer’s eccentric beasts, all of whom, in some way or another, try to make their way in the world, balancing animal instincts with human foibles. The book is also punctuated with top-trumps style facts about other ‘wonders of the animal kingdom’ dreamed up by Terry Jones, which includes Money Salamanders, The Fake Elk and The Mongolian Deep-Fried Bat!

Originally written as an adult humour book, children will get most out of reading this collection accompanied by an adult who can explain some of the longer words, whilst also enjoying some of the jokes more in keeping with the grown-up world.