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Animal Ark is a long-running series of children's books, starting in 1994, and written by various different authors, under the pseudonym Lucy Daniels.[1].
Description
Each book features the heroine, Mandy Hope, as she rescues animals from various perils—often from people who don't understand animals. The title refers to the Animal Ark veterinary surgery, which the main character's parents run. James, Mandy's friend, also features in most books, helping her to rescue the animals. The series were adapted for television.
As well as the main series—which contains more than 50 titles—there are also several other series featuring the same characters and themes: Animal Ark Holiday Specials (books issued for holidays, such as Christmas), Animal Ark Pets (which explores the younger days of some of the original animals),[1] Little Animal Ark (aimed at younger children), and Animal Ark Hauntings (ghost stories).
Reader's Reviews
1
I enjoyed these books, and they're quite exciting. No, they aren't the greatest writing in the world, and, yes, they are extremely repetitive, but for a few years from about age 6-9, you don't mind that. Enjoyable (for young-ish children), but not amazing.
2
The main child characters are strangely adult in behaviour and outlook, and consequently the relationship between the children and adults is abnormal. The family dynamics are affected by the adult-like only child.
3
My children enjoyed these books, but I found them dull and formulaic. The plots are simplistic and predictable, and the characters are extremely bland and one-dimensional. Also, you can somehow tell that "Lucy Daniels" isn't a real author! Harmless, but hardly good children's literature.
4
As a child, I loved going to the school library at lunch to pick up one or two new ones. After a while, I even had my little sister pick some extra ones up for me whenever her class went there. Yes, the writing style isn't perfect, and yes, as said before, the storylines tend to be somewhat repetitive, but these books can be extremely enjoyable for animal lovers, and are a great gift for young, school age children. Plus, the most important, and best aspect of these books, is that it teaches children repect for all living creatures, no matter how small or helpless. This is, in my opinion, what, despite the series' flaws, is what makes them worth reading.
Also, its not that Mandy never makes any mistakes, but that if she does, she goes on to rectify them as soon as she can. Also, she never gives up until she has managed to save whatever animal needs her help. These characteristics, despite making her seem a little too adult, aren't bad, or entirely unrealistic. There are children out there who always give their best, and reading about one such as Mandy, helps children aspire to be responsible and helpful like her, which again, is not a bad thing.
All in all, I think that this series is a good one for children to read to educate them on respecting other living creatures, and making them want to be better people, and for that, the series deserves to be praised.
Books in the series
N.B. Some of these books were published in the United States under different titles.
Main series
- Kittens in the Kitchen
- Pony in the Porch
- Puppies in the Pantry
- Goat in the Garden
- Hedgehogs in the Hall
- Badger in the Basement
- Cub in the Cupboard
- Piglet in a Playpen
- Owl in the Office
- Lamb in the Laundry
- Bunnies in the Bathroom
- Donkey on the Doorstep
- Hamster in a Hamper
- Goose on the Loose
- Calf in the Cottage
- Koalas in a Crisis
- Wombat in the Wild
- Roo on the Rock
- Squirrels in the School
- Guinea-pig in the Garage
- Fawn in the Forest
- Shetland in the Shed
- Swan in the Swim
- Lion by the Lake
- Elephants in the East
- Monkeys on the Mountain
- Dog at the Door
- Foals in the Field
- Sheep at the Show
- Raccoons on the Roof
- Dolphin in the Deep
- Bears in the Barn
- Otter in the Outhouse
- Whale in the Waves
- Hound at the Hospital
- Rabbits on the Run
- Horse in the House
- Panda in the Park
- Tiger on the Track
- Gorilla in the Glade
- Tabby in the Tub
- Chinchilla up the Chimney
- Puppy in a Puddle
- Leopard at the Lodge
- Giraffe in a Jam
- Hippo in a Hole
- Foxes on the Farm
- Badgers by the Bridge
- Deer on the Drive
- Animals in the Ark
- Mare in the Meadow
- Cats in the Caravan
- Polar Bears on the Path
- Seals on the Sled
- Husky in a Hut
- Beagle in the Basket
- Bunny on the Barge
- Guinea-pigs in the Greenhouse
- Dalmatian in the Dales
- Lambs in the Lane
Animal Ark Holiday Specials
- Sheepdog in the Snow
- Kitten in the Cold
- Seal on the Shore
- Hamster in the Holly
- Animal Ark Favourites
- Ponies at the Point
- Pony in the Post
- Pup at the Palace
- Mouse in the Mistletoe
- Porpoise in the Pool
- Terrier in the Tinsel
- Stallion in the Stable
- Cat in the Candlelight
- Labrador on the Lawn
Animal Ark Pets
- Puppy Puzzle
- Kitten Crowd
- Rabbit Race
- Hamster Hotel
- Mouse Magic
- Chick Challenge
- Pony Parade
- Guinea-pig Gang
- Gerbil Genius
- Duckling Diary
- Lamb Lessons
- Doggy Dare
- Donkey Derby
- Hedgehog Home
- Frog Friends
- Bunny Bonanza
- Ferret Fun
- Rat Riddle
- Cat Crazy
- Pets' Party
- Foal Frolics
- Cat's Cradle
- Piglet Pranks
- Spaniel Surprise
- Pet Pals
- Kitten Kisses (Christmas Special)
- Horse Hero (Summer Shows)
- Calf Capers (Summer Shows)
- Puppy Prizes (Summer Shows)
Little Animal Ark
- The Playful Puppy
- The Curious Kitten
- The Midnight Mouse
- The Brave Bunny
- The Clever Cat
- The Party Pony
- The Lucky Lamb
- The Cheeky Chick
- The Happy Hamster
- The Proud Piglet
- The Fearless Fox
- The Friendly Foal
Animal Ark Hauntings
- Stallion in the Storm
- Cat in the Crypt
- Dog in the Dungeon
- Colt in the Cave
- Foal in the Fog
- Hound on the Heath
- Wolf at the Window
- Deer in the Darkness
- Cats in the Castle
Parental Guidance
- Reading Age: 10+
- Read Aloud Age: 7+
Other than the fact that Mandy, and James are somewhat perfect fictional characters, they still make mistakes every now and then.
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- The Animals of Farthing Wood is also an animal-related adventure.