And the roar came back to him, calling him, calling him forward: a roar that meant there would be more tigers in the land!’

For decades now Ruskin Bond has been charming us with his simple and captivating tales of Himalayan fauna; the zany and temperamental animals that were part of his grandfather’s delightful menagerie of unusual pets in Dehra; the peaceful creatures that live in and around his house in Mussoorie; and the mythical and fanciful beings of his fertile imagination.

The Big Book of Animal Stories is a compilation of the best of Ruskin Bond animal stories and poems. Its pages are inhabited by the doughty tiger who survives against all odds, spelling hope for India’s fast-vanishing wildlife; the beautiful, sinewy leopard whose trust costs him dear; the good-natured hornbill who loves the rain; the mischievous monkey who insists on shaking hands with all who visit the house; the cross-grained cassowary bird who rudely rebuffs all attempts to befriend it; the python who keeps turning up in unexpected places; the squirrel who picks crumbs off the table; the beetle who keeps falling into the goldfish bowl; the whistling thrush; the leopard girl; and the tiger king. Bringing together the finest writing by a master storyteller on the creatures, humble and mighty, that inhabit this earth along with us, this collection will enchant the Bond aficionado and initiate alike.