Are you an animal lover?  My kids accuse me of being an animal hater, which isn't true at all (witness: I've let them have pet goldfish, a hyperactive puppy, even a feral cat).  I like all kinds of creatures (at least of the four-legged variety); I just prefer that they belong to someone else.  Petting sweet, snuggly animals is fun.  Cleaning up poop, listening to endless barking/whining, paying vet bills, trying to tame aggressiveness, dealing with chewed-up everything?  Not fun.  

A couple weeks ago, my husband got randomly bitten in the stomach by a homeless woman's unleashed pit bull while walking through the parking lot of a suburban strip mall.  Back in the Fall, his aunt was attacked by a friend's canine.  Both of them have PTSD from the experience (although their physical wounds have, thankfully, healed just fine).  So, no animal companions for us.  We do enjoy the wild menagerie that parades about in our backyard—bunnies, quail, lizards, squirrels, and the occasional bobcat—but we're definitely not pet people (although it took us a few pets to figure that out).

Considering what I've just told you, it's probably not a surprise that books about animals are not something I seek out.  So, I had to think a bit before I could come up with a list of ten to fit today's TTT prompt:  Top Ten Favorite Animals in Books.  I do have some, even though anthropomorphic narrators are actually a big pet peeve of mine.  As a child, I loved reading about animal characters.  These days?  Not so much, although I can definitely appreciate a loyal, funny, inventive, smart, or just adorable animal character.  The list below proves it! 

Before we get to that, though, I want to encourage you to join in the TTT fun.  Hop on over to That Artsy Reader Girl for all the details.  If you can't think of books to fit the topic, no worries.  Spin it your own way or do a themed list that you make up yourself.  Any way you shake it, TTT is a good ole time.  

1.  Wilbur and Charlotte from Charlotte's Web by E.B. White—This is the first title that came to mind when I saw the prompt.  Who doesn't love cheerful Wilbur and his wise spider friend, Charlotte?  I adored this book as a kid.

2.  Black Beauty from Black Beauty by Anna Sewell—I was obsessed with horses (reading about them, at least) as a child.  This classic, narrated by the titular colt, totally captivated young me.

3.  Manchee from The Chaos Walking series by Patrick Ness—In this YA series, all living things can read each other's thoughts, so Manchee the dog can "speak" to his master, Todd Hewitt.  Although his thoughts are simpler than those of the human characters, his personality and unfailing loyalty come through loud and clear.

4.  Marley from Marley & Me by John Grogan—I was surprised by how much I loved this animal book when I read it.  I laughed, I cried...I adored it.  The film is just as heartwarming and touching.

5.  Nyah from The Elephant's Girl by Celesta Rimington—Elephants are always depicted as wise, gentle creatures.  Nyah is such a pachyderm in this middle-grade novel about a girl who lives in a zoo.

6.  Ivan from The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate—As with Marley & Me, I really didn't expect to love this middle-grade novel as much as I did.  Ivan, a caring gorilla, won me over.  Big time.

7.  Mrs. Frisby from Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien—I remember this story more from the movie than the book, but still...I felt for the titular mouse, a brave widow trying to save her young children.  Mice are not animals I like.  Mrs. Frisby, though?  She's the exception.

8.  Jethro from the Amish Candy Shop mystery series by Amanda Flower—Jethro's a mischievous pot-bellied pig whose besotted owner believes he's going to be the next big Hollywood star.  He's a pretty fun character, I have to say.

9.  Too many to chose a favorite from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling—Fawkes, Scabbers, Hedwig, Fang, Buckbeak, Fluffy...the list goes on and on.  There are tons of great animal characters in this series.

10.  Toothless from the How to Train Your Dragon series by Cressida Cowell—Okay, this is kind of a cheat since I haven't actually read these books and I hear they're different from the movies.  Still, I love Toothless.

There you go, ten favorite fictional animals.  Which are your faves?  Are you an animal person?  Do you have pets?  Or are you like me, someone who enjoys critters more in books than in real life?  I'd truly love to know.  Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.

Happy TTT!