The Council of Animals
A Novel
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- 10,99 €
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- 10,99 €
Beschreibung des Verlags
From national bestselling author Nick McDonell, The Council of Animals is a captivating fable for humans of all ages—dreamers and cynics alike—who believe (if nothing else) in the power of timeless storytelling.
“‘Now,’ continued the cat, ‘there is nothing more difficult than changing an animal’s mind. But I will say, in case I can change yours: humans are more useful to us outside our bellies than in.’”
Perhaps.
After The Calamity, the animals thought the humans had managed to do themselves in. But, it turns out, a few are cowering in makeshift villages. So the animals—among them a cat, a dog, a crow, a baboon, a horse, and a bear—have convened to debate whether to help the last human stragglers . . . or to eat them.
Rest assured, there is a happy ending. Sort of.
Featuring illustrations by Steven Tabbutt
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Journalist and novelist McDonell (An Expensive Education) imagines animals debating the fate of humanity in this exciting fable. In the aftermath of a human-caused ecological apocalypse called the Calamity, a group of animal representatives meet to debate killing the handful of remaining humans. An enraged baboon, the victim of scientific experiments, bribes a simple-minded horse into siding with the plan to eat the survivors, while a dog (who served in "the bacon wars" with an army fighting another group of humans that forbade bacon), a movie star bear, and a cat vote in favor of allowing them to live. An uninvited mouse casts a vote for the rodents; a furry, mythical aquatic beast arrives; and the baboon makes a secret pact with the cockroaches. When the votes are tallied, humans are marked for annihilation and the council adjourns to organize the assault. The cat, however, has a contingency plan and takes the bear and dog through a tunnel built by ninja moles to find a human who is rumored to speak grak (the common language of all animals). Unexpected obstacles upend their plans but set up the surprising conclusion. Dashes of humor and taut pacing elevate this appealing tale. Readers will be delighted.
