The 2024 Children’s Lit Animal Rankings

One of my main obsessions (which I share with Betsy Bird at A Fuse #8 Production) is noticing which animals show up in books for kids.

Sure, I’ll notice certain animals on the rise or going down in popularity, but what I really want to know is: Which animal reigns supreme? I thought I’d attempt to find out.

In this (very) informal study, I searched Edelweiss for different animals in children’s books titles and summaries published in 2024. The totals listed include both fiction and nonfiction books containing that particular animal.

I went into this assuming that bears or rabbits would be #1. Were my predictions correct?

Here are the findings.

ANIMAL: # OF BOOKS CONTAINING THAT ANIMAL PUBLISHED IN 2024

Alpaca: 8

Turkey: 20

Rhinoceros: 20

Alligator: 22

Goose: 26

Llama: 26

Raccoon: 35

Moose: 37

Crab: 39

Sloth: 44

Crow: 50

Octopus: 53

Penguin: 61

Giraffe: 61

Fish: 62

Chicken: 72

Cow: 73

Snake: 76

Cat: 79

Horse: 85

Dog: 85

Pig: 96

Duck: 100

Turtle: 105

Whale: 108

Owl: 109

Tiger: 113

Mouse: 116

Fox: 116

Monkey: 119

Lion: 124

Rabbit: 129

Elephant: 132

Shark: 137

Bear: 152

There you have it, folks – in this informal calculation, bears take the children’s literature cake (at least for 2024).

Any surprises on the list for you?

Filed under: Articles