Animal Folk Tales of Britain and Ireland

Sharon Jacksties gathers 67 traditional tales from Britain and Ireland, bringing domesticated, wild and legendary animals into the foreground. The collection includes stories explaining how the hedgehog gained its spines, how pigs saved a prince from leprosy and why a wealthy lord pursued a black fox. Other accounts feature wolves, foxes, otters and selkies, reflecting the varied ways animals appear in regional storytelling.

Arranged in sections including ‘Field and Farm’, ‘Running Wild’ and ‘Making Waves’, the book sets familiar folklore alongside little-known zoological facts and true anecdotes. Older stories, particularly those involving selkies and encounters between humans and untamed creatures, also raise questions about exploitation, rewilding and the changing relationship between people and nature.