For June 2012, our Online Book Club continues by discussing Aztec of the City by Fernando B. Rodriguez and the winners of last year's Graphic Novel Contest.   

Each week, we'll put forth a different question to prompt reflection on the books and their ideas.  We hope you will participate in the discussion by leaving comments below!

For Week 4, we'd like to ask:

Why do you think animals in stories tend to be anthropomorphized?  What reasons can you come up with to enhance a story about a group of animals with human emotions, motivations and even physical traits?

In three of the Graphic Novel Contest Winners, animals are the main characters and focus of the stories.  In The Cliff, the dogs look like dogs but have very complex thoughts and have conversations with each other that seem very human.  In Arrow’s Forest Friend, the cats really go on what seems like a cat-like adventure, but once again, they have complex thoughts and human-like conversations.  In Rabbit in the Moon, the human-ness goes full-blown and the characters are wearing clothes, walking upright and having an epic adventure. 

For myself, I think that the use of animals gives you some leeway in portraying characters in a story.  They do not possess the trappings that bog us down about our fellow humans – such as race or a specific cultures.  They also seem easier to relate to because they are further away from us.  Do you agree?

See our Online Book Club page for more information about these books and the previous weeks' questions