The Jungle Books

This title brings together Kipling's two Jungle Book volumes, the first published in 1894 and the second in 1895. Their stories are set in the forests of India and centre on Mowgli, a boy raised by wolves and guided by Baloo the bear and Bagheera the panther. Alongside his adventures with the tiger Shere Khan, the pack and the nearby village, there are separate animal tales, such as that of a mongoose, a white seal and a young elephant handler. Each story is followed by a short verse. Together they offer lively fables about courage, law and belonging.