Books like 'Our Ancestors'
Readers who enjoyed Our Ancestors by Italo Calvino also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical fantasy 20th century classics magical-realism historical-fiction literary-fiction postmodernism children humor
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When We Were Very Young by A.A. Milne
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsThis is the first book of A.A. Milne's verses for children, with Ernest H. Shepard's line illustrations in colour...Categorized as:
children classics humor literary-fiction 20th-century action-adventure animals audiobook -
![The Complete Stories and Poems by Lewis Carroll]()
The Complete Stories and Poems by Lewis Carroll
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsThis commemorative oversized volume of the complete collection of stories and poems of Lewis Carol showcases his ingenious use of word play, inverted logic and satire. Lewis Carroll was the pen name and, it could be claimed, the alter ego of the Reverend Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, a mathematician, writer and photographer...Categorized as:
children classics humor literary-fiction 20th-century action-adventure anthologies children-books -
![The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton]()
The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsJo, Bessie and Fanny take their cousin Rick on an adventure he'll never forget to the magic Faraway Tree, where he meets Moon-Face, Silky the fairy and Saucepan Man, and visits all the different lands at the top of the Faraway Tree... -
![The Aleph by Jorge Luis Borges]()
The Aleph by Jorge Luis Borges
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsTranslation to English of the Spanish short story "El Aleph", originally published in 1945...Categorized as:
classics magical-realism literary-fiction low-fantasy fiction fantasy 20th-century university -
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![The Best of Roald Dahl by Roald Dahl]()
The Best of Roald Dahl by Roald Dahl
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsThe Best of Roald Dahl is a collection of 25 of Roald Dahl's short stories. This collection brings together Dahl’s finest work, illustrating his genius for the horrific and grotesque which is unparalleled...Categorized as:
children classics humor literary-fiction 20th-century anthologies children-books dark -
![The Book of Fantasy by Jorge Luis Borges, Silvina Ocampo]()
The Book of Fantasy by Jorge Luis Borges, Silvina Ocampo
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe Book of Fantasy began one night when three friends fell to talking about fantasies and ghost stories...Categorized as:
classics literary-fiction low-fantasy magical-realism 20th-century adult anthologies fiction -
![The Garden of Forking Paths by Jorge Luis Borges, George Guidall]()
The Garden of Forking Paths by Jorge Luis Borges, George Guidall
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratings"The Garden of Forking Paths" (original Spanish title: "El jardín de senderos que se bifurcan") is the title story in the collection El jardín de senderos que se bifurcan (1941), which was republished in its entirety in Ficciones (Fictions) in 1944...Categorized as:
classics magical-realism literary-fiction historical-fiction low-fantasy fiction philosophy fantasy -
![Richard Scarry's Best Storybook Ever! by Richard Scarry]()
Richard Scarry's Best Storybook Ever! by Richard Scarry
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsFrom the cheery sun on the first page, to the sleepy moon on the last, and throughout all 290 pages in between, there are stories, rhymes and fun with the one-and-only Richard Scarry. Classic tales, alphabet and counting stories, lots of new words and concepts, and visits around town, to the airport, and across the world make this essential book that will captivate even the most restless child... -
![4: Fantastic Novels by Daniel Pinkwater, Scott Simon]()
4: Fantastic Novels by Daniel Pinkwater, Scott Simon
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFour-fantastic-books-in-one by the popular author of The Hoboken Chicken Emergency: Borgel Yobgorgle The Worms of Kukumlima The Snarkout Boys & the Baconburg...Categorized as:
children humor low-fantasy magical-realism 20th-century action-adventure anthologies children-books -
![A Fish Out of Water by Helen Marion Palmer]()
A Fish Out of Water by Helen Marion Palmer
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 39 ratingsIllus. in color. "Comic pictures show how the fish rapidly outgrows its bowl, a vase, a cook pot, a bathtub."--The New York Times... -
![The Garden of the Departed Cats by Bilge Karasu]()
The Garden of the Departed Cats by Bilge Karasu
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn an ancient Mediterranean city, a tradition is maintained: every ten years an archaic game of human chess is staged, the players (visitors versus locals) bearing weapons. This archaic game, the central event of The Garden of the Departed Cats, may prove as fatal as the deadly attraction our narrator feels for the local man who is the Vizier, or Captain, of the home team...Categorized as:
historical-fiction literary-fiction 20th-century adult book fiction historical lgbtq -
![Wacky Wednesday by Theo LeSieg, Dr. Seuss]()
Wacky Wednesday by Theo LeSieg, Dr. Seuss
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsIllus. in full color. A baffled youngster awakens one morning to findeverything's out of place, but no one seems to notice! Beginning readers willhave fun discovering all the wacky things wrong on each page while sharpeningtheir ability to observe, as well as to read... -
![Hell Screen by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa]()
Hell Screen by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratings"There can be no doubt that Akutagawa had more individuality than any other writer of his time and has left in Japanese literature a mass of artistic work, often grotesque and curious, that, while it undoubtedly angers the proletarian experimenters who now hold the stage and fight with lusty pens and a highly developed class consciousness against all that he stood for, will continue to live as...Categorized as:
classics historical-fiction literary-fiction 20th-century adult anthologies dark fiction -
![Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's Magic by Betty MacDonald]()
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's Magic by Betty MacDonald
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsMrs. Piggle-Wiggle has a trick up her sleeve.Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle loves everyone, and everyone loves her right back. The children love her because she is lots of fun. Their parents love her because she can cure children of absolutely any bad habit... -
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![Dr. Seuss’s Sleep Book: Yellow Back Book (Dr. Seuss - Yellow Back Book) by Dr. Seuss]()
Dr. Seuss’s Sleep Book: Yellow Back Book (Dr. Seuss - Yellow Back Book) by Dr. Seuss
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsFull of wonderful yawning creatures who spread sleep thoughts at bedtime, this book is the perfect remedy for children who don't want to go to sleep... -
![Romance D’A Pedra do Reino e O Príncipe do Sangue do Vai-e-Volta by Ariano Suassuna]()
Romance D’A Pedra do Reino e O Príncipe do Sangue do Vai-e-Volta by Ariano Suassuna
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratings'A pedra do reino' é apresentado como um romance autobiográfico narrado por Dom Pedro Dinis Ferreira-Quaderna, o auto-proclamado 'Rei do Quinto Império e do Quinto Naipe, Profeta da Igreja Católico-Serteneja e pretendente ao trono do Império do Brasil'... -
![Put Me in the Zoo by Robert Lopshire]()
Put Me in the Zoo by Robert Lopshire
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 45 ratingsIllus. in color. Spot, a polka-dot leopard who can change colors and even juggle his own spots, tries to convince two children that he is special enough to be exhibited in the zoo... -
![Amy's Eyes by Richard Kennedy, Richard Egielski]()
Amy's Eyes by Richard Kennedy, Richard Egielski
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA girl who has changed into a doll and a doll who has changed into a sea captain sail the pirate-ridden high seas with a crew of Mother Goose animals, in search of gold treasure...Categorized as:
children low-fantasy magical-realism 20th-century book children-books disability fiction -
![Про Федота-стрельца, удалого молодца by Leonid Filatov]()
Про Федота-стрельца, удалого молодца by Leonid Filatov
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratings`В нашей пишущей стране пишут даже на стене. Вот и мне пришла охота быть со всеми наравне!` Так в шутливом интервью объяснил когда-то Леонид Филатов, с чего это он вдруг взял и сочинил `Про Федота`. Его сказки - блистательные, искрометные, живые - не перестают смешить и восхищать нас... -
![The Circular Ruins by Jorge Luis Borges]()
The Circular Ruins by Jorge Luis Borges
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratings"The Circular Ruins"/"Las ruinas circulares") first published in the literary journal Sur in December 1940, it was included in the 1941 collection The Garden of Forking Paths (Spanish: El jardín de senderos que se bifurcan) and the 1944 collection Ficciones. It was first published in English in View (Series V, No. 6 1946), translated by Paul Bowles...Categorized as:
classics magical-realism low-fantasy fiction fantasy philosophy 20th-century university -
![The Book of Devices by İhsan Oktay Anar]()
The Book of Devices by İhsan Oktay Anar
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratings"He had sought to be the agent of all forces and actions on the Earth, and thus, just as he had transformed iron ingot into a music box, so had he strived to transform the Earth and all it contained into a machine." Ihsan Oktay Anar's 1996 novella, "The Book of Devices," is a skeleton key to the ever-inventive author's fictional world set in the Ottoman times...Categorized as:
historical-fiction literary-fiction 20th-century adult book fiction historical fantasy -
![Gregory the Terrible Eater by Mitchell Sharmat]()
Gregory the Terrible Eater by Mitchell Sharmat
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA very picky eater, Gregory the goat refuses the usual goat diet staples of shoes and tincans in favor of fruits, vegetables, eggs, and orange juice... -
![A Giraffe and a Half by Shel Silverstein]()
A Giraffe and a Half by Shel Silverstein
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsDelightfully zany rhymes about a giraffe who accumulates some ridiculous things--like glue on his shoe and a bee on his knee--only to lose them again, one by one. "Infectiously funny . . . a good nonsensical text and illustrations".--Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books... -
![Mary Poppins Opens the Door by P.L. Travers]()
Mary Poppins Opens the Door by P.L. Travers
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFrom the moment Mary Poppins arrives at Number Seventeen Cherry-Tree Lane, everyday life at the Banks house is forever changed. This classic series tells the story of the world's most beloved nanny, who brings enchantment and excitement with her everywhere she goes. Featuring the charming original cover art by Mary Shepard, these new editions are sure to delight readers of all ages...Categorized as:
children classics humor low-fantasy magical-realism 20th-century action-adventure audiobook -
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![Dictionary of the Khazars by Milorad Pavić]()
Dictionary of the Khazars by Milorad Pavić
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsA national bestseller, Dictionary of the Khazars was cited by The New York Times Book Review as one of the best books of the year... -
![Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are? by Dr. Seuss]()
Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are? by Dr. Seuss
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsDr. Seuss. Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are? New York: Random House, [1973]. First edition, first printing. Quarto. 47 pages. Publisher's binding.Illus. in full color. Children will be cheered just contemplating the outrageous array of troubles they're lucky they don't have... -
![Dreamtigers by Jorge Luis Borges]()
Dreamtigers by Jorge Luis Borges
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsDreamtigers has been heralded as one of the literary masterpieces of the twentieth century by Mortimer J. Adler, editor of Great Books of the Western World. It has been acknowledged by its author as his most personal work. Composed of poems, parables, and stories, sketches and apocryphal quotations, Dreamtigers at first glance appears to be a sampleralbeit a dazzling oneof the master's work...Categorized as:
classics literary-fiction low-fantasy magical-realism postmodernism 20th-century adult anthologies -
![Dr. Seuss's ABC by Dr. Seuss]()
Dr. Seuss's ABC by Dr. Seuss
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 44 ratingsArguably the most entertaining alphabet book ever written, this classic Beginner Book by Dr. Seuss is perfect for children learning their ABCs. Featuring a fantastic cast of zany characters—from Aunt Annie’s alligator to the Zizzer-Zazzer-Zuzz, with a lazy lion licking a lollipop and an ostrich oiling an orange owl—Dr. Seuss’s ABC is a must-have for every young child’s library... -
![The Adventures of Dunno and His Friends by Nikolay Nosov]()
The Adventures of Dunno and His Friends by Nikolay Nosov
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsOnce upon a time, in a town in fairyland, lived some people called the Mites. They were called the Mites because they were very tiny. The biggest of them was no bigger than a pine cone. Their town was very pretty. Around every house grew daisies, dandelions, and honeysuckle, and the streets were all named after flowers: Blue-bell Street, Daisy Lane, and Primrose Avenue...Categorized as:
classics children humor children-books fiction fantasy action-adventure middle-grade -
![The Time Garden by Edward Eager]()
The Time Garden by Edward Eager
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 29 ratings"Anything can happen when you have all the time in the world" says the frog-like Natterjack in old relative Mrs Whiton's thyme garden. Cousins Roger, Ann, Eliza and girl-crazy Jack ride for American rebels, bow to Queen Elizabeth I, and even rescue their own parents when they were children... -
![La Maravilla by Alfredo Véa]()
La Maravilla by Alfredo Véa
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratings"Buckeye Road wasn't much of a town, just a place where a pocked and pitted road met an invisible street....It was less that unincorporated, it was unknown..."Yet it is here in the desert outside the Phoenix city limits that Alfredo Vea, Jr., finds a world of marvels spilling out of the adobe homes, tar-paper shacks, rusted Cadillacs, and battered trailers that are otherwise known as "Buckeye...Categorized as:
historical-fiction humor literary-fiction magical-realism 20th-century adult book coming-of-age -
![A Glastonbury Romance by John Cowper Powys]()
A Glastonbury Romance by John Cowper Powys
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFirst published in 1932, here is John Cowper Powys's masterwork, an epic novel of terrific cumulative force and lyrical intensity...Categorized as:
classics historical-fiction literary-fiction 20th-century adult arthurian book fiction -
![Mennyms Alive by Sylvia Waugh]()
Mennyms Alive by Sylvia Waugh
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe Mennyms, a family of life-size rag dolls, have always live with danger, ever since their maker Kate Penshaw instilled in them an indomitable life force. That life force carried them through perils of many kinds and helped them survive the greatest danger of all-the ever-present fear of discovery by the outside world... -
![The Woman Who Had Two Navels and Tales of the Tropical Gothic by Nick Joaquín, Gina Apostol]()
The Woman Who Had Two Navels and Tales of the Tropical Gothic by Nick Joaquín, Gina Apostol
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsNick Joaquin is widely considered one of the greatest Filipino writers, but he has remained little-known outside his home country despite writing in English. With the post-colonial sensibilities of Junot Diaz, Teju Cole, and Jhumpa Lahiri and an ironic perspective of colonial history resonant with Marques and Llosa, Joaquin is a long-neglected writer ready to join the ranks of the world classics...Categorized as:
classics historical-fiction literary-fiction magical-realism 20th-century adult anthologies fiction -
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![Fancies and Goodnights by John Collier, Ray Bradbury]()
Fancies and Goodnights by John Collier, Ray Bradbury
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsJohn Collier's edgy, sardonic tales are works of rare wit, curious insight, and scary implication. They stand out as one of the pinnacles in the critically neglected but perennially popular tradition of weird writing that includes E.T.A. Hoffmann and Charles Dickens as well as more recent masters like Jorge Luis Borges and Roald Dahl...Categorized as:
classics humor literary-fiction low-fantasy magical-realism 20th-century adult anthologies -
![The Chimneys of Green Knowe by Lucy M. Boston]()
The Chimneys of Green Knowe by Lucy M. Boston
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsLucy Maria Boston's thrilling and classic time fantasy tales of Green Knowe, an ancient English manor house and its grounds whose setting was based on her own long-time home of The Manor at Hemingford Grey, have been entertaining readers of all ages for decades.This book was renamed Treasure of Green Knowe for the American reading market... -
![The Greatest Gift by Philip Van Doren Stern]()
The Greatest Gift by Philip Van Doren Stern
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen he found himself unable to find a publisher for his story, author Philip Van Doren Stern printed up copies of the “The Greatest Gift” and gave them out as Christmas cards in 1943. Eventually, the story came to the attention of director Frank Capra, who explained later, “It was the story I had been looking for all my life! A good man, ambitious... -
![The Complete Stories of Leonora Carrington by Leonora Carrington]()
The Complete Stories of Leonora Carrington by Leonora Carrington
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsSurrealist writer and painter Leonora Carrington (1917-2011) was a master of the macabre, of gorgeous tableaus, biting satire, roguish comedy, and brilliant, effortless flights of the imagination. Nowhere are these qualities more ingeniously brought together than in the works of short fiction she wrote throughout her life...Categorized as:
classics humor literary-fiction low-fantasy magical-realism 20th-century adult anthologies -
![The Garden of Time by J.G. Ballard]()
The Garden of Time by J.G. Ballard
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratings...Categorized as:
classics literary-fiction historical-fiction magical-realism low-fantasy fantasy fiction dystopia -
![Tistou of the Green Thumbs; 0 by Maurice 1918-2009 Druon]()
Tistou of the Green Thumbs; 0 by Maurice 1918-2009 Druon
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 16 ratings"The gardener thinks a 'green thumb' is a great and wonderful gift, but to little Tistou it is just one more reason for people to say he is unlike other people. Unusual things happen in this story of a boy whose secret is skillfully kept until the last pages...Categorized as:
children classics historical-fiction magical-realism 20th-century book drama fiction -
![Mary Poppins in the Park by P.L. Travers]()
Mary Poppins in the Park by P.L. Travers
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsBy P.L. Travers, the author featured in the major motion picture, Saving Mr. Banks. From the moment Mary Poppins arrives at Number Seventeen Cherry-Tree Lane, everyday life at the Banks house is forever changed. This classic series tells the story of the world's most beloved nanny, who brings enchantment and excitement with her everywhere she goes...Categorized as:
children classics humor literary-fiction low-fantasy magical-realism 20th-century action-adventure -
![Bartholomew and the Oobleck by Dr. Seuss]()
Bartholomew and the Oobleck by Dr. Seuss
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsBartholomew and the Oobleck easily qualifies as a Seuss classic, first told way back in 1949. And its message--the importance of owning up to your mistakes and saying that you're sorry--is as timeless now as it was then. Bartholomew Cubbins serves thanklessly as pageboy to King Derwin of Didd, a headstrong man who's decided he isn't satisfied with mere sun, fog, rain, and snow... -
![The Wonderful Adventures of Nils by Selma Lagerlöf]()
The Wonderful Adventures of Nils by Selma Lagerlöf
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsWinner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1909 — the first woman to be so honored — Swedish novelist Selma Lagerlöf (1858–1940) was a gifted storyteller whose writings were often tinged with the supernatural and rooted in the sagas and legends of her homeland... -
![The Adventures of Robin Hood by Roger Lancelyn Green]()
The Adventures of Robin Hood by Roger Lancelyn Green
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsRobin Hood is champion of the poor and oppressed by 12th-century England against the cruel power of Prince John and the brutal Sheriff of Nottingham. He takes refuge with his Merrie Men in the vast Sherwood Forest, emerging time and again to outwit his enemies with daring and panache. This book presents the story of social justice and cunning... -
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![There's a Wocket in My Pocket! by Dr. Seuss]()
There's a Wocket in My Pocket! by Dr. Seuss
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 28 ratings'There's a Wocket in My Pocket!' is filled with bizarre creatures and rhymes such as the nupboard in the cupboard, ghairs beneath the stairs, and the bofa on the sofa! Simple, Silly, Sturdy Books for Babies of All... -
![The Street of Crocodiles by Bruno Schulz, Mikolaj Dutsch]()
The Street of Crocodiles by Bruno Schulz, Mikolaj Dutsch
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsThe Street of Crocodiles in the Polish city of Drogobych is a street of memories and dreams where recollections of Bruno Schulz's uncommon boyhood and of the eerie side of his merchant family's life are evoked in a startling blend of the real and the fantastic... -
![The Borrowers by Mary Norton]()
The Borrowers by Mary Norton
Rated: 4.03 of 5 stars · 65 ratingsBeneath the kitchen floor is the world of the Borrowers -- Pod and Homily Clock and their daughter, Arrietty. In their tiny home, matchboxes double as roomy dressers and postage stamps hang on the walls like paintings. Whatever the Clocks need they simply "borrow" from the "human beans" who live above them. It's a comfortable life, but boring if you're a kid... -
![Mirror in the Mirror by Michael Ende]()
Mirror in the Mirror by Michael Ende
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsMirror in the Mirror: A Labyrinth is a collection of surreal short stories by Michael Ende originally published in 1984. All stories in the book have their own protagonists, but are related to each other by the use of literary leitmotivs. None of the stories has its own title... -
![The Book of Imaginary Beings by Jorge Luis Borges, Margarita Guerrero]()
The Book of Imaginary Beings by Jorge Luis Borges, Margarita Guerrero
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsIn a perfect pairing of talent, this volume blends twenty illustrations by Peter S.' with Jorge Luis Borges' 1957 compilation of 116 "strange creatures conceived through time and space by the human imagination," from dragons and centaurs to Lewis Carroll's Cheshire Cat and the Morlocks of H. G. Wells' The Time Machine...Categorized as:
classics humor literary-fiction low-fantasy magical-realism 20th-century adult animals -
![The Foot Book by Dr. Seuss]()
The Foot Book by Dr. Seuss
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsBeginning readers will love this foot-filled Bright and Early Book classic by Dr. Seuss! From left feet to right feet and wet feet to dry feet, there are so many feet to meet. The Foot Book will have young readers eager to step into the wonderful world of Dr. Seuss...
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