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Children's quizzes

Quiz: Which classic children’s book should you read next?

From Jane Austen's Chawton to Bram Stoker's Whitby, this is the definitive literary tour of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

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Features

A literary tour of the United Kingdom

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Extracts

The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling

Best Rudyard Kipling Books | Novels & Short Stories

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Reading lists

3 of the best Rudyard Kipling books

11 Full-Cast BBC Radio Dramas

Selected works of Rudyard Kipling

Dramatisations of some of Kipling’s finest fiction for adults, including ‘The Man Who Would Be King’ and The Light That Failed 
 
Well-known for his poems and stories set in India during British Imperial rule, Rudyard Kipling was the first English author to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. He was also offered a knighthood and the Poet Laureateship, but turned down both. His books remain immensely popular today, and this collection showcases a selection of his best adult works. 
 
Set deep in the Hindu Kush mountains, the chilling cautionary tale ‘The Man Who Would Be King’ tells the story of two conmen with an insane and dangerous plan to conquer a remote region of Afghanistan. Blake Ritson, Richard Ridings and Samuel James star in this thrilling drama about friendship and the folly and glory of imperial ambition. 
 
First broadcast in 1994 to mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of Rudyard Kipling, Kipling in Love comprises eight half-hour dramas based on his short stories – ‘His Wedded Wife’, ‘Lispeth’, ‘Venus Annodomini’, ‘The Courting of Dinah Shadd’, ‘In the Pride of His Youth’, ‘Love O’Women’, ‘Beyond the Pale’ and ‘On Greenhow Hill’. Among the star casts are Jack Klaff, Mamta Kaash, Alex Jennings, Steve Hodson, Frances Jeater, Terry John, Samuel West, Meera Syal, Michael Troughton and Nina Wadia. 
 
Adapted from Kipling’s debut novel, The Light That Failed revolves around war illustrator Dick Heldar, his struggles to become a successful artist and his unrequited love for his childhood sweetheart, Maisie. It stars Steve Hodson, Stuart Organ and Natasha Pyne. Wrapping up this collection is ‘They’, a haunting supernatural tale of a motorist’s mysterious encounters with a group of elusive children. Narrated by Tony Britton, this 1982 World Service production stars Annette Crosbie and Douglas Blackwell. 
 
First published 1888 (‘The Man Who Would Be King’, ‘His Wedded Wife’, ‘Lispeth’, ‘Venus Annodomini’, ‘In the Pride of His Youth’, ‘Beyond the Pale’), 1891 (‘The Courting of Dinah Shadd’, ‘On Greenhow Hill’, The Light That Failed), 1893 (‘Love-o’-Women’), 1904 (‘They’) 
 
 
NB: Some of these dramas contain language and attitudes that reflect the age in which they are set. 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by Rudyard Kipling 
<ul><li>The Man Who Would Be King</li><li>Kipling in Love</li><li>His Wedded Wife</li><li>Lispeth</li><li>Venus Annodomini</li><li>The Courting of Dinah Shadd</li><li>In the Pride of His Youth</li><li>Love O’Women</li><li>Beyond the Pale</li><li>On Greenhow Hill</li><li>The Light That Failed</li><li>They</li></ul> 
Copyright © 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Dramatisations of some of Kipling’s finest fiction for adults, including ‘The Man Who Would Be King’ and The Light That Failed 
 
Well-known for his poems and stories set in India during British Imperial rule, Rudyard Kipling was the first English author to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. He was also offered a knighthood and the Poet Laureateship, but turned down both. His books remain immensely popular today, and this collection showcases a selection of his best adult works. 
 
Set deep in the Hindu Kush mountains, the chilling cautionary tale ‘The Man Who Would Be King’ tells the story of two conmen with an insane and dangerous plan to conquer a remote region of Afghanistan. Blake Ritson, Richard Ridings and Samuel James star in this thrilling drama about friendship and the folly and glory of imperial ambition. 
 
First broadcast in 1994 to mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of Rudyard Kipling, Kipling in Love comprises eight half-hour dramas based on his short stories – ‘His Wedded Wife’, ‘Lispeth’, ‘Venus Annodomini’, ‘The Courting of Dinah Shadd’, ‘In the Pride of His Youth’, ‘Love O’Women’, ‘Beyond the Pale’ and ‘On Greenhow Hill’. Among the star casts are Jack Klaff, Mamta Kaash, Alex Jennings, Steve Hodson, Frances Jeater, Terry John, Samuel West, Meera Syal, Michael Troughton and Nina Wadia. 
 
Adapted from Kipling’s debut novel, The Light That Failed revolves around war illustrator Dick Heldar, his struggles to become a successful artist and his unrequited love for his childhood sweetheart, Maisie. It stars Steve Hodson, Stuart Organ and Natasha Pyne. Wrapping up this collection is ‘They’, a haunting supernatural tale of a motorist’s mysterious encounters with a group of elusive children. Narrated by Tony Britton, this 1982 World Service production stars Annette Crosbie and Douglas Blackwell. 
 
First published 1888 (‘The Man Who Would Be King’, ‘His Wedded Wife’, ‘Lispeth’, ‘Venus Annodomini’, ‘In the Pride of His Youth’, ‘Beyond the Pale’), 1891 (‘The Courting of Dinah Shadd’, ‘On Greenhow Hill’, The Light That Failed), 1893 (‘Love-o’-Women’), 1904 (‘They’) 
 
NB: Some of these dramas contain language and attitudes that reflect the age in which they are set. 
 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by Rudyard Kipling 
<ul><li>The Man Who Would Be King</li><li>Kipling in Love</li><li>His Wedded Wife</li><li>Lispeth</li><li>Venus Annodomini</li><li>The Courting of Dinah Shadd</li><li>In the Pride of His Youth</li><li>Love O’Women</li><li>Beyond the Pale</li><li>On Greenhow Hill</li><li>The Light That Failed</li><li>They</li></ul> 
 
Copyright © 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Jungle Book

130th Anniversary Edition

Puffin Classics: the definitive collection of timeless stories, for every child 
Rediscover the Puffin Classics collection and bring the best-loved classics to a new generation - including this bold edition of The Jungle Book. 
 
Saved from the jaws of the evil tiger Shere Khan, young Mowgli is adopted by a wolf pack and taught the law of the jungle by lovable old Baloo the bear and Bhageera the panther. The adventures of Rikki-Tikki-Tavi the snake-fighting mongoose, little Toomai and the elephant's secret dance, and Kotick the white seal are all part of Mowgli's extraordinary journey with his animal friends.

Joseph Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) was born in India, although educated in England. He was a prolific writer and recognized as a genius. In 1907 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. His many books for children includeJust So Stories and Kim.

Rediscover the Puffin Classics collection and bring the best-loved classics to a new generation - including this bold edition of The Jungle Book. 
 
Saved from the jaws of the evil tiger Shere Khan, young Mowgli is adopted by a wolf pack and taught the law of the jungle by lovable old Baloo the bear and Bhageera the panther. The adventures of Rikki-Tikki-Tavi the snake-fighting mongoose, little Toomai and the elephant's secret dance, and Kotick the white seal are all part of Mowgli's extraordinary journey with his animal friends.

Just So Stories

Puffin Classics: the definitive collection of timeless stories, for every child 
Rediscover the Puffin Classics collection and bring the best-loved classics to a new generation - including this charming edition of Just So Stories 
 
The delightful tales of whales and cats and kangaroos and crabs - everything from how the camel got in a humph (and got his hump!) to how the alphabet was invented. Enchanting and funny, these fantastical stories continue to delight each and every generation. 
 
With an inspiring introduction by Jonathan Stroud, author of the 'Bartimaeus' trilogy, and including fun-filled endnotes.

Joseph Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) was born in India, although educated in England. He was a prolific writer and recognized as a genius. In 1907 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. His many books for children include The Jungle Book and Kim.

Rediscover the Puffin Classics collection and bring the best-loved classics to a new generation - including this charming edition of Just So Stories 
 
The delightful tales of whales and cats and kangaroos and crabs - everything from how the camel got in a humph (and got his hump!) to how the alphabet was invented. Enchanting and funny, these fantastical stories continue to delight each and every generation. 
 
With an inspiring introduction by Jonathan Stroud, author of the 'Bartimaeus' trilogy, and including fun-filled endnotes.

A timeless collection of 21 tales for all ages

BBC Classics Children’s Library

An irresistible anthology of folklore, fables and perennial favourites, including four novels and 17 short stories 
 
This superlative collection of children's stories brings together a feast of fantastic fiction, read in full by a host of top narrators and with a comprehensive track listing for ease of listening. Comprising everything from fairytales for little ones to thrilling adventures for pre-teens, these unabridged readings are ideal for families to keep, treasure and dip into as their children grow. 
 
Listed by suggested age range and with track numbers provided, the stories are as follows: 
 
Ages 4+ 
1-12 Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (read by Carolyn Pickles) 
13 Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter (read by Jonny Holden) 
14 The Elves and the Shoemaker by the Brothers Grimm (read by Sam Dale) 
15 Too Clever By Half by E Nesbit (read by Helen Capp) 
16 Tom Thumb by the Brothers Grimm (read by Shaun Mason) 
 
Ages 7+ 
17-25 The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame (read by Michael Bertenshaw) 
26 How the Camel Got His Hump by Rudyard Kipling (read by Kenny Blyth) 
27 The Emperor's New Clothes by Hans Christian Andersen (read by Shaun Mason) 
28 The Raspberry Worm by Zacharias Topelius (read by Debbie Korley) 
29 The Tongue Cut Sparrow by Yei Theodora Ozaki (read by Sean Baker) 
30 The Elephant's Child by Rudyard Kipling (read by Tony Turner) 
31 The Magic Bed by Hartwell James (read by Chris Pavlo) 
32 How the Rhinoceros Got His Skin by Rudyard Kipling (read by Tony Turner) 
33 The Tortoise and the Rain by MI Ogumefu (read by Kenny Blyth) 
34 The Baba Yaga by Katharine Pyle (read by Susan Jameson) 
 
Ages 9+ 
35-41 The Call of the Wild by Jack London (read by Joseph Ayre) 
42 Finn and the Scottish Giant by Harold F Hughes (read by Paul Hickey) 
43 The Children's Joke by Louisa May Alcott (read by Catherine Cusack) 
44 The Ants and the Treasure by MI Ogumefu (read by Kenny Blyth) 
45 The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde (read by Tony Turner) 
46-59 The Railway Children by E Nesbit (read by Sarah Ovens) 
 
Production credits 
First broadcast on BBC Sounds, 21 December 2018-1 November 2019 
 
Produced by Simon Richardson (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, The Tortoise and the Rain, The Elephant's Child, The Ants and the Treasure, How the Rhinoceros Got His Skin, How the Camel Got His Hump, The Elves and the Shoemaker, The Happy Prince), Karen Holden (The Wind in the Willows), Martha Littlehailes (The Call of the Wild), Anne Bunting (The Railway Children), Anne Isger (Too Clever By Half, The Tongue Cut Sparrow, The Emperor's New Clothes, The Children's Joke, Finn and the Scottish Giant) and Mabel Wright (Tom Thumb, The Raspberry Worm, The Magic Bed, The Baba Yaga, Peter Rabbit) 
The Raspberry Worm edited by Andrew Lang 
 
 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

A BBC Radio full-cast reimagining of the classic story

Rudyard Kipling's timeless story re-imagined as a gangland coming-of-age fable 
 
In this radical radio reboot, Kipling's family classic is given a darker twist and reimagined in the concrete jungle of present-day India. 
 
Born in a tenement block in Mumbai, orphan boy Mowgli is brought up by the Wolves, a gang of tough, streetwise petty criminals, and quickly learns how to survive in that world. But when the villainous politician Tiger Khan threatens his life, two residents of the block, the 'black panther' Bagheera and the 'bear' Baloo, offer to help him escape. 
 
Leaving behind the only home he's ever known, Mowgli embarks on a journey of self-discovery through the city, meeting 'creatures' along the way who don't always have his best interests at heart... 
 
Dramatised by Ayeesha Menon, whose radio version of Midnight's Children won Best Adaptation at the 2018 Audio Drama Awards, this stunning audio retelling features Namit Das (A Suitable Boy) as Mo, with Bollywood stars Rajit Kapur and Shernaz Patel as Tiger Khan and Mrs Gupta. 
 
Written and directed by Ayeesha Menon 
Based on the novel by Rudyard Kipling 
Produced by Nadir Khan 
Executive producer: John Scott Dryden 
Music by Sacha Puttnam 
Recorded in India 
A Goldhawk Production 
 
Cast 
Mo/Adult Mo - Namit Das 
Tiger Khan - Rajit Kapur 
Mrs Gupta - Shernaz Patel 
Mr Gupta - Zafar Karachiwala 
Bugs - Sukant Goel 
Yuva - Abir Abrar 
Kala/Adult Kala - Shikha Talsania 
Rikita - Devika Shahani 
Father Carvalho - Sohrab Ardeshir 
Young Kala/ Rani - Preetika Chawla 
Young Mo - Omkar Kulkarni 
Dimple - Trisha Kale 
Bobby - Alka Sharma 
Varun/Boy - Ajitesh Gupta 
Amma - Prerna Chawla 
Raksha - hivani Tanksale 
Rafiq/Naag - Tavish Bhattacharyya 
Baldeo/Tabaqui/Purun Bhagat - Vivek Madan 
Akhil - Nadir Khan 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 28 February-6 March 2021 
 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
(p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Rudyard Kipling's timeless story re-imagined as a gangland coming-of-age fable 
 
In this radical radio reboot, Kipling's family classic is given a darker twist and reimagined in the concrete jungle of present-day India. 
 
Born in a tenement block in Mumbai, orphan boy Mowgli is brought up by the Wolves, a gang of tough, streetwise petty criminals, and quickly learns how to survive in that world. But when the villainous politician Tiger Khan threatens his life, two residents of the block, the 'black panther' Bagheera and the 'bear' Baloo, offer to help him escape. 
 
Leaving behind the only home he's ever known, Mowgli embarks on a journey of self-discovery through the city, meeting 'creatures' along the way who don't always have his best interests at heart... 
 
Dramatised by Ayeesha Menon, whose radio version of Midnight's Children won Best Adaptation at the 2018 Audio Drama Awards, this stunning audio retelling features Namit Das (A Suitable Boy) as Mo, with Bollywood stars Rajit Kapur and Shernaz Patel as Tiger Khan and Mrs Gupta. 
 
Written and directed by Ayeesha Menon 
Based on the novel by Rudyard Kipling 
Produced by Nadir Khan 
Executive producer: John Scott Dryden 
Music by Sacha Puttnam 
Recorded in India 
A Goldhawk Production 
 
Cast 
Mo/Adult Mo - Namit Das 
Tiger Khan - Rajit Kapur 
Mrs Gupta - Shernaz Patel 
Mr Gupta - Zafar Karachiwala 
Bugs - Sukant Goel 
Yuva - Abir Abrar 
Kala/Adult Kala - Shikha Talsania 
Rikita - Devika Shahani 
Father Carvalho - Sohrab Ardeshir 
Young Kala/ Rani - Preetika Chawla 
Young Mo - Omkar Kulkarni 
Dimple - Trisha Kale 
Bobby - Alka Sharma 
Varun/Boy - Ajitesh Gupta 
Amma - Prerna Chawla 
Raksha - hivani Tanksale 
Rafiq/Naag - Tavish Bhattacharyya 
Baldeo/Tabaqui/Purun Bhagat - Vivek Madan 
Akhil - Nadir Khan 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 28 February-6 March 2021 
 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
(p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation

The Man Who Would Be King

Kipling's chilling adventure about two men who set out to be kings of a remote region of Afghanistan

Kipling's chilling adventure about two men who set out to be kings of a remote region of Afghanistan. 
 
Kipling, our narrator, tells this strange story: he was running a newspaper in a big Indian city. In the hot stillness of one night when he was putting the paper to bed, two men come into his office. They are red-bearded giant Daniel Dravot and his friend Peachy Carnehan. These two "gentlemen at large" as they call themselves, lately of the British army, have put together an insane and dangerous plan: they want to be Kings of Kafiristan, a mountainous region of Afghanistan. 
 
Three years later, a crippled man in rags comes into Kipling's office. He is Peachy Carnehan, and he relates the chilling story of their adventure. 
 
A thrilling and haunting story about the folly and glory of imperial ambition, yet at its heart this is also a story of friendship. 
 
Cast 
Rudyard Kipling - Blake Ritson 
Daniel Dravot - Richard Ridings 
Peachey Carnehan - Samuel James 
Timuk - Peter Polycarpou 
Tribesmen - Joseph Ayre, Stephen Hogan, Ryan Early, Ryan Whittle 
Young woman/Bride - Lauren Cornelius 
Wounded man - John Lightbody 
 
Produced by Abigail le Fleming

V&A Collector's Edition

A classic story of friendship between man and beast. 
 
Saved from the jaws of the evil tiger Shere Khan, young Mowgli is adopted by a wolf pack and taught the law of the jungle by lovable old Baloo the bear and Bhageera the panther. The adventures of Rikki-Tikki-Tavi the snake-fighting mongoose, little Toomai and the elephant's secret dance, and Kotick the white seal are all part of Mowgli's extraordinary journey with his animal friends. 
 
This special Puffin Classics edition brings together two of the most inspirational collections at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London - the works of Arts and Crafts pioneer William Morris and the literature of Rudyard Kipling. 
 
Illustrator Liz Catchpole has selected patterns from the V&amp;A archive and introduced new artwork inspired by the collection to create a beautiful cover which brings Ruddyard Kipling's timeless story to life.

A classic story of friendship between man and beast. 
 
Saved from the jaws of the evil tiger Shere Khan, young Mowgli is adopted by a wolf pack and taught the law of the jungle by lovable old Baloo the bear and Bhageera the panther. The adventures of Rikki-Tikki-Tavi the snake-fighting mongoose, little Toomai and the elephant's secret dance, and Kotick the white seal are all part of Mowgli's extraordinary journey with his animal friends.

Samuel West reads a selection of Just So Stories

Samuel West reads ten of Rudyard Kipling’s famous tales, as broadcast on BBC Radio 4.

Sam West's readings were superb ...He brought to mind Martin Jarvis doing Just William – and praise doesn't come any higher than that.

Rudyard Kipling (1865 – 1936) was an English short-story writer, poet, and novelist. He wrote tales and poems of British soldiers in India and stories for children. He was born in Bombay, in the Bombay Presidency of British India, and was taken by his family to England when he was five years old. 
 
Kipling's works of fiction include The Jungle Book (a collection of stories which includes "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi"), the Just So Stories (1902), Kim (1901), and many short stories, including "The Man Who Would Be King" (1888). His poems include "Mandalay" (1890), "Gunga Din" (1890), "The Gods of the Copybook Headings" (1919), "The White Man's Burden" (1899), and "If—" (1910). He is regarded as a major innovator in the art of the short story; his children's books are enduring classics of children's literature; and one critic described his work as exhibiting "a versatile and luminous narrative gift".

Samuel West reads ten of Rudyard Kipling’s famous tales, as broadcast on BBC Radio 4. 
 
How the Whale Got His Throat 
How the Leopard Got His Spots 
The Beginning of the Armadillos 
How the Rhinoceros Got His Skin 
The Cat That Walked By Himself 
How the Camel Got His Hump 
The Crab That Played With The Sea 
The Sing-Song of Old Man Kangaroo 
The Butterfly That Stamped 
The Elephant’s Child 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 as part of Just So Science, these charming tales are sure to delight listeners of all ages.

The Gate of the Hundred Sorrows

'Mind you, it was a pukka, respectable opium-house, and not one of those stifling, sweltering chandoo-khanas that you can find all over the City.' 
 
Kipling first became famous for his pungent, harsh and shocking stories of northwest India, where he grew up. This is just a small selection from his inexhaustibly contentious and various early work. 
 
Introducing Little Black Classics: 80 books for Penguin's 80th birthday. Little Black Classics celebrate the huge range and diversity of Penguin Classics, with books from around the world and across many centuries. They take us from a balloon ride over Victorian London to a garden of blossom in Japan, from Tierra del Fuego to 16th century California and the Russian steppe. Here are stories lyrical and savage; poems epic and intimate; essays satirical and inspirational; and ideas that have shaped the lives of millions. 
 
Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936). Kipling's works available in Penguin Classics are Captains Courageous, Just So Stories, Kim, Plain Tales from the Hills, Selected Poems, The Jungle Books and The Man Who Would Be King: Selected Stories.

Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936). Kipling's works available in Penguin Classics are Captains Courageous, Just So Stories, Kim, Plain Tales from the Hills, Selected Poems, The Jungle Books and The Man Who Would Be King: Selected Stories.

The Jungle Books

Kipling's best-loved work, now in a gorgeous new clothbound edition designed by the award-winning Coralie Bickford-Smith. These delectable and collectable editions are bound in high-quality, tactile cloth with foil stamped into the design. 
 
The story of Mowgli, the man-cub who is brought up by wolves in the jungles of Central India, is one of the greatest literary myths ever created. As he embarks on a series of thrilling escapades, Mowgli encounters such unforgettable creatures as the bear Baloo, the graceful black panther Bagheera and Shere Khan, the tiger with the blazing eyes. Other animal stories in The Jungle Books range from the dramatic battle between good and evil in 'Rikki-tikki-tavi' to the macabre comedy 'The Undertakers'. With The Jungle Books Rudyard Kipling drew on ancient beast fables, Buddhist philosophy and memories of his Anglo-Indian childhood to create a rich, symbolic portrait of man and nature, and an eternal classic of childhood. 
 
 
 
Rudyard Kipling was born in Bombay in 1865. In 1882 Kipling started work as a journalist in India, and while there produced a body of work, stories, sketches and poems - notably Plain Tales from the Hills(1888) - which made him an instant literary celebrity when he returned to England in 1889. His most famous works include The Jungle Book (1894), Kim (1901) and the Just So Stories (1902). Kipling refused to accept the role of Poet Laureate and other civil honours, but he was the first English writer to be awarded the Nobel Prize, in 1907. He died in 1936. 
 
 Jan Montefiore has taught at the University of Kent since 1978, where she is now Professor of 20th Century English Literature. She is the author of Men and Women Writers of the 1930s (1996); Arguments of Heart and Mind:Selected Essays 1977-2000 (2002); Feminism and Poetry (3rd edition, 2004); and Rudyard Kipling (2007). 
 
 Kaori Nagai is a Research Associate at the University of Kent and author of Empire of Analogies (2006). She has also introduced Kobo Abe's Face of Another and Kipling's Plain Tales from the Hills for Penguin

Rudyard Kipling was born in Bombay in 1865 and started work as a journalist in India in 1882. His most famous works include The Jungle Books (1894), Kim (1901) and the Just So Stories (1902). He died in 1936, having become he first English writer to be awarded the Nobel Prize, in 1907. 
 
Jan Montefiore is Professor of 20th Century English Literature at the University of Kent. Her most recent book is Rudyard Kipling (2007). 
 
Kaori Nagai is a Research Associate at the University of Kent and author of Empire of Analogies (2006).

The story of Mowgli, the man-cub who is brought up by wolves in the jungles of Central India, is one of the greatest literary myths ever created. As he embarks on a series of thrilling escapades, Mowgli encounters such unforgettable creatures as the bear Baloo, the graceful black panther Bagheera and Shere Khan, the tiger with the blazing eyes. Other animal stories in The Jungle Books range from the dramatic battle between good and evil in 'Rikki-tikki-tavi' to the macabre comedy 'The Undertakers'. With The Jungle Books Rudyard Kipling drew on ancient beast fables, Buddhist philosophy and memories of his Anglo-Indian childhood to create a rich, symbolic portrait of man and nature, and an eternal classic of childhood.

Find out why the rhino is so wrinkly and the cat so contrary. Kipling's weird and wacky stories are a must-read for everyone intrigued by the oddities of animals

Hilarious, lively stories...drawn from the storytelling traditions of India and Africa

The Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling have always held a fascination for me, and doubtless sparked off my love of India

Today's children would do well to abandon their computers and iPods for an hour or two and read him

Rudyard Kipling was born in Bombay in India in 1865 to British parents, and brought up by a Portuguese ‘ayah’ (nanny) and an Indian servant, who would entertain him with fabulous stories and Indian nursery rhymes. He was sent back to England when he was seven years old, and lived in a boarding house with a couple who were cruelly strict. Fortunately he returned to India aged sixteen, to work as the assistant editor of a newspaper in Lahore. He began publishing stories and poems and eventually had great success with his book Plain Tales from the Hills. After his marriage Kipling settled in America, and it was here that he wrote The Jungle Book. He then moved with his family to England, where he wrote Just So Stories for his daughter Josephine who later tragically died of pneumonia. Rudyard Kipling was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1907 and died on 18 January 1936.

'Hear and attend and listen; for this befell and behappened and became and was' 
 
Have you ever enquired why the elephant has such an enormously elongated nose? Are you confused by a cat's contrary nature? Have you ruminated on the wrinkles of a rhinocerous? Or speculated on a leopard's spots? Rudyard Kipling wondered about all these things too, and in this marvellous collection of stories he imagines how the animals became 'just so'. 
 
Includes exclusive material: In the Backstory you can find out why Just So Stories is one of Philip Pullman’s favourite books and discover wacky facts about wild animals! 
 
Vintage Children’s Classics is a twenty-first century classics list aimed at 8-12 year olds and the adults in their lives. Discover timeless favourites from The Jungle Book and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to modern classics such as The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

The story of the man-cub Mowgli who is raised by wolves in the Indian jungle, guided by his mentors Baloo the bear, Bagheera the black panther and the ancient python Kaa, and who confronts his arch-enemy Shere Khan the tiger, is one of the greatest literary myths ever created. Mowgli's adventures are juxtaposed with other animal stories set in the British Empire, ranging from the heroic battle of 'Rikki-tikki-tavi' and the Himalayan pastoral 'Purun Bhagat' to the drama of survival in 'The White Seal'. With The Jungle Books Rudyard Kipling drew on ancient beast fables, Buddhist philosophy and memories of his Anglo-Indian upbringing to create a rich, symbolic portrait of man and nature, and an eternal classic of childhood that has had a lasting impact on our imaginations. 
 
Part of a series of new editions of Kipling's works in Penguin Classics, this volume contains a General Preface by Jan Montefiore and an introduction by Kaori Nagai discussing the many imperial, Indian and literary contexts of The Jungle Books.

Rudyard Kipling was born in Bombay in 1865. In 1882 Kipling started work as a journalist in India, and while there produced a body of work, stories, sketches and poems - notably Plain Tales from the Hills (1888) - which made him an instant literary celebrity when he returned to England in 1889. His most famous works include The Jungle Book (1894), Kim (1901) and the Just So Stories (1902). Kipling refused to accept the role of Poet Laureate and other civil honours, but he was the first English writer to be awarded the Nobel Prize, in 1907. He died in 1936. 
 
Jan Montefiore has taught at the University of Kent since 1978, where she is now Professor of 20th Century English Literature. She is the author of Men and Women Writers of the 1930s (1996); Arguments of Heart and Mind:Selected Essays 1977-2000 (2002); Feminism and Poetry (3rd edition, 2004); and Rudyard Kipling (2007). 
 
Kaori Nagai is a Research Associate at the University of Kent and author of Empire of Analogies (2006). She has also introduced Kobo Abe's Face of Another and Kipling's Plain Tales from the Hills for Penguin.

Ladybird Classics: The Jungle Book

This beautiful hardback Ladybird Classic edition of The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling is a perfect first illustrated introduction to the classic story for younger readers. 
 It has been sensitively abridged and retold to make it suitable for sharing with young children from 5+, whilst retaining all the key parts of the story including Mowgli's life in the Jungle, his battle with Shere Khan, and fascinating details about learning to live with humans once more. 
 Detailed full-colour illustrations throughout also help to bring this classic tale to life. 
 
 Other exciting titles in the Ladybird Classics series include Alice in Wonderland, Gulliver's Travels, The Secret Garden, Oliver Twist, Treasure Island, A Christmas Carol, Peter Pan, The Three Musketeers, Heidi and The Wind in the Willows.

Rudyard Kipling (Author) Joseph Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) was born in India, although educated in England. He was a prolific writer and recognized as a genius. In 1907 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. His many books for children includeJust So Stories and Kim.

This Ladybird Classic is an abridged retelling of the classic story of The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling, making it perfect for introducing the story to younger children, or for newly confident readers to tackle alone. 
 
Beautiful new illustrations throughout and a gorgeous larger format with ribbon marker bring the magic of this classic story to a new generation of children.

The Penguin English Library Edition of Kim by Rudyard Kipling 
 
'He knew the wonderful walled city of Lahore from the Delhi Gate to the outer Fort Ditch; was hand in glove with men who led lives stranger than anything Haroun al Raschid dreamed of; and he lived in a life wild as that of the Arabian Nights ...' 
 
Kipling's epic rendition of the imperial experience in India is also his greatest long work. Two men - Kim, a boy growing into early manhood, and the lama, an old ascetic priest - are fired by a quest. Kim is white, although born in India. While he wants to play the Great Game of imperialism, he is also spiritually bound to the lama and he tries to reconcile these opposing strands. A celebration of their friendship in an often hostile environment, Kim captures the opulence of India's exotic landscape, overlaid by the uneasy presence of the British Raj. 
 
The Penguin English Library - 100 editions of the best fiction in English, from the eighteenth century and the very first novels to the beginning of the First World War.

Born in Mumbai (then Bombay) in 1865, Rudyard Kipling was taken to England in 1871 and lived for five years with a foster-family in Southsea before going to the United Services College in Devon. He returned to India in 1882 to work as a reporter, and the many poems, sketches and stories he wrote during his time there brought him great literary acclaim. Kipling married Caroline Balestier and moved temporarily to Vermont where he wrote the two Jungle Books. They and their three children travelled extensively, particularly in South Africa, and Kipling became a fierce proponent of the Boer War. Identifying from the outset with the rulers and officials of the British Empire, Kipling nonetheless refused a knighthood, British Poet Laureateship and Order of Merit. He won the Nobel Prize in 1907, six years after publication of Kim, his masterpiece. After the death of his son John at the Battle of Loos in 1915 he became involved in the War Graves Commission. Kipling died in 1936, at the age of seventy.

Learn the ways of the jungle with little Mowgli the man-cub. Swing from the trees, befriend the animals, face your primal fears

The Jungle Book was one of those rare books that I felt I was actually living as I read it

The original stories of The Jungle Book surpass all rollicking Disneyfied expectations. On one level, the Mancub's education is pure entertainment; on another, the jungle is symbolic of Kipling's philosophy of life, a moral playground in which the young learn to swing on the vines of life

The incantatory text of Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Books still rewards reading aloud

Around a century ago, Rudyard Kipling laid the foundations of modern children's literature with works such as The Jungle Book, Just So Stories and Puck of Pook's Hill. Far from the fusty Victorian conventions of the time, they were wild, magnificent stories that felt as though they'd always existed, stories people might have told each other in the caves

So what makes these different to any other set of classics? In a moment of inspiration Random House had the bright idea of actually asking Key stage 2 children what extra ingredients they could add to make children want to read. And does it work? Well, put it this way...my 13-year-old daughter announced that she had to read a book over the summer holiday and, without any prompting, spotted The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas...and proceeded to read it! Now, if you knew my 13-year-old daughter, you would realise that this is quite remarkable. She reads texts, blogs and tags by the thousand - but this is the first book she has read since going to high school, so all hail Vintage Classics!

National Association for the Teaching of English

Rudyard Kipling was born in Bombay in India in1865 to British parents, and brought by a Portuguese 'ayah' (nanny) and an Indian servant, who would entertain him with fabulous stories and Indian nursery rhymes. He was sent back to England when he was seven years old, and lived in a boarding house with a couple who were cruelly strict. Fortunately he returned to India aged 16, to work as the assistant editor of a newspaper in Lahore. He began publishing stories and poems and eventually had great success with his book Plain Tales from the Hills. After his marriage Kipling settled in America, and it was here that he wrote The Jungle Book. He then moved with his family to England, where he wrote Just So Stories for his daughter Josephine who tragically died of pneumonia. Rudyard Kipling was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1907 and died on 18 January 1936.

No man's cub can run with the people of the Jungle,' howled Shere Khan. 'Give him to me! 
 
When Father Wolf and Mother Wolf find a man-cub in the jungle, they anger the greedy tiger Shere Khan by refusing to surrender it to his jaws, and rear the child as their own. But when little Mowgli grows up, the pack can no longer defend him. He must learn the secret of fire, and with the help of his friends Bagheera the panther and Baloo the bear, he faces his nemesis at last. 
 
BACKSTORY: Learn about India’s jungles and the animals that live there!

'As a child I loved The Jungle Books... If you want to look at the India of Kipling's time, there is no writer who will give it to you better' Salman Rushdie

The original stories of The Jungle Book surpass all rollicking Disneyfied expectations. On one level, the Mancub's education is pure entertainment; on another, the jungle is symbolic of Kipling's philosophy of life, a moral playground in which the young learn to swing on the vines of life

One of the greatest writers that Britain has ever produced

The incantatory text of Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Books still rewards reading aloud

[Its] lasting power to enchant lies not in a contrived simplicity of language - it makes no concession to the age or verbal dexterity of the reader - but rather to its uncanny understanding of the adult within every child

'The child who has never run with Mowgli's wolf pack . . . has missed something that he will not get from any other writer

The Just So Stories and The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling have always held a fascination for me, and doubtless sparked off my love of India

Rudyard Kipling is a writer for our times, and for all time

Around a century ago, Rudyard Kipling laid the foundations of modern children's literature with works such as The Jungle Book, Just So Stories and Puck of Pook's Hill. Far from the fusty Victorian conventions of the time, they were wild, magnificent stories that felt as though they'd always existed, stories people might have told each other in the caves

Rudyard Kipling was born in Bombay in India on 30 December 1865. He was sent back to England when he was seven years old but returned to India in 1882 to work as the assistant editor of the Civil &amp; Military Gazette in Lahore. He published poetry and stories in newspapers but it was the publication of Plain Tales from the Hills in 1888 that brought him his first major success. His most famous works are Barrack-room Ballads (1892), The Jungle Book (1894), Kim (1901), and Just So Stories (1902). The Just So Stories were written for his children and are addressed to his six-year-old daughter Josephine, his 'best beloved', who died of pneumonia in 1899. Rudyard Kipling died on 18 January 1936.

The Jungle Books tell the story of the irrepressible Mowgli, who is rescued as a baby from the jaws of the evil tiger, Shere Khan. Raised by wolves and guided by Baloo the bear, Mowgli and his animal friends embark on a series of hair-raising adventures through the jungles of India.

Stop What You’re Doing and Read…To Your Son: Just So Stories & Moonfleet

JUST SO STORIES &amp; MOONFLEET: Exotic and adventurous stories that are perfect for reading aloud

JUST SO STORIES - Today's children would do well to abandon their computers and iPods for an hour or two and read them

MOONFLEET -  A ripping yarn...a wonderful story of smuggling and skulduggery

To mark the publication of Stop What You're Doing and Read This!, a collection of essays celebrating reading, Vintage Classics are releasing 12 limited edition themed ebook 'bundles', to tempt readers to discover and rediscover great books. 
 
JUST SO STORIES 
INTRODUCED BY PHILIP PULLMAN 
Have you ever wondered how the leopard got his spots? Or how the camel got his hump? Rudyard Kipling's witty and beautifully written stories explain these secrets and many more and introduce such memorable characters as the Elephant's Child, the Cat that Walked by Himself and the Butterfly that Stamped. 
 
MOONFLEET 
Orphaned John Trenchard grows up in the village of Moonfleet with his aunt, entranced by the local legend of the ghostly Blackbeard, who rises each winter night to search for his lost diamond. While conducting his own hunt for the treasure, John is trapped in the church crypt and discovers the true secret of the village: smuggling. Taken under the wing of the gruff innkeeper and chief smuggler, Elzevir Block, John begins a dangerous adventure which will see him in a hair-raising chase along a precarious cliff path and deciphering a hidden code in an ancient castle. Moonfleet is thrilling story of revenge and betrayal, of loyalty and great sacrifice, but it is above all a story about friendship..

A relentlessly inventive collection of myths that betray a deep love and respect for the natural world, the Penguin Classics edition of Rudyard Kipling's Just So Stories is edited with an introduction by Judith Plotz and a general preface by series editor Jan Montefiore. 
 
In these bewitching stories we learn 'How the Camel got his Hump', ' How the Leopard got his Spots' and 'How the Whale got his Throat', as Rudyard Kipling conjures up distant lands, beautiful gardens of splendid palaces, the sea, the deserts, the jungle and all its creatures. Inspired by Kipling's delight in human eccentricities and the animal world, and based on bedtime stories he told to his daughter, these strikingly imaginative fables explore the myths of creation, the nature of beasts and the origins of language and writing. They are linked by poems and scattered with Kipling's illustrations, which contain hidden jokes, symbols and puzzles. Among Kipling's most loved works, the Just So Stories have been continually in print since 1902. 
 
Part of a series of new editions of Kipling's works in Penguin Classics, this volume contains a General Preface by Jan Montefiore and an introduction by Judith Plotz exploring the origins of the stories in Kipling's own life and in folklore, their place in classic children's literature and their extraordinary language. 
 
Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) was born in Bombay. In 1882 he started work as a journalist in India, and while there produced a body of work, stories, sketches and poems - notably Plain Tales from the Hills (1888) - which made him an instant literary celebrity when he returned to England in 1889. His most famous works include The Jungle Book (1894), Kim (1901) and the Just So Stories (1902). Kipling refused to accept the role of Poet Laureate and other civil honours, but he was the first English writer to be awarded the Nobel Prize, in 1907. 
 
If you enjoyed Just So Stories, you might like Selected Tales by the Brothers Grimm, also available in Penguin Classics.

RUDYARD KIPLING was born in Bombay in 1865. In 1882 Kipling started work as a journalist in India, and while there produced a body of work, stories, sketches and poems - notably Plain Tales from the Hills (1888) - which made him an instant literary celebrity when he returned to England in 1889. His most famous works include The Jungle Book (1894), Kim (1901) and the Just So Stories (1902). Kipling refused to accept the role of Poet Laureate and other civil honours, but he was the first English writer to be awarded the Nobel Prize, in 1907. He died in 1936. 
 
JAN MONTEFIOIRE is Professor of 20th Century English Literature at the University of Kent. She is the author of Men and Women Writers of the 1930s (1996); Arguments of Heart and Mind:Selected Essays 1977-2000 (2002); Feminism and Poetry (3rd edition, 2004); and Rudyard Kipling (2007). 
 
JUDITH PLOTZ teaches at George Washington University, Washington DC. Her most recent book is Romanticism and the Vocation of Childhood (2001), and her interests include British Romanticism, colonial and postcolonial literatures, and children's literature.

The Camel gets his Hump, the Whale his Throat and the Leopard his Spots in these bewitching stories which conjure up distant lands, the beautiful gardens of splendid palaces, the sea, the deserts, the jungle and its creatures. Inspired by Kipling's delight in human eccentricities and the animal world, and based on bedtime stories he told to his daughter, these strikingly imaginative fables explore the myths of creation, the nature of beasts and the origins of language and writing. They are linked by poems and scattered with Kipling's illustrations, which contain hidden jokes, symbols and puzzles.

An epic rendition of the imperial experience in India, and perhaps his greatest long work, the Penguin Classics edition of Rudyard Kipling's Kim is edited with an introduction by Harish Trivedi, and includes a general preface by Jan Montefiore. 
 
Kim, orphaned son of an Irish soldier and a poor white mother, and the lama, an old ascetic priest, are on a quest. Kim was born and raised in India and plays with the slum children as he lives on the streets, but he is white, a sahib, and wants to play the Great Game of Imperialism; while the priest must find redemption from the Wheel of Things. Kim celebrates their friendship and their journeys in a beautiful but hostile environment, capturing the opulence of the exotic landscape and the uneasy presence of the British Raj. Filled with rich description and vivid characters, this beguiling coming of age story is considered to be Kipling's masterpiece. 
 
Part of a series of new editions of Kipling's works in Penguin Classics, this volume contains a General Preface by Jan Montefiore and an introduction by Harish Trivedi placing the novel in its literary and social context. 
 
Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) was born in Bombay. In 1882 he started work as a journalist in India, and while there produced a body of work, stories, sketches and poems - notably Plain Tales from the Hills (1888) - which made him an instant literary celebrity when he returned to England in 1889. His most famous works include The Jungle Book (1894), Kim (1901) and the Just So Stories (1902). Kipling refused to accept the role of Poet Laureate and other civil honours, but he was the first English writer to be awarded the Nobel Prize, in 1907. 
 
If you enjoyed Kim, you might like E.M. Forster's A Passage to India, also available in Penguin Classics. 
 
'Kipling's last work is ... his best, and not easily comparable with the work of any other man' 
Atlantic

RUDYARD KIPLING was born in Bombay in 1865. In 1882 Kipling started work as a journalist in India, and while there produced a body of work, stories, sketches and poems - notably Plain Tales from the Hills (1888) - which made him an instant literary celebrity when he returned to England in 1889. His most famous works include The Jungle Book (1894), Kim (1901) and the Just So Stories (1902). Kipling refused to accept the role of Poet Laureate and other civil honours, but he was the first English writer to be awarded the Nobel Prize, in 1907. He died in 1936. 
 
JAN MONTEFIOIRE is Professor of 20th Century English Literature at the University of Kent. She is the author of Men and Women Writers of the 1930s (1996); Arguments of Heart and Mind:Selected Essays 1977-2000 (2002); Feminism and Poetry (3rd edition, 2004); and Rudyard Kipling (2007). 
 
HARISH TRIVEDI is Professor of English, University of Delhi. He is author of Colonial Transactions: English Literature and India (1993), and has co-edited The Nation across the World: Postcolonial Literary Representations (2007) and Literature and Nation: Britain and India 1800-1990 (2000).

Kipling's epic rendition of the imperial experience in India is also his greatest long work. Two men - Kim, a boy growing into early manhood, and the lama, an old ascetic priest - are fired by a quest. Kim is white, although born in India. While he wants to play the Great Game of imperialism, he is also spiritually bound to the lama and he tries to reconcile these opposing strands. A celebration of their friendship in an often hostile environment, Kim captures the opulence of India's exotic landscape, overlaid by the uneasy presence of the British Raj.

Complete and unabridged in Puffin Classics. 
 
Reared in the teeming streets of India at the turn of the century, the orphan Kim is the 'Friend of the all the World', a cheeky lad with an endless interest in the extraordinary characters he meets daily. One of them, an old Tibetan lama, sets him on the path that will lead him to travel the Great Trunk Road, and become a spy for the British...

The Puffin Classics series is a perfect marriage of the old and the new. Enjoy some of the best books from the past and find out why and how they inspired some fo the best writers of the present.

Joseph Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) was born in India, although educated in England. He was a prolific writer and recognized as a genius. In 1907 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. His many books for children include Just So Stories and The Jungle Book.

Reared in the teeming streets of India at the turn of the century, the orphan Kim is the 'Friend of the all the World', a cheeky imp with an endless interest in the extraordinary characters he meets daily. One of them, an old Tibetan lama, sets him on the path that will lead him to travel the Great Trunk Road, and become a spy for the British...

Rudyard Kipling

Explore the myriad and marvellous mysteries of the animal kingdom in this beautiful, collectable new Little Puffin Clothbound Classic. 
 
‘The wildest of all the wild animals was the Cat. He walked by himself.' 
 
From the heart-warming wiles of 'The Cat Who Walked by Himself' to the whimsical rhymes of 'How the Whale Got His Throat’, this Little Puffin Clothbound Classic collects the most lyrical, inventive and enchantingly funny of Kipling's animal allegories into a perfectly giftable hardback edition. 
 
The Little Puffin Clothbound Classics collect some of the most beloved classic short stories for young readers into stunning, highly collectable small format editions. Bound in high-quality cloth with dazzling new foil-stamped designs, they're little enough to fit in a pocket and lovely enough to keep forever. Gift the best-loved classics to a new generation with Puffin’s gorgeously accessible Little Puffin Clothbound Classics collection.

The Cat That Walked by Himself and Other Tales

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Everyman's Children's Classics has more than 50 titles in print. It offers the finest editions currently available of the world's greatest children's books in handsome, full cloth hardcover bindings. 
 
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