Despite the fact that it's often a hard sell at first (what teenager wouldn't cringe at the thought of 400-plus pages of talking rabbits?), Richard Adams' bunny-centric epic rarely fails to win the love and respect of anyone who reads it, regardless of age. Like most great novels, Watership Down is a rich story that can be read (and reread) on many different levels. The book is often praised as an allegory, with its analogues between human and rabbit culture (a fact sometimes used to goad skeptical teens, who resent the challenge that they won't "get" it, into reading it), but it's equally praiseworthy as just a corking good adventure. The story follows a warren of Berkshire rabbits fleeing the destruction of their home by a land developer. As they search for a safe haven, skirting danger at every turn, we become acquainted with the band and its compelling culture and mythos. Adams has crafted a touching, involving world in the dirt and scrub of the English countryside, complete with its own folk history and language (the book comes with a "lapine" glossary, a guide to rabbitese). As much about freedom, ethics and human nature as it is about a bunch of bunnies looking for a warm hidey-hole and some mates, Watership Down will continue to make the transition from classroom desk to bedside table for many generations to come. --Paul Hughes
This book is part of a book series called Watership Down .
There are 24 pages in this book. This is a picture book. A picture book uses pictures and text to tell the story. The number of words varies from zero ('wordless') to around 1k over 32 pages. Picture books are typically aimed at young readers (age 3-6) but can also be aimed at older children (7+). This book was published 2000 by Random House Children's Publishers UK .
Richard Adams completed his first novel, WATERSHIP DOWN, in the mid-sixties; he had originally told the story to his children. The success of the novel enabled him to retire from the Civil Service and devote his time to writing. Richard Adams lives in the South of England. DIANE REDMOND is the author of more than 45 books for young readers - including Here We Go! For the Corgi Yearling list - as well as a number of plays and TV scripts. She has three children. Author lives- Cambridge
This book contains the following story:
Watership Down
This is a story about a group of rabbits in search of a home. Fiver has a gift - he can sense danger. Unable to convince the Chief Rabbit, Fiver leaves the warren with a group of rabbits in search of a safer home. Along the way they are tempted to join another warren - where food is plentiful - but on discovering the catch (food = snares) they leave in search of a better place. At Watership Down they establish their own warren but realise they need some girl rabbits for the colony to survive. A nearby warren has females, but a battle ensues with the established bucks. Eventually all is sorted and the two sides build a third warren between their camps and fill it with rabbits from both warrens.
