How about some classic animal stories, like Bambi by Felix Salten, written in 1926 [nothing like the bastardized Disney version mind you]. Or Black Beauty by Anna Sewell. Perhaps Charlottes Web, or Stuart Little by E. B. White. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame. Once you start thinking about it, there is lots of classic literature, aimed at younger readers but enjoyed by all, that feature animals with human characteristics [IE speech, emotion] as their main characters.
How about some classic animal stories, like Bambi by Felix Salten, written in 1926 [nothing like the bastardized Disney version mind you]. Or Black Beauty by Anna Sewell. Perhaps Charlottes Web, or Stuart Little by E. B. White. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame. Once you start thinking about it, there is lots of classic literature, aimed at younger readers but enjoyed by all, that feature animals with human characteristics [IE speech, emotion] as their main characters.