The Jungle Book (book)

Before you even know my name, you can feel the adventure I hold. I start with a gentle rustle, like leaves in a hidden jungle. My pages smell of old paper and fresh ink, a promise of stories waiting to be told. If you listen closely, you might hear a tiger’s rumbling growl, the happy hum of a sleepy bear, or the wise whisper of a black panther. I am filled with the sounds of a world where animals talk and a little boy, a 'man-cub,' is raised by a family of wolves. I am a journey into the heart of the Indian jungle. I am The Jungle Book.

My storyteller was a man named Rudyard Kipling. He was born in a sunny, bustling country called India, and as a boy, he heard many amazing tales about the jungle that filled his imagination. Years later, on a cold day in 1894, he was living in a very different place—a chilly, snowy home in Vermont, in the United States. But he never forgot the warmth and magic of India. He dipped his pen in ink and let all his memories pour onto my pages. He created Mowgli, the brave man-cub; Baloo, the gentle bear who teaches the Law of the Jungle; Bagheera, the sleek and clever panther; and the fearsome tiger, Shere Khan. He was inspired by ancient Indian fables, which are very old stories where animals talk and teach important lessons about life. He used these ideas to create a brand new adventure for me to share.

When I was first shared with the world in 1894, children and grown-ups would open my cover and find themselves deep in the Seeonee hills of India. They followed Mowgli’s adventures and learned about courage, friendship, and finding your place in the world. My stories became so loved that they leaped off my pages and into movies, cartoons, and songs that people still enjoy today. I even inspired a real-life group for young adventurers called the Wolf Cubs, who wanted to be as brave and loyal as Mowgli's wolf family. My journey continues every time a new reader opens me up. I am a reminder that family isn't always about who you look like, but who you love, and that a great adventure is always just a page away.