The Animated Bestiary critically evaluates the depiction of animals in cartoons and animation more generally. Paul Wells argues that artists use animals to engage with issues that would be more difficult to address directly because of political, religious, or social taboos.

The bear who wasn't : bestial ambivalence
Of mice and men : what do animals mean?
"I don't care what you say, I'm cold" : anthropomorphism, practice, narrative
Which came first, the chicken or the egg? : performance, philosophy, tradition
Creature comforted : animal politics, animated memory

Paul Wells is the director of animation in the Animation Academy at Loughborough University. He is the author of several books, including Animation and America(Rutgers University Press), Understanding Animation, and Fundamentals of Animation.