Having sold more than fifty million copies, it is among one of the best-selling books of all time. The novel?originally intended for adults?was written in the last years of Sewell?s life while she was housebound, being published just five months before her death. While the primary theme of _the novel is animal welfare, it also teaches the reader how and why people should be treated with kindness and respect, making it perfect for young minds, An absolute classic of children?s fiction that continues to be read and adored over a century after its first publication.