A fantastic continuation of the tales told my Rudyard Kipling, told in a way almost as entrancing as Kaa's gaze!

An absolutely beautiful book, this is a great introduction to The Jungle Book for kids and a fab book for adults too. I have it on e-reader but plan to the buy the hardback as it's so gorgeous. The book is a series of short stories on each character, woven into a whole book. This gives us excellent given a development of the characters from the original Jungle Book, including some lesser known characters.

It must be extremely hard to write a book based on such a wonderful original book but Katherine does this very well. I think it's a delightful book which will be an excellent addition to any book shelf.

The illustrations are beautiful too and well drawn by Kristjana S Williams.

Thank you to Macmillan and Netgalley for the ARC. I apologise profusely that this is so ridiculously overdue.

I haven't read The Jungle Book since I was a young child, I'm much more familiar with the Disney film, so I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this book. I quickly fell in love with it!

There are five short stories, each one focusing on a different Jungle Book character and delving into their past. It was fascinating to see different aspects of characters like Baloo the bear or Bagheera the panther, and what shaped them into the familiar characters we know and love. The stories are also cleverly linked, with each story being told to Mowgli by a different storyteller, so that the whole book hangs together as a single narrative that builds up to a very exciting climax.

One of the things I particularly loved is the way Katherine brings the jungle and the surrounding human civilisation to life. It's incredibly evocative and I really did feel drawn into that world, with all of its sounds, smells and visions.

Into the Jungle is a book I didn't know I needed until I read it. I loved the Jungle Book but have always wanted to know what each animal's back story is and now I know it!

Into the Jungle made me feel so many emotions, it broke my heart and built it back up again. The illustrations beautifully add to the story and make the characters come to life.

I would recommend this both to read to children and to anyone who has read the Jungle Book and wondered about life before Mowgl.

*ARC received from publisher via netgalley, all opinions voiced are my own*.

A stunning book, with beautiful language and amazing images. The perfect book to share with children of any age, will definitely be using this as a text for KS2 English lessons.

I am sorry I linked to the wrong book initially I am just reading this book and will send a review once i have finished. I do apologise for the inconvenience. I can assure you that i have not posted the review wrongly on any book sites

This is a fabulous book which puts Mowgli and his friends back into the Jungle. Baloo and Kaa among others recount stories of jungle life that paint vivid portraits of both the jungle and life itself. Each carries with it a moral. I think they lend themselves beautifully to being read aloud they have just a spicing of fear or thrill within them and the morals would bear discussing with your child. Like Kipling I think Rundell's stories could be translated to film and I see this a s a book to be read both in schools and at home.

I think a physical copy would improve the reading experience Kindle pictures always seem less 3 dimensional

My young nephew read this book and enjoyed it so much he brought himself the finished copy. He really liked how we got to know more about the jungle book characters and said he actually enjoyed reading it - which as a non-reader was a big deal.

I thoroughly enjoyed this version of the "Jungle Book". I have realised that whilst I am familiar with the "Just So" stories and other Kipling works I have never read The "Jungle Book". As an adult I have enjoyed reading Kiplings "Puck of Pooks Hill" and "Rewards and Fairies" aloud to my son. There is a rhythm to the words which is lovely to respond to as you read. This book did not have the same feel but it does have some wonderful descriptions and the naughty, mischievous boy finding out about the world through stories is an interesting concept. It tells how this mis-spent time is eventually put to good use for all. A book with a useful moral at its heart which will be as popular as the author's earlier works.

I've always been fond of children's classics, and The Jungle Books have stuck with me from an early age thanks to animated cartoons and films watched when I was young. It was only in the last couple of years that I actually read Kipling's books and I liked the stories a lot. This collection by Katherine Rundell expands upon the stories of animal characters that fans of the original will recognise and love. I have to say that I liked it even more than the original!

So, if The Jungle Books are the coming-of-age and origin story of Mowgli, the man-child, then these stories are the same for the animals that he lives with. Raksha, Bagheera, Baloo, and Kaa. Each have their own tale to tell, and I have to say that I liked them all! I especially enjoyed Baloo and Kaa's stories, and it gave me a newfound appreciation for these characters that I already loved. Also, each story tied in with the original book really well and informed the characters that they became which was nice to read. They were accompanied by some beautiful illustrations too, Kristjana S. Williams did a great job!

I have to commend Rundell for cleverly referencing real-world issues in this book - namely empathy and understanding of cultural and ethnic differences, as jungle animals seem to understand better than humans that this is vital for survival. I wish there had been more to read though! I'd have liked to see a deeper dive into Shere Khan's story (we get a glimpse through Raksha's) and more of an understanding of the Great White Ape's role. Any fans of the movies or original books should definitely give this a read though!

Really great read. It takes you on a really great journey of different emotions. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading my eARC of this book (thank you NetGalley and MacMillan Children’s books!). These stories are so vivid and I loved being back on the page with some of my favourite characters. It was really interesting to get Katherine Rundell’s version of Bagheera, Kaa, Baloo, Mowgli, Shere Khan and other well known favourites and get a glimpse into their backgrounds. I’ve laid my hands on a finished copy of this book and it has the most STUNNING illustrations. Definitely a book to add to the collection of any Jungle Book fans!

This book was the best, not only were there several amazing short stories about the characters in the Jungle and their childhoods, there was also a main overarching plot that tied them all together and brought all the characters into play for the dramatic finale. It was wonderful exploring the world of the Jungle Book through new perspectives and seeing more of the characters that don't get so much attention.

As always with short story collections, some of the stories stood out more than others. I loved the one about Kaa and the story of Mother Wolf's encounter with Shere Khan, but I also like the bits in between that showed Mowgli's character so beautifully. I loved the restlessness of him and the way he went around asking for stories from the animals around him.

This wouldn't be a complete review without mentioning the beautiful illustrations by Kristjana S. Williams. The first picture took my breath away as I wasn't expecting such an amazing, detailed, full colour illustration. It became clear very quickly that I'm going to need to buy a finished copy of this absolutely beautiful book, which looks like it's going to be stunning.

I'm not a massive fan of the Jungle Book. It was there in my childhood but it was never one of my favourites, but Into the Jungle really made me want to watch it again and read the book. I think it would be a great book for fans, but also for any reader who just wants to see Rundell's take on it.

This is a beautifully illustrated collection of stories which, although it adds backstories to several characters from the original books, doesn't require any prior knowledge to enjoy. I say this quite confidently as someone who saw the Disney film once as a child but never read the book!

Katherine Rundell weaves her usual magic to bring the jungle and it's inhabitants gloriously to life (Bagheera was a particular favourite). Four characters - Raksha, Bagheera, Baloo and Kaa - have the spotlight shone on them, before everything is tied together with a final adventure involving almost the whole jungle! Without being preachy for a second the stories impart some (much needed in these troubled times) messages of tolerance, teamwork, and fighting for what you believe in (and on behalf of those not able to do so themselves).

The illustrations are gorgeous and I can only imagine they're even more impressive in the book than on my relatively small smartphone screen. I would recommend this book for children of all ages, from 7 to 70!

Excellent, faithful prequel, stories about the characters you care about.

It's been a while since I read Kipling's original, but from the start the style and tone of this put me in mind of the stories and characters.

I loved these, five stories, each told to or about Mowgli the young boy, in the days before the stories of the Jungle Books.

There is humour as well as pathos in the origin stories of Kaa, Mowgli's wolf family, Baloo and Bagheera, and some wonderfully entertaining tales of the jungle linking Shere Khan to the characters and seeing the motivations behind the characters and how they might have come together for Kipling's own creation.

Clever, well thought-out, with fleshed-out animal characters. These are "stories of family and friendship, loyalty and jungle law", so quite loyal to Kipling's own themes.

Children will delight in small details: Mowgli's home "smelt reassuringly of wolf-breath and dry earth, unless the smallest of the wolf cubs, Bhedi, had farted."

There are characters that play walk-on roles that we all remember - Colonel Hathi for example.

And there is humour in Rundell's creation of the rats, here not a pest but rather a refined, "fair-minded and elegant" species who won't use one word when twenty will do: "'would you please to tate the first morsel of flesh of the delectable decaying carcass laid out by providence before us?'"

I thoroughly enjoyed this, it took me back to the reading of my childhood, and sits perfectly in my mind as a prequel to The Jungle Books. I can only comment on the text, not having seen an illustrated edition, though I imagine it would make an excellent gift judging by the cover (if I am allowed!) that I have seen.

A flowing style that feels older but isn't difficult to read for a contemporary young audience. The familiar characters will suck in readers, and the stories are exciting and rather funny, with superb links to the original.

For ages 9-14. And any adults who love the classics, this would complement a Kipling on the shelf.

With thanks to Netgalley for the sample reading copy.

I don't think I've ever read the Jungle Book....I've seen the Disney film (obviously), so I feel i'm missing a bit on this one - like reading the sequal without reading the first book.

This book is a series of interconnected short stories. I did not enjoy this book to start with, but I did come round to it after the third story, and started to enjoy picking it up.

So, in short, this wasn't really for me, but I blame that my not having read the Jungle Book, something which the author loves, hence the book. So, if you have read and liked that (and not just watched the disney film more than 30 years ago), then you will enjoy this!

Into the Jungle: Stories for Mowgli is a collection of five short stories by Katherine Rundell that delve into the background of Rudyard Kipling's beloved characters, Raksha, Bagheera, Shere Khan, Baloo and Kaa. She talks about their origin, positively correlating each background with the well known personality of every individual character. Each of the stories are compelling; for both children and adults.

Every story weaves it's way into an inspiring plot, joining together at the end to form a cacoon of words around each origin tale. Katherine Rundell's narrative is storytelling in it's truest, most endearing form; each written word chosen carefully to reflect the jungle and combine respective personalities into one, languid account. Her stories not only give justice to the original children's classic, but add a depth to them, as well.

The illustrations are gorgeously intricate, detailed to an immensely high standard. Each picture enforces the imagery produced by the enthralling narrative and portrayed a stunning piece of the classic story. The decision and addition of illustration was a decidedly epic one, and bought to life a story where words could fail, I thoroughly drank in the pictures and explored them with not only my eye's, but shoved them in the face of my partner, too, so he could also appreciate how the stories and illustrations were making me feel. The effect for him was a little less, sure, but the envy was clear on his face.

I'm thinking this one will have to go on my bookshelf. My bookshelf looks and feels empty without it.

Thank you to Net Galley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Katherine Rundell is no stranger to the wild. She braved the Amazon rainforest to rapturous applause with Costa-winning 2017 children's novel The Explorer. Here Rundell turns her attention to another vivid and intrepid adventure, this time set in India among some very familiar names indeed. It's certainly a handy commission between original creations, a useful siphon for a little excess exuberance. It's as if when she finished with The Explorer, she discovered she wasn't quite done with the jungle yet.

Or perhaps the jungle simply wasn't done with Rundell. For the world of Into The Jungle is intoxicating and fiercely alive. In its stretch of wonder you can almost hear the rustling undergrowth, the bristling insects, the argumentative birds. There are landscapes conjured here from the rough Seoni hills to the open plains where the snake stream meets the elephant pool.

The book is framed as a series of stories being told to Mowgli. We hear that before she was wolf-mother, Raksha was a courageous pup. We meet a young Bagheera and a young Baloo. Kaa gets a human-centric escapade and even a jerboa named Jolt makes the overmighty aware of the creatures at their feet. Rather cleverly, these stories are then tied up in an overarching adventure which gives the novel a little more punch.

Into The Jungle has more time for female characters than its forebear, though it leaves any explicit criticism or acknowledgement of Kipling's complex post-colonial reputation firmly in the author's note. After all, this is a project set to coincide with further pop cultural versions of the 1894 original, including Disney's live-action Jungle Book sequel and Netflix's Mowgli. This is not a radical reinterpretation of a Victorian monument, but it is not saccharine, and it is very well-written. I am continually astonished by Rundell's ability to immerse the reader. Her prose is expressive ("his spine rose and fell like a mountain range"; "the jungle at night shone gold and silver and deep-water blue"), and effective even in moments where you barely notice it. It's a rare writer who can make you forget you're only reading.

Katherine Rundell skillfully and beautifully updates and adds to the Jungle Book stories that were read to me as a child. She brings Mowgli to life in a way children today will be able to identify with - he is rebellious, stubborn, brave and loyal.. As Mowgli travels the jungle and is told tales by his different animals friends he learns not only to understand them better but to understand himself - and the role he can play.

Not only is this a book that introduces children to the wonderful world of 'The Jungle Book', it can easily be enjoyed by adults too. Katherine Rundell has provided a prequel and companion to Rudyard Kipling's classic novel which is loved by so many and by doing so manages to put her own individual stamp on the characters, from bear Baloo and Bengal tiger, Shere Khan to Indian rock python Kaa and Black panther Bagheera, Rundell tells us how they came to develop the personality traits we see in both the books and the film. Some characters play a greater role in this book than in the original, some a lesser one. Female characters such as Mother Wolf are given a more prominent role in man-cub Mowgli's upbringing.

I imagine it's a very daunting task writing a book so heavily influenced and reliant on an already established story and cast of characters but Rundell has done a fantastic job. Her writing is vivid and every description transports you to the jungle. She has managed to recreate the atmosphere from the original and successfully added her own spin on things. There are also some important moral messages within these stories on family, friendship, loyalty, honesty and good triumphing over evil, just as there were in the original. Rundell has also updated the moral aspect to include more contemporary themes, including understanding and empathy across species, cultures, and genders.

When 'The Jungle Book' was first published back in 1894 (by Macmillan coincidentally) who knew it would have such an enduring legacy? Rundell's backstory is a fitting tribute to a story that is now nearly 125 years old. Although the accompanying artwork of Kristjana S. Williams is only sampled here (presumably to make it readable via Kindle) it complemented the stories beautifully. I have pre-ordered a copy for my bookshelf as I feel that this is one of those books that will be a pleasure to pick up over and over and superior in physical form than reading it via Kindle or the like. I have no hesitation in recommending this and am positive that children will be delighted to read about the characters formative years.

Many thanks to Macmillan Children's Books for an ARC. I was not required to post a review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Katherine Rundell has put her stamp firmly on the classic Jungle Book by providing an imaginary background to the story. Some of the main characters have been singled out to flesh out their appearance in Kipling's classic, other characters play a greater role. Mowgli is depicted as the mischievous, lively child of Mother Wolf who scampers around the jungle listening to different animals tell their tales and Baloo is not the bumbly bear who is oblivious to others around him.
You can tell this is an author who loves her subject and wants to add her take to the well known story without detracting from the original narrative. It's a great idea to imagine well known characters' backgrounds and bring them to life to show why they act the way they do in a story. Although the tales are interwoven, in no way does one animal's tale take away anything from another's. The jungle animals are one intertwined ecosystem which man needs to protect, and anyone reading this, obviously knowing it's entirely fiction, would still want to preserve our wonderful world of wildlife with all its uniqueness.