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Charles G.D. Roberts was a distinguished poet and novelist whose claim to fame rests on a series of very popular animal stories, a genre he pioneered and which gained him an international reputation. Roberts was one of a small group of turn-of-the-20th-century writers – which included Ernest Thompson Seton – who were responsible for making the public aware of the complexity and fragility of animal life.
The animal figures of Roberts have nearly human qualities and were instrumental in drawing attention to early ecological concerns. Although not a professional naturalist, Roberts based his stories on observations made during time spent in natural surroundings, experiences that began with his boyhood in New Brunswick. He developed this into a skillful mix of science and fine writing, thus creating a genre that continues to engage the ecologically aware reader. The Kindred of the Wild, which Roberts subtitled A Book of Animal Life, also contains an introductory essay by the author on the animal story genre.
