Anthropomorphism a multitude of anthropomorphic goblins and elves. John D. Rateliff calls this the "Doctor Dolittle Theme" in his book "The History of the Hobbit" and Tolkien saw this anthropomorphism as closely linked to the emergence of human language and myth: "...The first men to talk of 'trees and stars' saw things very differently. To them, the world was alive with mythological beings... To them the whole of creation was "myth-woven and elf-patterned".' Richard Adams developed a distinctive take on anthropomorphic writing in the 1970s: his debut novel, "Watership Down" (1972), featured rabbits that could talk, with their own distinctive language
Watership Down tales of the "real story". "The Economist" heralded the book's publication, saying "If there is no place for "Watership Down" in children’s bookshops, then children’s literature is dead." Peter Prescott, senior book reviewer at "Newsweek", gave the novel a glowing review: "Adams handles his suspenseful narrative more dextrously than most authors who claim to write adventure novels, but his true achievement lies in the consistent, comprehensible and altogether enchanting civilisation that he has created." Kathleen J. Rothen and Beverly Langston identified the work as one that "subtly speaks to a child", with "engaging characters and fast-paced action [that] make it