kneubeck

The Jungle Books can be regarded as classic stories told by an adult to children. But they also constitute a complex literary work of art in which the whole of Kipling's philosophy of life is expressed in miniature. They are best known for the `Mowgli' stories; the tale of a baby abandoned and brought up by wolves, educated in the ways and secrets of the jungle by Kaa the python, Baloo the bear, and Bagheera the black panther. 

The stories, a mixture of fantasy, myth, and magic, are underpinned by Kipling's abiding preoccupation with the theme of self-discovery, and the nature of the `Law'. (Oxford World's Classics)

What can I say? "The Jungle Books" are brutal stories, totaly inappropraite for kids, beacuse apparentely fighting is good. You resolve your problems by fighting and killing. Apart from that, the stories are a little boring without any morale at the end. I didn't expect the Disney-version but the real thing is really bloody and Mowgli is a killer.

Conclusion: You don't have to read it, you're not missing out on anything (even though it really hurts to say something like that about a classic).