Boris Stepanovich Zhitkov (Russian: Борис Степанович Житков; 11 September 1882 — 19 October 1938) was a Russian author, mainly of children's books.
Zhitkov was born in Novgorod; his father was a mathematics teacher and his mother a pianist. His works include numerous books in which he, in a figurative form, described various professions. His books are based on his rich experience as a sailor, ship captain, scientist, traveler and explorer. Between 1916 and 1924 he was a sailor and, later, a ship's captain. He also worked as a navigator, an ichthyologist, a metal worker, a shipbuilding engineer, a teacher of physics and drafting, and a technical college headmaster.
In 1924 Zhitkov started to be published and soon became a professional writer. He is best known for the hugely successful children's travel book What I Saw (Russian: Что я видел) about the summer vacation adventures of a curious little boy nicknamed Pochemuchka. He was a close friend of Korney Chukovsky.
Zhitkov's 1941 historical novel about the 1905 Revolution, Viktor Vavich (Russian: Виктор Вавич), was immediately destroyed and republished in 1999 only thanks to Lydia Chukovskaya having saved a copy; Boris Pasternak called it "the best thing that has ever been written about 1905; it's shameful that nobody knows this book."
Цикл рассказов Бориса Житкова посвящён не совсем обычным питомцам. У многих есть дома котик, собачка или даже попугайчик. Ими никого не удивишь. А что, если твоё любимое домашнее животное - обезьянка, волк или даже слон? .. За свою жизнь Борис Житков освоил несколько профессий. Был он и капитаном научно-исследовательского судна, много путешествовал и много повидал. Между прочим в Индии (в Тайланде, на Шри-Ланке и в некоторых других странах) слон - одно из самых распространённых домашних животных. Детям узнать об этом будет очень и очень интересно. Также как и о повадках драчливых кенгуру, непослушных мартышек и вороватых галок. Так что с одной стороны занимательно и мило, но с другой - постоянные сцены жестокости, тем более в отношении животных, встречать которые в детских книгах ну совсем не хочется!