Dick King-SmithRecensioni

reviewed - Joanna

Adventure

Music

A young girl's life with her father on their farm in England is changed when she befriends a talking hare that is really an alien.

The hilarious story of a family turned upside-down by an unusually gifted (and demanding) infant.

Daggie Dogfoot, the runt of the litter, is in danger. The pigman, who takes all runts from their pens, is coming for him! But Daggie is a pig of remarkable qualities, and he's not about to let the Pigman get him. Instead, he runs away and decides to learn how to fly. But when he tries leaping off a cliff, he discovers another talent -- a talent he'll need to save the entire farm...

Wolfgang Amadeus Mouse ("Wolf," for short) has a big name for such a little mouse. But the name fits. His favorite pastime is listening to Mrs. Honeybee, the lady of the house, play the piano. If only he could sing along to the music! One day, Wolf decides to try -- and to his surprise, out of his mouth comes a perfect melody.

It's not long before Wolf is singing everything from "Three Blind Mice" to Chopin to the Beatles, all to Mrs. Honeybee's accompaniment. Then an accident leaves Mrs. Honeybee in danger, and it's up to Wolf to save her... the only way he knows how.

Between the world wars somewhere in the English countryside, a shepherd finds a baby left amongst his lambing ewes and takes it home to his wife. They've never been able to have their own children, so they adopt him and raise him as their own. But Spider Sparrow is different from the local children. He's 'slow' and isn't allowed in school, but he also has an uncanny relationship to all animals; they instinctively trust him and he loves them all in return. This comes in handy several times on The Mister's farm-estate, from comforting ewes in labor to gentling wild broncos.

This is a quiet story, in which not much happens but that doesn't take away from the enjoyment of it. It's cozy without being saccharine, bittersweet without being maudlin. A perfect read for a snowy day with some tea by your side.

Fly, la perra pastora, mira con sorpresa a su nuevo hijo adoptivo. El cerdito Babe es el extraño premio que el granjero Hogget ha ganado en la feria. Pero, ¿cómo puede ser que el cerdito quiera ser pastor de ovejas? ¡Qué atrevimiento! Su obligación es engordar y algún día aparecer rodeado de patatas y zanahorias en un delicioso plato familiar. Pero Babe no es un cerdito cualquiera, es muy valiente y muy tenaz. Así que Fly ha decidido enseñarle a cuidar ovejas, mientras piensa en cómo se lo tomará el señor Hogget...

A book by prolific children’s book author, Dick King-Smith, it is an enjoyable and quick read for kids of all ages, even the adult ones.

Farmer Buzzard’s dog, Kay, has a new litter of four pups. Three are miniatures of her, but the fourth is a large lump of a pup. What is the farmer to do?

The other three pups found homes quickly, but Farmer Buzzard kept Smasher back. The farmer has a soft spot for the ugly pup.

The other three were natural herders like their Mom, but Smasher wasn’t. He chased after the chickens, was clumsy knocking things over, chewing slippers and was not well behaved at all in the house. Mrs. Buzzard finally told Farmer Buzzard the pup had to go!

King-Smith’s love of animals can be found in his many books, and this is no exception. Farmer Buzzard relocates the pup in a part of the farm Mrs. Buzzard doesn’t go and proceeds to train Smasher. The results of this hard work come into play one night and Smasher earns the love of Mrs. Buzzard.

great - Katrina

fair - Katrina

My daughter's first chapter book. She loved it.

Amusing.

Babe is my favorite movie. I saw it before I read the book. The book is fun, but it isn't at the level that the movie is. That would be asking for TOO much.

I love the theme that animals are so much more than something for humans to eat--that they are intelligent and emotional creatures, as well.

The ways that the book is dissimilar to the movie is that there is no Rex, just Fly. Mrs. Hoggett is nice about Babe, not like in the movie. The Hoggetts’ children aren’t in it and neither is Christmas. Neither is the subplot with the duck. But the basic story is exactly the same, even with the same beginning and ending.

In this book, the animals communicate with each other. The humans are left out of the communication loop, but the Hoggetts are good people who give Babe a chance.

The underlying idea is the people thinks pigs are to be eaten, yet look how smart Babe is. He doesn’t deserve to be eaten.

It is the same idea as Charlotte’s Web–and similar to Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, though in the latter there it's not about eating animals, but experimenting on them.

A sweet book about a clever pig, who charms the farmer so much with his brightness that instead of going to market to be slaughtered he becomes a pet, lives in the house, watches TV and drinks beer. It is a bit more disturbing the more you overthink it, all his similar siblings are killed to be eaten, but this is broadly OK because they're just not as smart as Ace.

Harry Holdsworth’s family received a letter from their Great-Uncle George, in the U.S., telling them that Harry is to receive an inheritance. Imaginations run wild, while waiting for it to arrive.

When it arrives, it introduces itself in perfect English. It’s name is Madison and it is an African Grey Parrot. It seems Great-Uncle George has taught Mad (short for Madison) well. Mad is an excellent mimic, and can actually think and hold conversations!

The family realizes that they can’t let anyone outside of the family know about Mad’s talents. Also that Mad is quite an addition to the family in many ways.

When a burglar breaks in and steals Mad one day, the family is afraid they’ve lost an important family member. Will they ever get Mad back?

It’s an enjoyable read with great characters. King-Smith draws the reader in and makes the story line believable, even if it is a bit outlandish. This is a characteristic of King-Smith’s writing, and I have read a number of his books and enjoyed them all.

Four-year-old Sophie struggles with older brothers.

A quick-to-read Dick King Smith about a bird who is half-swan, half-goose. It's a bit of an odd set up for a kid's book, the 'you are a love child and your father is not who you think he is, but you must never tell anyone', but it's all very light touch. The geese tease him, the swans attack him, but he makes friends with some voles and rats, and makes the Queen of England herself smile.

[I'd expected that at some point as a made swoose he would go back and see him mum and the goslings who teased him again, but he doesn't, the book ends with him just living happily ever after at the palace.]

„De ce nu pot invata sa fiu un porc ciobanesc?“

Babe, porcusorul orfan, este castigat la un iarmaroc de fermierul Hogget si este imediat adoptat de Fly, un caine ciobanesc cu inima mare. Din acest moment, Babe este hotarat sa invete tot ce poate de la Fly pentru ca e convins ca poate fi un caine ciobanesc. Dar poate, cine stie, el va ajunge sa fie un... porc ciobanesc.

„O carte minunata si surprinzatoare.“
The Guardian

„Dick King-Smith este pe placul tuturor copiilor.“
Observer

Babe, povestea porcului ciobanesc a castigat GUARDIAN FICTION AWARD in 1994, unul dintre cele mai prestigioase premii britanice pentru cartile de copii, si a fost ecranizat in 1995 in filmul de succes Babe.

An enjoyable story about when a normal boy inherits an intelligent African Grey Parrot.½

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