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Dick King-Smith was born in 1922 and brought up in Gloucestershire.
Dick served with the Grenadier Guards during World War II and was mentioned in dispatches. He then spent twenty years working as a farmer and a short period teaching in a primary school before becoming a full-time writer.
Dick wrote over seventy stories, many of which have animal characters for the simple reason that, "I like them, I've always kept a lot of pets, and because it's fun putting words in their mouths." His farming years were the inspiration for many of his books, and pigs have featured in several of them because they are his favourite animal. Dick won the 1984 Guardian Fiction Award for The Sheep-Pig, which was later turned into an Oscar-winning film, 'Babe'. He died in 2011.
Interest Age 5-8 Dick King-Smith had a wonderful gift for creating seemingly simple children’s stories filled with humour and drama. Henry Pond is renowned by the other toads for his poetry, but it’s not enough to win the heart of the gorgeous Victoria Garden-Pool. She prefers toads of action, like the muscly Larry Lake. How will Henry cope when he’s forced into toad to toad combat? The story, and Henry’s poetry, will have children giggling, while the descriptions of toad life are full of real natural history. Illustrations by Victor Ambrus put the finishing touches to a little gem. High quality cream paper and a special easy to read font ensure a smooth read for all. About the Little Gems series: Little Gems are in a gorgeous new chunky format, with high-spec production including coloured endpapers and jacketed flaps with activities. Additional features include high quality cream paper, Barrington Stoke font and illustrations on every page. They are perfect for 5-8's. These quality stories promote good reading practice for all newly independent readers.
Interest Age 7-10 The rats of Meadowsweet Farm are a pretty ugly lot, but their leader, the King Rat, is gruesome. He’s as big as a small dog and twice as vicious. The farmer is revolting in a different way – he only has a bath when there’s an h in the month. When the farmer ambushes a posse of rats on top of the rubbish heap, which sits in the middle of the farmyard ‘like a huge plum cake’, King Rat declares war. Dick King-Smith skilfully packs a big adventure into a short book and the illustrations by the renowned Victor Ambrus, black and white and colour, make the rats both menacing and comic. Specially adapted by Barrington Stoke to be accessible to all children, including those with dyslexia, this is a true little gem. ~ Andrea Reece About the Little Gems series: Little Gems are in a gorgeous new chunky format, with high-spec production including coloured endpapers and jacketed flaps with activities. Additional features include high quality cream paper, Barrington Stoke font and illustrations on every page. They are perfect for 5-8's. These quality stories promote good reading practice for all newly independent readers.
The best-selling author of The Sheep Pig tells a charming and witty story about a bold young kitten who is always getting into mischief! Aristotle lives with Bella Donna, a very kind, very witchy woman who protects Aristotle as best she can – and especially helps out with some magic from time to time. Bob Graham’s illustrations make Aristotle adorable!
Award-winning author Dick King-Smith is best known for 'Babe', the story of the Sheep-Pig. A lover of all animals and a master teller of stories about them, Dick King-Smith was particularly keen on pigs. Lollipop is a pig with a difference. And it is lucky that she is as Lollipop becomes the pet pig of the very, very spoilt Princess Penelope. Can Lollipop, who seems to have some very special powers when people look into her eyes, really change the brattish Princess? It is a delightful fairy story with just a touch of magic.
Lady Lolliop is back in a second adventure. Having solved the problems of the pouting Princess Penelope, the court’s famous pig sees off the Princess’s grumpy governess and finds herself teaming up with an amazing conjuror. A clever pig and a magician make a formidable pair – and some delightful magic for everyone at the court.
A beautiful collection of five of Dick King Smith's most charming and hilarious animal stories together with some delightfully funny line art illustrations.
This is an absolutely charming modern classic from one of Britain’s all-time favourite authors. There is no one more impressive when it comes to animal stories than Dick King-Smith and this one is our favourite. The Hodegheg has everything – humour, adventure, inspiration and plenty of advice for youngsters on the issue of safety when crossing roads! As fun for kids to read alone as for parents to read aloud with their children.
A mouse family on the move… The mouse family Robinson set off on a midnight flit to save their skins after young Beaumont Robinson is within a whisker of getting caught by the cat. A wonderful new stories from the master of animal stories.
Attractively packaged for emerging readers, All Because of Jackson is the story of a most unusual rabbit. While his friends burrow and play, Jackson sits of the cliff side watching the tall ships coming and going. All he wants to do is sail away across the sea – taking his girl friend Bunny with him. And that’s just what Jackson does. How the rabbits live aboard Atalantis and how they find Australia when they reach it is a lively story that also tells something of the true story of how rabbits reached Australia.
This is an absolutely charming modern classic from one of Britain’s all-time favourite authors. There is no-one more impressive when it comes to animal stories than Dick King-Smith and this one is our favourite. The Hodegheg has everything – humour, adventure, inspiration and plenty of advice for youngsters on the issue of safety when crossing roads! As fun for kids to read alone as for parents to read aloud with their children.
The magic of a special animal is perfectly captured in the heroic antics of Babe, a piglet with a difference. The runt of a litter, Babe arrives on the farm where is he trained by the sheep dog along with her own puppies. And Babe turns out to be a genius at it. His secret? Babe treats the sheep with courtesy and respect. A farmyard story with a difference, The Sheep-Pig is an exciting and unexpected adventure.
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