New Releases by Dick King-Smith

Oink! Oink! Pigs...beautiful? Who''d have guessed? Read and Wonder books tell stories, take children on adventures, and reveal how big and WONDER-full the natural world really is.

Dick King-Smith, creator of ''Babe the Sheep-Pig'', presents the cleverest guinea pig in the world! Judy''s classmates snigger when she claims guinea pigs are brainy. But, when her guinea pigs have a baby son, she decides to call him Jenius and train him to prove her point. Soon he can do all kinds of clever tricks, and Judy can''t wait to show him off at school. After all, what could possibly go wrong?

A very funny animal story from the award-winning writer Dick King-Smith Laurence Higgins, an enormously fat black cat, has breakfast with Mrs Higgins, lunch with the Normans, tea with old Mr Mason and supper with the Barclay-Lloyds. None of them know why he is so fat on just one meal a day! Lawrence is happy until he finds the walking from house to house tiring and begins to get indigestion. His friends tell him to lose weight if he wants a girl friend so he begins to spend one day in four with all his owners. He gets thinner but the cat he fancies down the road tells him she doesn''t like slim boys - she''s lost her heart to an enormously fat black cat she used to see up the road! Triumphantly Lawrence returns to his four meals a day, spurred on by the thought of meeting Bella when he''s back to his normal size.

In this collection of stories you will meet a guinea-pig that can do clever tricks, the Queen''s favourite Corgi pup, a secret mouse hiding in a tree-house, a chick that wants to be a duck AND you''ll learn how to look after all kinds of pets! A delightful anthology from the master of animal adventures Dick King-Smith, featuring a never-before-published story.

The Sheep-pig is one of Dick King-Smith''s most famous tales. It shot to further fame when the film adaptation, Babe, was released in 1995. ''Why can''t I learn to be a Sheep-Pig?'' When Babe, the little orphaned piglet, is won at a fair by Farmer Hogget, he is adopted by Fly, the kind-hearted sheep-dog. Babe is determined to learn everything he can from Fly. He knows he can''t be a sheep-dog. But maybe, just maybe, he might be a sheep-pig. ''An unexpectedly thrilling, funny charmer of a book'' - Guardian ''Dick King-Smith is a huge favourite with children'' - Observer ***Winner of the Guardian Fiction Award*** Dick King-Smith served in the Grenadier Guards during the Second World War, and afterwards spent twenty years as a farmer in Gloucestershire, the country of his birth. Many of his stories are inspired by his farming experiences. He wrote a great number of children''s books, including The Sheep-Pig (winner of the Guardian Award and filmed as Babe), Harry''s Mad, Noah''s Brother, The Queen''s Nose, Martin''s Mice, Ace, The Cuckoo Child and Harriet''s Hare (winner of the Children''s Book Award in 1995). In 2009 he was made an OBE for services to children''s literature. Dick King-Smith died in 2011 at the age of eighty-eight.

A beautiful story for older readers written almost twenty years ago in which bestselling author Dick King-Smith creates a fascinating picture of rural life at the time of the Second World War. Discovered as a foundling in a lambing pen, Spider Sparrow grows up surrounded by animals. From sheep and horses to wild otters and foxes, Spider loves them all, even the crows he must scare away from the newly sown wheat. Crowstarving was the idea job for Spider - he was on his own, yet never alone for all around him were animals of one sort or another. Amazingly, every animal who meets Spider implicitly trusts the young boy. This magical rapport is Spider''s unique gift, but nothing else in his tough life is so easy.

Meet Ace, Babe''s great-grandson, who also gets a new cover from Knopf Paperbacks this season. " A Horn Book Fanfare Honor Book An IRA/CBC Children''s Choice A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year.

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.

"Martin, a kitten, is branded a `wimp'' by his siblings for his friendly interest in mice. He loves caring for them and can''t understand their desire for freedom. Only when he becomes the pet of a big city apartment dweller does he realize why his pets deserted him. An engaging animal fantasy with plenty of humorous insight into the human condition, King-Smith''s story has humor and a fast pace which will appeal to younger readers."--School Library Journal (starred review)

Farmer Skint and his family have fallen on hard times at Woebegone Farm until their goose lays a golden egg. With the birth of Joy the Golden Goose, the fortune of the Skint family begins to change. But what will happen when people find out about their golden-feathered friend? How long can they keep Joy a secret? From beloved author Dick King-Smith comes the heartwarming story of a magical golden goose perfect for beginning readers.

Being a duck isn’t all it’s quacked up to be. But don’t try telling that to Frank—he’s a chicken with a dream. All he thinks about are webbed feet, waterproof feathers, and the cool water of the pond. So when Frank takes a dip and nearly drowns, his mood turns foul. Luckily, he gets a little human help—in the form of a man-made wet suit and a pair of flippers—and soon he’s the speediest bird in the water. And while Frank knows he’s ruffled a few feathers, he doesn’t care—there’s just too much for him to crow about. Until a certain young chick catches his eye, that is. . . .

Muriel is known as the Catlady, because she lives alone with just her many cats for company. When a new kitten is born, it soon becomes clear that it’s no ordinary cat. Vicky is a kitten with a very regal character, and strangely enough, she was born on the very day that Queen Victoria died!

FEATHERS FLY when one smart duck decides to teach the farmyard know-it-alls a lesson. Damaris is a duck. Not the ordinary, silly, jumping-inpuddles kind of duck—she’s a very clever duck. So when the farmyard pigs start picking on the other animals, Damaris and her sheepdog best friend hatch a plot to get back at them. Her plan works so well that she soon feels sorry for the sows, especially when they are captured by the sinister Mr. Crook. Now it’s up to Damaris to rescue them. Filled with snooty sows, dotty ducks, and more than a little farmyard excitement, CLEVER DUCK is a charming adventure from the “master of animal stories.”* *The Guardian, London Clever Duck is a 2009 Bank Street - Best Children''s Book of the Year.

Dinosaurs learn about friendship, teamwork, and prejudice in this hilarious yarn for newly independent readers, from a master of children''s animal stories. Sometimes the most unlikely pairs make the best of friends . . . All pterodactyls know that flying dinosaurs are superior, and all apatosauruses know that any dinosaur with only two legs is surely second-class. Nosy, a pterodactyl, and Banty, an apatosaurus, become great friends even though their parents have forbidden them to play together. With Nosy''s fast flying and Banty''s smarts, the two take on the biggest predator on the Great Plain, and conquer their parents'' prejudices in one great adventure. "The story is a good choice for dinophiles who have moved beyond picture books and are ready for easy chapter books." — School Library Journal

Peter is a young boy, living on a farm. One day, whilst out doing chores for his father, he comes across a strange white stick floating in the stream. He reaches out & catches it - & finds an exciting new friend in the process. Ninnyhammer is the local village simpleton, but Peter knows there''s more to him than that.

Dick King-Smith’s classic story about a very unusual pet—a water horse!—returns with a charming new cover to win over a new generation of readers! When eight-year-old Kirstie finds a strange egg near her home, she has no idea what will come out. Part horse, part toad, part turtle, and part crocodile? Only Kirstie’s grandfather knows what it is: a water horse! While it is certainly the oddest-looking creature Kirstie has ever seen, it is also the gentlest. But soon, the unusual pet gets bigger. And bigger. And BIGGER. Will Kirstie and her family be able to keep their new pet or will he have to make a splash in someone else’s home? “A rich, mostly tender fairy tale that combines elements of such children’s classics as The Secret of Roan Inish, E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, and Born Free. . . . Combining the best of fantasy and somber reflection, The Water Horse is a lovely ride.” —The Washington Post on the film adaptation “Well-written, fast-paced . . . with appealing, distinctive characters, humor, and drama. King-Smith’s imaginative spin on an old myth makes the outrageous possible.” —Booklist “One of the most delightful children’s authors.” —The Guardian on Dick King-Smith

BAD-TEMPERED RUNAWAY CAMEL. Funny, fast, and satisfying--a hilarious yarn from the "master of animal stories."* Tired of his lonely life at the zoo, Hezekiah--an ornery, very hairy Bacrian camel--busts out and heads across country. His adventure leads him to an eccentric (and equally hairy) aristocrat, a new life at a wildlife park, and company in the form of a female camel. Laughs, action, short chapters, and a genuine appreciation of the animal world make this a satisfying choice for newly independent readers. Nick Bruel''s antic black-and-white drawing add to the fun. *The Guardian (London)

A piglet comes to Farmer Hogget''s farm, where he is adopted by an old heepdog and accomplishes amazing things.

Here is the story of a baby who begins talking -- at the age of 4 weeks! And it''s not just the occasional word: George has a large vocabulary and plenty to say. From master storyteller Dick King-Smith, this is the hilarious story of a family turned upside-down by an unusually gifted (and demanding) infant. Illustrated with over 80 black and white line drawings.

Mary, her cat Lilyleaf, and her guinea pig Mr. Keylock are astounded to discover that Mary''s little brother Billy can fly whenever the moon is full.

"A wonderful celebration of the attributes of guinea pigs. . . . A popular pet and familiar subject is given new vigor and interest through originality, love, and respect." — The Boston Globe I Love Guinea Pigs is an affectionate guide to the most charming of very small animals. Did you know, for instance, that guinea pigs rarely get sick and love to eat? Or that they love one another and have adorable children too? Portrayed in all their amiable chunkiness, guinea pigs finally receive the tribute they so richly deserve.

A quick-witted swineherd and a pig named Lollipop are royally rewarded after they reform a spoiled princess.

"This accessible chapter book tells the story of Charlie Muffin, a quiet man who works as a taxidermist and mouse breeder. When he tells his friend Merry that it would be impossible to breed a green mouse, she challenges him to try, implying that she''ll marry him if he can do it. Charlie tries, succeeds, and marries Merry. Together they care for the famous green mouse, Adam Muffin, and raise a daughter, Cherry Muffin. . . . This offbeat, gently humorous story flows along happily and promises to carry young readers along with it. Another appealing book from the author of "Babe: The Gallant Pig and many other animal stories." --"Booklist

Small but very determined, Sophie loves animals and is going to be a farmer when she grows up. She has herds of insects and acquires a snail, a rabbit, a cat and a dog. She also befriends a pony called Bumblebee and a Vietnamese pot-bellied pig.

With the unknowing help of his pet geese, eight-year-old Jack Daw decides to raise an ostrich on his father''s farm.

Magnus was a large mouse, a fearless mouse, a real powermouse. Fattened on patent Porker Pills. he just grows and grows - and so do his problems.

The runt of the piglet litter is nicknamed Saddlebottom by the rest of the farm animals because the white marking of a saddleback has slipped a bit. Since he''s no good for showing, Saddlebottom is destined for the butchers. But he runs away and makes friends with a one-eyed cat called Bendigo.

When seventy-five-year-old Henny Hickathrift runs away from the old people''s home, she meets five children and their parents who welcome her into their family.

Depuis des années que Laura espère un petit frère ou une soeur. Voilà que Georges naît. Les adultes le trouvent merveilleux, elle, décevant jusqu''à ce qu''il lui réponde. Georges n''est pas un bébé ordinaire. Il est génial, il parle couramment. De ce fait découle une suite de situations drôles.