New Releases by Dick King-Smith

''Sparkling humour and wonderful characters are Dick King-Smith''s trademarks'' - Books for Your Children An exciting new publication in celebration of the centenary of his birth, a recently discovered funny and poignant animal story by Dick King-Smith, completed by his great granddaughter, Josie Rogers. Ambrose may seem like an ordinary rabbit but he has the most extraordinary sense of smell. He can detect any aroma from sweets to kittens - and even niffy foxes! He lives with his family in a hutch and is visited every day by Biddy, who is desperate to take him home to be her pet - if only her mum and dad would let her. Biddy trains Ambrose to become a tracker rabbit - which comes in very handy when Ambrose''s little sister Roly goes missing. But when Biddy''s family find themselves in real danger, can Ambrose''s sensitive nose save the day?

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.

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.

Sophie a deux grands frères. Ils sont jumeaux et se ressemblent comme deux gouttes d''eau. Quand ils se lancent dans une course d''escargots, Sophie court aussitôt chercher le sien pour les rattraper. Plus tard, c''est décidé, elle sera fermière ! Elle adore les animaux, et elle en a déjà des vrais, pas comme cette peste d''Aurore...

Fresh from his foray into Hollywood stardom, Babe gets a new cover for the Knopf Paperbacks line. An ALA Notable Book A Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book A Horn Book Fanfare Honor Book An IRA/CBC Children''s Choice An NCTE Teachers'' Choice

Now in paperback! From the award-winning author of Babe: The Gallant Pig comes the story of how the Loch Ness monster finds his home, thanks to the human family that raises him.

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)

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.

Snail on board! Siegfried loves to explore. One day his explorations take him on a big adventure - from his home in the grass, to the airport, on to an aeroplane and all the way to America! There he makes some very important friends, Mr Ambassador and Mr President, finds a new home in a sandwich box - and also meets the lovely Peggy Sue . . . Another magical, funny story from the master of animal tales, Dick King-Smith.

WHO''S MORE IMPORTANT than the Queen? Whom does she serve? Her royal corgis, of course! But life isn’t just royal thrones and unlimited biscuits for young Titus, Her Majesty’s favorite pup. There are burglars to catch, fires to put out, leaking tubs to attend to, and jealous cousins to deal with. In the end, though, it’s the Queen’s edict that matters most: “Titus Rules!” Dick King-Smith, beloved author of Babe: The Gallant Pig, offers a delightfully entertaining book to inspire readers with love for young Titus, and also with love for reading. “Kids will enjoy the engaging Titus; the fast-moving, witty prose; and the adventures inspired by loyalty and royalty, whether two legged or four. Comic drawings add to the fun.”—Booklist

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!

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. . . .

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.

When Mrs. Buzzard wants to get rid of the big, ugly dog that creates a lot of trouble, Farmer Buzzard decides on a plan to save this lovable monster from banishment.

Aristotle, a little white kitten, goes to live with a witch in an old cottage, where he finds so many opportunities for risky adventures that he soon has only one life left. Suggested level: junior, primary.

For many years foxes have been raiding the chickens at Foxearth Farm. Then along come Ransome, Sims and Jefferies, three remarkable chickens who are determined to fight back.

Aristotle, a little white kitten, goes to live with a witch in an old cottage, where he finds so many opportunities for risky adventures that he soon has only one life left.

Ab 11 Jahren, ausgezeichnet, Ruedi W. Schweizer.

Dick King-Smith''s memoirs deal mainly with the 14 years he spent on Woodlands Farm. The eccentric cast of animals and humans he met provided a wealth of material for his writing, his third, and best-known career, thanks to the film Babe.

"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.

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.

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

Befriending a stray cat helps a very determined five-year old adjust to school, learn about friends, and pursue her dream of one day becoming a farmer. A sequel to "Sophie''s Snail."

When Farmer Hogget wins a piglet at the local fair, Mrs Hogget thinks of fattening it up for the freezer. But the old sheepdog, Fly, takes him under her wing and starts to train him up as a sheep-pig, whose methods of getting the sheep to do what he wants are rather unconventional.

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.

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

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.