King-Smith, Dick 1922–
King-Smith, Dick 1922–
PERSONAL:
Born March 27, 1922, in Bitton, Gloucestershire, England; son of Ronald (a paper mill director) and Grace King-Smith; married Myrle England, February 6, 1943 (deceased, 2000); married; second wife's name Zona; children: Juliet Clare, Elizabeth Myrle, Giles Anthony Beaumont. Education: Attended Marlborough College, 1936-40; Bristol University, B.Ed., 1975.
ADDRESSES:
Home—Avon, England. Agent—Caradoc King, A.P. Watt, 20 John St., London WC1N 2DR, England.
CAREER:
Author. Farmer in Gloucestershire, England, 1947-67; sold asbestos suits and worked in a shoe factory; Farmborough Primary School, near Bath, Avon, England, teacher, 1975-82; writer, 1978—. Writer and presenter of Yorkshire Television's Tumbledown Farm series for children, beginning 1983; presenter of Rub-a-Dub-Dub for TVAM and Pob's Programme for Channel 4. Military service: Grenadier Guards, 1941-46; became lieutenant; mentioned in dispatches.
MEMBER:
Rare Breeds Survival Trust, Kelmscott Rare Breeds Foundation (director).
AWARDS, HONORS:
Guardian Award runner-up, 1981, for Daggie Dogfoot; American Library Association Notable Book citations, 1982, for Pigs Might Fly, 1985, for Babe: The Gallant Pig, and 1987, for Harry's Mad; Guardian Award, 1984, for The Sheep-Pig; Boston Globe/Horn Book Honor Book, and Parents' Choice Award for Literature, both 1985, both for Babe: The Gallant Pig; Children's Author of the Year, British Book Awards, 1991; Reading Magic Award, Parenting magazine, 1995, for Harriet's Hare; honorary doctorate from University of Gloucestershire, 2004.
WRITINGS:
FOR CHILDREN
The Fox Busters, illustrated by Jon Miller, Gollancz (London, England), 1978, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1988, reissued, Puffin (London, England), 2003.
Daggie Dogfoot, illustrated by Mary Rayner, Gollancz (London, England), 1980, published as Pigs Might Fly, Viking (New York NY), 1982.
The Mouse Butcher, illustrated by Wendy Smith, Gollancz (London, England), 1981, illustrated by Margot Apple, Viking (New York, NY), 1982.
Magnus Powermouse, illustrated by Mary Rayner, Gollancz (London, England), 1982, Harper (New York, NY), 1984.
The Queen's Nose, illustrated by Jill Bennett, Gollancz (London, England), 1983, Harper (New York, NY), 1985.
The Sheep-Pig, illustrated by Mary Rayner, Gollancz (London, England), 1983, reissued, Puffin (London, England), 2003, published as Babe: The Gallant Pig, Crown (New York, NY), 1985, reissued, Knopf (New York, NY), 2005.
Harry's Mad, illustrated by Jill Bennett, Gollancz (London, England), 1984, Crown (New York, NY), 1987.
Saddlebottom, illustrated by Alice Englander, Gollancz (London, England), 1985.
Lightning Fred, illustrated by Michael Bragg, Heinemann (London, England), 1985.
Noah's Brother, illustrated by Ian Newsham, Gollancz (London, England), 1986.
Pets for Keeps (nonfiction), illustrated by Alan Saunders, Penguin (London, England), 1986.
H. Prince, illustrated by Martin Honeysett, Walker Books (London, England), 1986.
Yob, illustrated by Abigail Pizer, Heinemann (London, England), 1986.
E.S.P., illustrated by Peter Wingham, Deutsch (London, England), 1986.
Dumpling, illustrated by Jo Davies, Hamish Hamilton (London, England), 1986, reissued, Puffin (London, England), 2001.
Farmer Bungle Forgets, illustrated by Martin Honeysett, Walker (London, England), 1986.
Town Watch (nonfiction), illustrated by Catherine Bradbury, Penguin (London, England), 1987.
Country Watch: Animals to Look out for in the Countryside (nonfiction), illustrated by Catherine Bradbury, Penguin (London, England), 1987.
Tumbleweed, illustrated by Ian Newsham, Gollancz (London, England), 1987.
The Hodgeheg, illustrated by Linda Birch, Hamish Hamilton (London, England), 1987, new edition, illustrated by Ann Kronheimer, Puffin (London, England), 2003.
Cuckoobush Farm, illustrated by Kazuko, Orchard (London, England), 1987, Greenwillow (New York, NY), 1988.
Friends and Brothers, illustrated by Susan Hellard, Heinemann (London, England), 1987.
Martin's Mice, illustrated by Jez Alborough, Gollancz (London, England), 1988, Crown (New York, NY), 1989, new edition, illustrated by Ann Kronheimer, Puffin (London, England), 2004.
George Speaks, illustrated by Judy Brown, Viking (London, England), 1988, Roaring Brook Press (Brookfield, CT), 2002, new edition, illustrated by Ann Kronheimer, Puffin (London, England), 2004.
The Jenius, illustrated by Peter Firmin, Gollancz (London, England), 1988, reissued, Puffin (London, England), 2004, published as Jenius: The Amazing Guinea Pig, illustrated by Brian Floca, Hyperion (New York, NY), 1996.
Emily's Legs, illustrated by Katinka Kew, Macdonald (London, England), 1988.
Water Watch (nonfiction), illustrated by Catherine Bradbury, Penguin (London, England), 1988.
Dodo Comes to Tumbledown Farm, illustrated by John Sharp, Heinemann (London, England), 1988.
The Greatest!, Heinemann (London, England), 1988.
The Toby Man, illustrated by Ian Newsham, Gollancz (London, England), 1989, illustrated by Lynette Hemmant, Crown (New York, NY), 1991.
Alice and Flower and Foxianna, Heinemann (London, England), 1989.
Beware of the Bull!, Heinemann (London, England), 1989.
Henry Pond Poet, Hodder & Stoughton (London, England), 1989.
Dodos Are Forever, illustrated by David Parkins, Viking (London, England), 1989.
Sophie's Snail, illustrated by Claire Minter-Kemp, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1989.
The Trouble with Edward, Hodder & Stoughton (London, England), 1989.
Ace: The Very Important Pig, illustrated by Lynette Hemmant, Crown (New York, NY), 1990.
Dick King-Smith's Alphabeasts, illustrated by Quentin Blake, Gollancz (London, England), 1990, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1992.
The Jolly Witch, Simon & Schuster (London, England), 1990.
Paddy's Pot of Gold, illustrated by David Parkins, Crown (New York, NY), 1990.
The Water Horse, illustrated by David Parkins, Viking (London, England), 1990, Crown (New York, NY), 1998.
The Whistling Pig, Walker (London, England), 1990.
Caruso's Cool Cats, BBC/Longman (London, England), 1991.
Horace and Maurice, Doubleday (London, England), 1991.
Lightning Strikes Twice, Mammoth (London, England), 1991.
Sophie's Tom, illustrated by David Parkins, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 1991.
The Cuckoo Child, illustrated by Leslie Bowman, Hyperion (New York, NY), 1991.
The Guard Dog, illustrated by Jocelyn Wild, Corgi (London, England), 1991, reissued, Young Corgi (London, England), 2007.
The Animal Parade: A Collection of Stories and Poems, illustrated by Jocelyn Wild, Tambourine Books (New York, NY), 1992.
Blessu and Dumpling, Penguin (London, England), 1992.
Farm Tales, Mammoth (London, England), 1992.
The Finger Eater, Walker (London, England), 1992.
The Ghost at Codlin Castle, Viking (London, England), 1992.
Jungle Jingles, Corgi (London, England), 1992.
Pretty Polly, illustrated by Marshall Peck, Crown (New York, NY), 1992.
Triffic Pig Book, Gollancz (London, England), 1992, published as Triffic, the Extraordinary Pig, illustrated by Cary Pillo, Troll (Mahwah, NJ), 1998.
The Topsy-turvy Storybook, illustrated by John Eastwood, Gollancz (London, England), 1992.
Dragon Boy, illustrated by Jocelyn Wild, Viking (London, England), 1993.
Horse Pie, Doubleday (London, England), 1993.
A Narrow Squeak, and Other Animal Stories, Viking (London, England), 1993.
Sophie Hits Six, illustrated by David Parkins, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 1993.
Lady Daisy, illustrated by Jan Naimo Jones, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1993.
The Invisible Dog, illustrated by Roger Roth, Crown (New York, NY), 1993.
Find the White Horse, illustrated by Larry Wilkes, Chivers (London, England), 1993.
All Pigs Are Beautiful, illustrated by Anita Jeram, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 1993.
The Merrythought, illustrated by Mike Reid, Puffin (London, England), 1993.
Uncle Bumpo, Deutsch (London, England), 1993.
Bobby the Bad, illustrated by Julie Anderson, Deutsch (London, England), 1994.
Connie and Rollo, illustrated by Judy Brown, Doubleday (London, England), 1994.
The Excitement of Being Ernest, illustrated by Nigel McMullen, Simon & Schuster (London, England), 1994.
The Swoose, illustrated by Maire Corner, Hyperion (New York, NY), 1994.
Happy Mouseday, Doubleday (London, England), 1994.
Harriet's Hare, illustrated by Valerie Littlewood, Doubleday (London, England), 1994, illustrated by Roger Roth, Crown (New York, NY), 1995.
Mr. Potter's Pet, illustrated by Hilda Offen, Viking (London, England), 1994, illustrated by Mark Teague, Hyperion (New York, NY), 1996.
Sophie in the Saddle, illustrated by David Parkins, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 1994.
Three Terrible Trins, illustrated by Mark Teague, Crown (New York, NY), 1994.
The Schoolmouse, illustrated by Phil Garner, Viking (London, England), 1994, illustrated by Cynthia Fisher, Hyperion (New York, NY), 1995.
Sophie's Adventures, illustrated by David Parkins, Walker (London, England), 1995.
Sophie Is Seven, illustrated by David Parkins, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 1995.
I Love Guinea Pigs, illustrated by Anita Jeram, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 1995.
King Max the Last: A Second Hodgeheg Story, illustrated by Birch, Hamish Hamilton (London, England), 1995.
Warlock Watson, Hippo (London, England), 1995.
All Because of Jackson, illustrated by John Eastwood, Doubleday (London, England), 1995.
The Stray, illustrated by Wayne Parmenter, Crown (New York, NY), 1996.
Dick King-Smith's Animal Friends: Thirty-one True Life Stories, illustrated by Anita Jeram, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 1996.
Sophie's Lucky, illustrated by David Parkins, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 1996.
Clever Duck, illustrated by Mike Terry, Viking (London, England), 1996.
Hogsel and Gruntel and Other Animal Stories, illustrated by Liz Graham-Yooll, Gollancz (London, England), 1996, Orchard (New York, NY), 1999.
Godhanger, illustrated by Andrew Davidson, Doubleday (London, England), 1996.
Mrs. Jollipop, illustrated by Frank Rodgers, Macdonald (London, England), 1996.
Treasure Trove, illustrated by Paul Howard, Viking (London, England), 1996.
Omnibombulator, illustrated by Jim and Peter Kavanagh, Corgi (London, England), 1996.
Fat Lawrence, illustrated by Mike Terry, Puffin (London, England), 1997.
Sophie's Further Adventures, illustrated by David Parkins, Walker (London, England), 1997.
Smasher, illustrated by Michael Terry, Viking (London, England), illustrated by Richard Bernal, Random House (New York, NY), 1997.
Animal Stories, illustrated by Michael Terry, Puffin (London, England), 1997.
The Spotty Pig, illustrated by Mary Wormell, Farrar, Straus (New York, NY), 1997.
A Mouse Called Wolf, illustrated by Jon Goodell, Crown (New York, NY), 1997.
Puppy Love, illustrated by Anita Jeram, Crown (New York, NY), 1997.
What Sadie Saw, illustrated by Julie Anderson, Scholastic (London, England), 1997.
The Crowstarver, Doubleday (London, England), 1998, published as Spider Sparrow, illustrated by Peter Bailey, Crown (New York, NY), 2000.
Mr. Ape, illustrated by Roger Roth, Crown (New York, NY), 1998.
How Green Was My Mouse, illustrated by Robert Bartelt, Viking (London, England), 1998, published as Charlie Muffin's Miracle Mouse, illustrated by Lina Chesak, Crown (New York, NY), 1999.
Poppet, illustrated by Mike Terry, Puffin (London, England), 1999.
The Merman, illustrated by Roger Roth, Crown (New York, NY), 1999.
The Witch of Blackberry Bottom, illustrated by Ann Kronheimer, Viking (London, England), 1999, published as Mysterious Miss Slade, Crown (New York, NY), 2000.
The Roundhill, illustrated by Sian Bailey, Crown (New York, NY), 2000.
Lady Lollipop, illustrated by Jill Barton, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 2001.
Chewing the Cud: An Extraordinary Life Remembered by the Author of Babe, the Gallant Pig (autobiography), illustrated by Harry Horse, Viking (London, England), 2001.
Billy the Bird, illustrated by Susie Jenkin Pearce, Hyperion (New York, NY), 2001.
Back to Front Benjy, illustrated by Judy Brown, Puffin (London, England), 2001.
The Big Book of Short Stories, illustrated by Amanda Harvey, Viking (London, England), 2001.
The Great Sloth Race, illustrated by Tim Warnes, Puffin (London, England), 2001.
Funny Frank, illustrated by Roger Roth, Knopf (New York, NY), 2002.
Titus Rules!, illustrated by John Eastwood, Knopf (New York, NY), 2003.
Clever Lollipop, illustrated by Jill Barton, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 2003.
The Adventurous Snail, Doubleday (London, England), 2003.
The Golden Goose, illustrated by Ann Kronheimer, Puffin (London, England), 2003, Knopf (New York, NY), 2005.
Aristotle, illustrated by Bob Graham, Walker (London, England), 2003, published as The Nines Lives of Aristotle, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 2003.
Here Comes Sophie, illustrated by David Parkins, Walker (London, England), 2004.
The Catlady, illustrated by John Eastwood, Doubleday (London, England), 2004, Knopf (New York, NY), 2006.
Hairy Hezekiah, illustrated by Nick Breul, Doubleday (London, England), 2005, illustrated by Nick Bruel, Roaring Brook Press (New York, NY), 2007.
Under the Mishmash Trees, illustrated by Seb Burnett, Puffin (London, England), 2005, illustrated by Nick Bruel, Roaring Brook Press (New York, NY), 2008.
The Twin Giants, illustrated by Mini Grey, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 2007.
Ninnyhammer, Doubleday (London, England), 2007.
The Mouse Family Robinson, illustrated by Ben Cort, Puffin (London, England), 2007, illustrated by Nick Bruel, Roaring Brook Press (New York, NY), 2008.
Clever Duck, illustrated by Nick Bruel, Roaring Brook Press (New York, NY), 2008.
Dinosaur Trouble, illustrated by Nick Bruel, Roaring Brook Press (New York, NY), 2008.
Contributor to periodicals, including Punch, Blackwood's, and Field.
ADAPTATIONS:
The Sheep-Pig (also published as Babe: The Gallant Pig) was adapted for film as Babe, Universal Pictures/Kennedy Miller Productions, 1995; The Water Horse was adapted for film as The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep by Columbia Pictures, 2007. Lady Daisy was adapted to audio in 1996 by Listening Library. Chivers North America adapted the following to audio: The Fox Busters, 1987, The Sheep-Pig, Magnus Powermouse, and Tumbleweed, all 1988, and Ace, the Very Important Pig, 1991. Also adapted to audio were The Hodgeheg and The Mouse Butcher, 1989; Jungle Jingles, The Schoolmouse, and Three Terrible Trins, 1996; The Stray, 1997; The Merman, 1999; Spider Sparrow, 2000; The Witch of Blackberry Bottom, 2001; and The Water Horse, 2008, among others.
SIDELIGHTS:
Take a cast of improbable animal protagonists, from pigs to mice and dogs; add a dose of anthropomorphism, a pinch of human affection, and a sprinkling of adversity to overcome. The result is the winning formula in the books of British author Dick King-Smith, a man perhaps best known for writing Babe: The Gallant Pig, the book from which the 1995 Academy Award-winning film Babe was adapted. With millions of copies of his books in print worldwide, King-Smith has become a one-man cottage industry in children's literature. "Helped by years of classical education in the best tradition of the English public-school system," wrote London Guardian contributor Julia Eccleshare, King-Smith's "stories have heroic resonances, as well as being written in perfectly shaped classical sentences, which makes them a joy to read—and especially out loud." Eccleshare further remarked: "More than that, [his books] are written with the humorous, civilised view of human or animal interaction so reflective of King-Smith himself."
Often compared to British writers of past generations, such as Beatrix Potter, Kenneth Grahame, E.B. White, and Rudyard Kipling, King-Smith mines the same vein of rich animal stories, never fearing to give his cast of pigs, dogs, hamsters, parrots, and other critters human characteristics while also making sure to retain the characteristics of the animal as well. "I allow them some human ones, especially speech, because it is such fun putting words into their mouths," King-Smith explained to a group of online grammar-school interviewers on Young Writer.
Most amazing about King-Smith's prodigious achievement is that he began writing for children relatively late in life, after pursuing careers in farming and teaching. He has been prolific since the late 1970s and has earned acclaim for his works about animals, including Pigs Might Fly, Babe, Harry's Mad, The Water Horse, and Titus Rules!, among a host of others. King-Smith is widely admired for a witty and often parodic writing style that appeals to both children and adults, as well as for his ability to portray his subjects affectionately without becoming too whimsical or sentimental. Combining exciting adventures with witty dialogue and subtly drawn but strong characters, King-Smith presents his readers with specific moral lessons without being overly didactic. In his novels, animal protagonists—usually underdogs—manage to triumph through some extraordinary ability, supplemented by the help of friends. His humor ranges from high-spirited to absurd and is often punctuated by wordplay.
"I write for the simplest and best of reasons—because I enjoy it," King-Smith once explained. "I write for children for a number of reasons: My level of humor is pretty childish (both my grandfathers were punsters of the worst kind, which is the best kind); I think I know what children like to read (teaching helps here); I like to write about animals (farming helps here), whereas adults on the whole prefer to read novels about people; I think an ounce of fantasy is worth a pound of reality; and anyway I wouldn't possibly write a modern sort of novel for grown people—I should get the giggles."
Born in 1922 in Bitton, Gloucestershire, England, King-Smith grew up in a "comfortably off West Country family," according to Eccleshare. The son of a paper mill director, his education was primarily in the classics, and he attended Marlborough College as a teen. His early life also revolved around animals. "As a child I had pets—rabbits, tortoises, rats, mice—and a toy farm which I played with endlessly," he told Eccleshare. "It was a pretty eccentric collection—I never minded much what went with what, so I included a giraffe among the dairy herd—but it absorbed me completely." With the advent of World War II in 1939, King-Smith knew it was only a matter of time before he was called up, so he tried his hand at his dream—farming—while waiting. In 1940 he began a year of work on a farm where all the labor was done by men and animals, something of a relic even at the time.
When England entered the war, King-Smith served in the Grenadier Guards, and in 1943, while still in the service, he married his childhood sweetheart, Myrle England. Severely wounded while deployed to Italy, King-Smith became a lieutenant and served with distinction until 1946, when he left the military. With wife and children in tow and in need of an occupation, he took over a small farm owned by his father's paper mill, and for the next twenty years he and his family lived out King-Smith's dream of farming. Milk and eggs were the product of his farm; there were no great expectations for it. But farming had undergone a revolution during the war years; the age of mechanization had arrived. King-Smith began to gather a motley assortment of animals on the farm, just as with his youthful collection of animals. There was Ben the bull who made a heroic bid for freedom one day, a goat who enjoyed riding in the passenger seat of the farm van, and a bevy of pigs—one of King-Smith's favorite animals. "I ran my farm in much the same way [as the childhood animal collection]. I had animals that I liked," the author told Eccleshare. "Now I see that it was rather a stupid way to run a farm, but at the time I felt I didn't have to conform." In addition to housing this bizarre menagerie, the King-Smiths also ran their home as if from a different age, even hosting country balls in which male guests came dressed in white tie and tails.
In the end, the numbers did not tally. Over the years on Woodlands Farm, profits continually dropped. In 1967, after twenty years of farming, King-Smith had to call it quits. For a time he sold asbestos suits for firefighters, and then for three years worked in a shoe factory, until he finally went to university and earned a bachelor's degree in education. He would give teaching a go.
Thus began King-Smith's second career, at age fifty-three, as an elementary school teacher in the Farmborough Primary School near Bath, Avon, England. It was during his years of teaching that King-Smith began tinkering with stories, though he did not begin his career as a novelist until the mid-1970s. His teaching career provided insight into the type of material children like to read, and he received equal inspiration from his days as a farmer, for the tales he most enjoys creating concern farm animals. In 1978 King-Smith published his first book for children, The Fox Busters, which centers on a family of chickens who plot to drive the local foxes away from their hen house. Explaining the inspiration for this tale to Young Writer, King-Smith recalled that when he was a farmer a fox once killed many of his chickens. "One day, I thought, I'll have a go at writing a story where the weak are the winners, not the strong. About ten years later, I did have a go, and that became The Fox Busters." Anne Carter, writing in the Times Literary Supplement, labeled The Fox Busters "a good, fast-moving story with sound characterization and an ability to be funny without condescension or whimsicality."
King-Smith continued to teach and write for several years, but as with farming, the numbers were his undoing as a teacher. He could not do long division, and so was moved from teaching middle graders to teaching younger children where he only had to manage simple addition. In 1982, at age sixty, he retired from teaching to write full time. Many of King-Smith's animal novels for children focus on "a single hero, whom we grow to love, [who] fights desperately against a terrifying enemy in a genuinely exciting plot, while the style, dialogue, and characterization remain light and playful," commented Stephanie Nettell in Twentieth-Century Children's Writers. For instance, Daggie Dogfoot, the piglet protagonist of Pigs Might Fly whose unusually webbed feet allow him to become a skilled swimmer, saves the entire farm, including the slaughterer, during a flood by swimming for help. His actions ensure that he will never be butchered by the farmer for food and serve to educate other characters metaphorically about inner values versus exterior appearances. About Pigs Might Fly, Arthur Arnold remarked in Children's Literature in Education that "King-Smith's writing stands comfortably alongside the more celebrated E.B. White's, sustained by his own inimitable wry sense of humour." Another of King-Smith's noteworthy animal books, Harry's Mad, chronicles the adventures of Madison, an intelligent, talking African gray parrot bequeathed by his American professor owner to a young English boy. Karla Kuskin observed in the New York Times Book Review that "King-Smith, as articulate in English as Madison is in American, is mostly to be congratulated. The characters in Harry's Mad have wit and are good, lively company."
King-Smith is perhaps best known for the award-winning Babe, the novel first published in England as The Sheep-Pig and on which the popular film of the same title was based. As Nettell wrote, in this book King-Smith "succeeds in balancing in one story the strongest qualities of all the others, and it is clearly right to award it that often overworked encomium, ‘a modern classic.’" The story focuses on Babe, a piglet who is won at a fair by a farmer. Adopted by the mother sheepdog, Fly, Babe comes to understand that the best way to get sheep to obey is to speak politely to them. In the process, he saves the sheep from rustlers, not to mention saving his own life when the farmer realizes Babe is more valuable as a sheep-pig than as a meal. In fact, the farmer has so much confidence in Babe that he enters him in the local sheep-dog trials, which he wins. King-Smith's own experience as a farmer enables him to depict farm life with accuracy and affection.
Critics universally praised Babe. Nettell called it "deftly constructed, the animal and human characters are marvelously defined in dialogue, the suspense remains strong and quite unbullied by the joke, and the style is so clean and economic that our hero wins through to a frenzy of cheers without a hint of soppiness." In Booklist Denise M. Wilms was particularly impressed with the book's characterization. She wrote, "The relationship between Fly and Babe is fresh, and Babe's sensitivities, which are the key to his success, give the novel a richness that's impossible to resist." In the Observer, Naomi Lewis suggested that "the dialogue couldn't be bettered. There's a readymade classroom play here for the taking." Lewis's observation turned out to be prophetic indeed, though on a much greater scale than she imagined. In 1995, the film adaptation was nominated for several Academy awards and won the award for best visual effects. The success of the film led to a sequel, Babe, Pig in the City, a film not based on King-Smith's work.
More rich animal tales are served up in The Animal Parade, a compilation of stories and poems, including retellings of five of Aesop's fables. A Publishers Weekly critic found that book to be an "ideal compendium for introducing readers to animal tales." Teaming up with illustrator Quentin Blake, King-Smith produced the alphabet book Dick King-Smith's Alphabeasts, an "entertaining and quotable" book, according to Horn Book contributor Ann A. Flowers. In The Invisible Dog, he tells a tale of a girl who desperately wants a dog, but whose parents can not afford to buy her one. Imagination takes over, and she enjoys the companionship of an invisible pooch until an unexpected inheritance allows her to purchase a real canine. Writing in PublishersWeekly, a reviewer dubbed this a book "chock-full of warmth, zany imagination and soft-hearted irony."
With Ace: The Very Important Pig, King-Smith provides something of a sequel to Babe, for the pig in question is Babe's great-grandson. Ace is a talking pig who enjoys watching educational television and visiting the local pub. Fame arrives, but does not go to Ace's head in this "winsome story … sure to warm hearts and bring smiles," according to a Publishers Weekly contributor.
King-Smith offers an amusing look at the Royal Family's pets in Titus Rules!, "a nimble blend of animal hijinks and gentle satire," a critic in Publishers Weekly remarked. One of the Corgi puppies that belong to Queen Elizabeth II, Titus earns his owner's respect by sniffing out a blaze and helping nab a thief. The author's "fast-moving, witty prose" garnered praised from Booklist contributor Shelle Rosenfeld.
Mice are at the center of Three Terrible Trins, the tale of an often-widowed mouse, Mrs. Gray, who vows never to marry again but instead devote herself to the upbringing of her three "trins" or triplets. "With his customary panache," wrote a reviewer for Publishers Weekly, "King-Smith grabs the reader's attention from his opening sentence" and incorporates the same "understated humor and rollicking pace." Horn Book contributor Ann Flowers called the book a "wildly comic view of the world in microcosm." More mice appear in The Schoolmouse, in which a young mouse uses her reading skills to save her parents. "With a heroic main character that will surely remind kids of the lovely gray spider in Charlotte's Web, this is a fine book for instilling in children the importance of reading," wrote Booklist contributor Lauren Peterson. And in Charlie Muffin's Miracle Mouse, a lonely mouse farmer breeds a green mouse and wins best of show at the Grand Mouse Championship Show in an "offbeat, gently humorous story," according to Booklist critic Carolyn Phelan.
Not all of King-Smith's juvenile novels center on animal characters, however. Among the author's personal favorites are his tales of Sophie, a rambunctious young girl who wants to be a farmer. Inaugurated in 1989 with Sophie's Snail, the "Sophie" books take the girl from the age of four to eight. Booklist reviewer Mary Harris Veeder compared Sophie to Beverly Cleary's invention for her spunk: "Think of Sophie as a slightly plump, more determined, British Ramona," wrote Veeder in a review of Sophie Is Seven. In Sophie's Tom, she befriends a cat named Tom who later, to everyone's surprise, produces a litter of kittens. Sophie has proved a winner with critics. Reviewing Sophie's Tom in Publishers Weekly, a contributor noted that "Sophie's spirit is sure to win readers' admiration." The reviewer also felt that the young girl's mischief "will keep laughs coming." Horn Book reviewer Ann Flowers felt that while "Tom is a terrific cat … it is Sophie who takes center stage in an endearing picture of a sturdy, self-reliant small girl." In Sophie in the Saddle, the protagonist gets hand-on practice with farming when she and her family vacation on a farm. In Sophie's Lucky, the now-eight-year-old heroine is close to achieving her agrarian dream when she goes to visit a relation in Scotland. In her Booklist review, Kay Weisman predicted that Sophie in the Saddle will "charm young and old alike."
Fantasy takes the fore in many King-Smith titles. In Paddy's Pot of Gold, young Brigid inherits a pot of gold from the leprechaun Paddy O'Brien. When she turns eight, Brigid meets the leprechaun, visible only to herself. Soon they are friends, with Paddy teaching the young girl animal sounds, but the friendship ends when the leprechaun dies. Betsy Hearne, reviewing the book in Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, found that it "makes cozy holiday reading." The Water Horse deals with the origins of the Loch Ness monster in a "just-shy-of believable fantasy," according to a reviewer for Publishers Weekly. In The Nine Lives of Aristotle, Bella Donna, a kindly witch, adopts Aristotle, an accident-prone kitten who promptly squanders eight of his nine lives by falling down a chimney, plunging into rushing water, and fighting with an angry dog, among other incidents. Despite the feline's preoccupation with dangerous situations, "it's always clear from … King-Smith's understated text that this pet is in safe hands," observed Weisman. Good fortune shines upon a hapless farmer in The Golden Goose, an "engaging story," stated a critic in Publishers Weekly. Just when things look bleakest for John Skint, the owner of Woebegone Farm, the hatching of a golden gosling brings prosperity and happiness. "King-Smith's fans will appreciate his signature rural setting, full of genial livestock and good-natured incompetents," Weisman wrote.
Historical fantasy is at the heart of The Roundhill, the tale of a fourteen-year-old boy on vacation in 1936. On a pilgrimage to a local peak, the boy meets a mysterious young girl, Alice, who bears a striking resemblance to the main character in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. A contributor to Publishers Weekly found this tale to be "served up with a measure of suspense and King-Smith's usual flair," resulting in "satisfying fare" for young readers. Reviewing the same novel in School Library Journal, Beth Wright concluded: "More than just a skillfully told ghost story, this is a thoughtful exploration of the transforming power of friendship, however unusual its circumstance." Spider Sparrow deals with a most unusual foundling who has the power to charm animals. Horn Book reviewer Kristi Beavin viewed this novel as a departure from the author's usual animal fantasies in that it deals in "the magic of the ordinary world." Set in the agrarian world of pre-World War II England, the book abounds in details with which King-Smith himself is all too familiar. Linda L. Plevak, writing in School Library Journal, called Spider Sparrow "heartwarming" and a book "filled with memorable characters." A reviewer for Publishers Weekly joined the chorus of praise for the novel, noting King-Smith's "pitch-perfect prose," and concluding: "Poignant and wise, this deeply moving tale is not to be missed." In Billy the Bird, young Mary Bird is amazed to discover that her little brother—who is seemingly a typical child in other respects—can fly when the moon is full. "King-Smith's fans will enjoy this … title and wish they could share the experience," wrote Anne Connor in a School Library Journal review.
The versatile King-Smith has also penned a number of books featuring elderly protagonists. In The Stray, a lady escapes from an old-folks home and is taken in by a family with five red-haired children, wins the lottery, and catches a burglar. A contributor to Publishers Weekly called this a "cozy, old-fashioned novel." Mr. Ape presents a crusty, aged male protagonist who turns his house into a mini-zoo, aided by a Gypsy boy and his father. When Mr. Ape's house is burned down, these two help him to save the animals. This novel found praise from a reviewer for Publishers Weekly who noted: "Once again adding a well-calculated measure of pathos to his comedy, King-Smith delivers another memorable animal tale." A chapter book set in 1901, The Catlady centers on Muriel Ponsonby, the eccentric owner of a variety of felines. Muriel believes her cats are the reincarnated souls of departed family and friends, and she even suspects one creature to be Queen Victoria. When Muriel passes away, her estate falls to her loyal helper, Mary, who receives a furry new guest six months later. According to Phelan, King-Smith "carries his readers along in a quietly engaging way."
In a departure from his fictional works, King-Smith recounts his path to becoming a writer in Chewing the Cud: An Extraordinary Life Remembered by the Author of Babe, the Gallant Pig. The work focuses on King-Smith's adult life, including his ill-fated attempts at farming. "As always, he employs a deft turn of phrase and plenty of humor," Weisman stated, and a Publishers Weekly critic wrote that the "pages reveal a gifted writer with an affection for animals and a simple country life, a passion for his work, and sheer goodness of heart." "We have already seen in his work that King-Smith has a skill, an eye and an ear that any author would be proud of, and that any reader can enjoy," observed London Independent contributor Nicolette Jones. "This collection of his reminiscences reminds us that the lasting pleasures of any existence are often the small ones. When they are related with modesty and joie de vivre, the effect is cheering and hopeful."
It continues to be the qualities of adventure, humor, and warmth of characterization that gain King-Smith legions of new fans. He once commented about his reasons for writing: "If there is a philosophical point behind what I write, I'm not especially conscious of it; maybe I do stress the need for courage, something we all wish we had more of, and I also do feel strongly for underdogs. As for trying to fill a need in children's literature, if I am, it is to produce books that can afford adults some pleasure when they read to their children. I write for fun." Into his eighties, King-Smith continues to pursue his third career as a writer diligently, rising early, writing by longhand, and retyping drafts in the afternoon. As he noted in an interview on the Random House Web site, "I live in a beautiful old cottage in a tiny village; don't like nuts, turnips or pineapples; love the English countryside and would probably die immediately if forced to live in a town; and am a very happy man doing what is in effect my hobby for a living, i.e., writing stories for children."
BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:
BOOKS
Children's Literature Review, Volume 40, Gale (Detroit, MI), 1996.
King-Smith, Dick, Dick King-Smith's Animal Friends: Thirty-one True Life Stories, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 1996.
King-Smith, Dick, Puppy Love, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 1997.
King-Smith, Dick, Chewing the Cud: An Extraordinary Life Remembered by the Author of Babe, the Gallant Pig, Viking (London, England), 2001.
Parker, Vic, All about Dick King-Smith, Heinemann (Oxford, England), 2004.
St. James Guide to Children's Writers, 5th edition, St. James Press (Detroit, MI), 1999.
PERIODICALS
Booklist, August, 1985, Denise Wilms, review of Babe: The Gallant Pig; April 1, 1994, Kay Weisman, review of Sophie in the Saddle, p. 1448; April 15, 1995, Lauren Peterson, review of Harriet's Hare, p. 1499; July 15, 1995, Marry Harris Veeder, review of Sophie Is Seven, p. 1880; October 15, 1995, Lauren Peterson, review of The Schoolmouse, p. 303; December 1, 1996, Ellen Mandel, review of Dick King-Smith's Animal Friends, p. 650; April 15, 1999, Carolyn Phelan, review of Charlie Muffin's Miracle Mouse, p. 1528; July, 2001, Carolyn Phelan, review of Billy the Bird, p. 2006; January 1, 2002, Ilene Cooper, review of Funny Frank, p. 858; February 15, 2002, Stephanie Zvirin, review of George Speaks, p. 1014; October 15, 2002, Kay Weisman, review of Chewing the Cud: An Extraordinary Life Remembered by the Author of Babe, the Gallant Pig, p. 398; February 1, 2003, Shelle Rosenfeld, review of Titus Rules!, p. 995; September 15, 2003, Kathleen Odean, review of Clever Lollipop, p. 240; December 1, 2003, Kay Weisman, review of The Nine Lives of Aristotle, p. 667; February 1, 2005, Kay Weisman, review of The Golden Goose, p. 958; January 1, 2006, Carolyn Phelan, review of The Catlady, p. 103; March 1, 2008, Suzanne Harold, review of Dinosaur Trouble, p. 67.
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, June, 1992, Betsy Hearne, review of Paddy's Pot of Gold, p. 266.
Children's Literature in Education, Volume 19, number 2, 1988, Arthur Arnold, review of Pigs Might Fly, p. 81.
Horn Book, September-October, 1992, Ann A. Flowers, review of Dick King-Smith's Alphabeasts, p. 595; March-April, 1993, Ann A. Flowers, review of Sophie's Tom, pp. 208-209; November-December, 1994, Ann A. Flowers, review of Three Terrible Trins, pp. 733-734; January-February, 2001, Kristi Beavin, review of Spider Sparrow, p. 122; January-February, 2005, Robin Smith, review of The Golden Goose, p. 95.
Independent (London, England), October 8, 2001, Nicolette Jones, "A Life with His Animals and Other Family," p. 5.
New York Times Book Review, May 17, 1987, Karla Kuskin, review of Harry's Mad.
Observer (London, England), December 11, 1983, Naomi Lewis, review of The Sheep-Pig.
Publishers Weekly, June 29, 1990, review of Ace: The Very Important Pig, p. 102; June 29, 1992, review of Sophie's Tom, p. 63; October 19, 1992, review of The Animal Parade, p. 79; May 31, 1993, review of The Invisible Dog, p. 55; October 17, 1994, review of The Terrible Trins, pp. 81-82; March 13, 1995, review of Harriet's Hare, p. 70; August 5, 1996, review of The Stray, p. 442; March 16, 1998, review of Mr. Ape, p. 64; July 6, 1998, review of Animal Stories, p. 61; July 13, 1998, review of The Water Horse, p. 78; December 6, 1999, review of Spider Sparrow, p. 77; June 26, 2000, review of Mysterious Miss Slade, p. 75; November 20, 2000, review of The Roundhill, p. 69; April 23, 2001, review of Billy the Bird, p. 78; December 10, 2001, review of Funny Frank, pp. 70-71; April 1, 2002, review of George Speaks, p. 83; September 30, 2002, Heather Vogel Frederick, "A Life Filled with Tails," p. 73, and review of Chewing the Cud, p. 73; November 25, 2002, review of Titus Rules!, p. 68; August 4, 2003, review of The Nine Lives of Aristotle, p. 80; February 14, 2005, review of The Golden Goose, p. 77; November 21, 2005, review of The Catlady, p. 48; August 6, 2007, review of Hairy Hezekiah, p. 189.
School Library Journal, July, 1992, Yvonne Frey, review of Lady Daisy, p. 62; April, 1993, Virginia Golodetz, review of The Cuckoo Child, p. 121; October, 1993, Kay McPherson, review of All Pigs Are Beautiful, p. 118; March, 2000, Linda L. Plevak, review of Spider Sparrow, p. 239; December, 2000, Beth Wright, review of The Roundhill, p. 145; June, 2001, Anne Connor, review of Billy the Bird, p. 121; November, 2002, Jennifer Ralston, review of Chewing the Cud, p. 189; October, 2003, Judith Constantinides, review of Clever Lollipop, p. 128, and Elaine E. Knight, review of The Nine Lives of Aristotle, p. 128; January, 2006, Debbie Whitbeck, review of The Catlady, p. 104; March, 2008, Kelly Roth, review of Dinosaur Trouble, p. 169.
Times Literary Supplement, July 7, 1978, Anne Carter, review of The Fox Busters, p. 770; October 17, 1986, Alice H.G. Phillips, review of Noah's Brother.
ONLINE
British Broadcasting Corporation Web site, http://www.bbc.co.uk/ (August 5, 2008), Clare Parrack, "How Babe Saved Dick King-Smith's Bacon."
Guardian Online, http://books.guardian.co.uk/ (November 10, 2001), Julia Eccleshare, "How to Make Millions from Pigs."
Random House Web Site, http://www.randomhouse.com/ (August 5, 2008), interview with King-Smith.
Young Writer Web site, http://www.mystworld.com/ (February 12, 2002), "Issue 4: Dick King-Smith."