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Children's reading lists

Where to start with Dick King-Smith’s books

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16 of the best Scottish children’s books and authors

Tales of Adventurous Children from Dick King Smith

Dick King-Smith served in the Grenadier Guards during the Second World War, and afterwards spent twenty years as a farmer in Gloucestershire, the county 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, The Hodgeheg, Martin's Mice, The Invisible Dog, The Queen's Nose and The Crowstarver. At the British Book Awards in 1991 he was voted Children's Author of the Year. In 2009 he was made OBE for services to children's literature. Dick King-Smith died in 2011 at the age of eighty-eight.

Puffin presents seven stories, in audio for the first time, from master storyteller Dick King-Smith. 
 
This collection includes: Connie and Rolo, Warlock Watson, Bobby the Bad, Dragon Boy, What Sadie Saw, Treasure Trove and Back to Front Benjy. 
 
Get ready to go treasure hunting with Ben, cast spells with Sam and take flight with Montagu in this beautifully recorded new collection. 
 
Discover all our Dick King-Smith audio collections: 
The Hodgeheg and Other Stories 
The Invisible Dog and Other Animal Stories 
Dick King Smith's Stories for 5 Year Olds 
Magic Stories

The Sheep-pig

40th Anniversary Edition

A tale loved by many from one of Britain's best-known authors, this wonderful new edition of The Sheep-Pig comes with a delightful introduction by Michael Morpurgo. 
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.

Dick King-Smith served in the Grenadier Guards during the Second World War, and afterwards spent twenty years as a farmer in Gloucestershire, the county of his birth. Many of his stories are inspired by his farming experiences. Later he taught at a village primary school. His first book, The Fox Busters, was published in 1978. 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 Hodgeheg, Martin's Mice, Ace, The Cuckoo Child and Harriet's Hare (winner of the Children's Book Award in 1995). At the British Book Awards in 1991 he was voted Children's Author of the Year. In 2009 he was made OBE for services to children's literature. Dick King-Smith died in 2011 at the age of eighty-eight.

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 . . . 
 
From the number one author of animal magic comes this wonderful new edition of The Sheep-Pig. With a new foreword from Michael Morpurgo, this anniversary edition celebrates one of the most famous pigs in the world of books and film.

Ambrose Follows His Nose

'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?

Dick King-Smith (Author) 
Dick King-Smith served in the Grenadier Guards during the Second World War, and afterwards spent twenty years as a farmer in Gloucestershire, the county 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, The Hodgeheg, Martin's Mice, The Invisible Dog, The Queen's Nose and The Crowstarver. At the British Book Awards in 1991 he was voted Children's Author of the Year. In 2009 he was made OBE for services to children's literature. Dick King-Smith died in 2011 at the age of eighty-eight.

Ambrose is a curious young rabbit with a super sense of smell! When Ambrose meets Biddy, the sparky young niece of his caring owner Jim, the two quickly become friends and Biddy pleads to adopt Ambrose as her pet. 
Biddy trains Ambrose as a tracker rabbit and his skills are soon put to the test when his sister Roly goes missing. But when Biddy's family find themselves in real danger, can Ambrose and his extraordinary nose save the day?

Magic Stories

Brought to you by Puffin. 
 
 Puffin presents a collection of magical stories from master storyteller, Dick King-Smith. 
 
This collection of exciting stories includes The Magic Carpet Slippers! 
 
The great thing about being 75 years old is that you can wear your slippers everywhere - Percy Sloggett wears his in the garden and to the shops as well as in the house. In time his battered old slippers need to be replaced and he gets something of a surprise when he discovers that his new pair are magic. They make him feel years younger and also make him strong and clever. 
 
Percy is desperate to tell someone his secret and so tells his friend's grand-daughter, Lollie - for of course children understand magic better than adults do. Percy's slippers turn out to be life-savers as they enable him to leap across the road to save Lollie from a disaster! 
 
The other brilliant stories included in this collection are: The Magic Carpet Slippers, Uncle Bumpo, Philibert the First and The Ghost at Codlin Castle 
 
'Sparkling humour and wonderful characters are Dick King-Smith's trademarks' - Books for Your Children 
 
© The Estate of Dick King-Smith 2022 (P) Penguin Audio 2022

Puffin presents a collection of magical stories from master storyteller, Dick King-Smith. 
 This collection of exciting stories includes The Magic Carpet Slippers! 
 The great thing about being 75 years old is that you can wear your slippers everywhere - Percy Sloggett wears his in the garden and to the shops as well as in the house. In time his battered old slippers need to be replaced and he gets something of a surprise when he discovers that his new pair are magic. They make him feel years younger and also make him strong and clever. 
 Percy is desperate to tell someone his secret and so tells his friend's grand-daughter, Lollie - for of course children understand magic better than adults do. Percy's slippers turn out to be life-savers as they enable him to leap across the road to save Lollie from a disaster! 
 The other brilliant stories included in this collection are: The Magic Carpet Slippers, Uncle Bumpo, Philibert the First and The Ghost at Codlin Castle 
 'Sparkling humour and wonderful characters are Dick King-Smith's trademarks' - Books for Your Children

Dick King Smith’s Farm Yard Tales

Brought to you by Puffin. 
 
Puffin presents five classic children's stories from master storyteller Dick King-Smith. 
 
This collection features tales from the farm yard including Julius Caesar's Goat. 
 
Julius Caesar's Goat is the story of how Julius Caesar became the owner of a goat so smelly, the enemy ran away at the merest whiff of him! And then there's Caesar's girlfriend... Queen Cleopatra may be beautiful but she uses Siberian wolf's wee for perfume and rancid donkey milk for bathwater. How can Caesar stand to be near this pungent pair? 
 
The other stories included in this collection are The Rats of Meadowsweet Farm, Cuckoo Bush Farm and Farmer Bungle Forgets. 
 
© Dick King Smith 1987, 1988, 1995, 2000 (P) Penguin Audio 2022

Dick King Smith’s Stories for 5 year olds

Brought to you by Puffin. 
 
Puffin presents stories for five year olds from master storyteller, Dick King-Smith. 
 
This collection includes King-Smith's stories for younger readers, including Dinosaur School! 
 
In Dinosaur School Basil Brontosaurus is teased at playschool by all the other little dinosaurs, who call him stupid. His mother tells him he's special because he has two brains - one in his head and one is his back. Basil is so pleased that he starts to throw his weight around at playschool. That is, until he meets a large Tyrannosaurus rex! 
 
The other Stories included in this collection are: Blessu, Dumpling, Henry the Pond Poet, Happy Mouse Day and Under the MishMash tree 
 
'Sparkling humour and wonderful characters are Dick King-Smith's trademarks' - Books for Your Children 
 
© Dick King-Smith 2022 (P) Penguin Audio 2022

Puffin presents stories for five year olds from master storyteller, Dick King-Smith. 
 This collection includes King-Smith's stories for younger readers, including Dinosaur School! 
 In Dinosaur School Basil Brontosaurus is teased at playschool by all the other little dinosaurs, who call him stupid. His mother tells him he's special because he has two brains - one in his head and one is his back. Basil is so pleased that he starts to throw his weight around at playschool. That is, until he meets a large Tyrannosaurus rex! 
 The other Stories included in this collection are: Blessu, Dumpling, Henry the Pond Poet, Happy Mouse Day and Under the MishMash tree 
 'Sparkling humour and wonderful characters are Dick King-Smith's trademarks' - Books for Your Children

Dick King-Smith

30th Anniversary Edition

Hares don't talk. Everyone knows that. . . 
 
But the hare Harriet meets in a corn circle on Longhanger Farm is a very unusual hare. 
 
'He's a wizard, that's what he is. 'Wiz,' she said.' 
 
Wiz is a Partian, native to the distant planet Pars, and not only can he talk, he can speak any language, change into any shape, and even dance! Harriet and Wiz spend the summer galloping around the Farm together, but as his holiday on Earth comes to an end . . . 
 
Will Wiz want to go home?

Harriet's Hare

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Where to start with Dick King-Smith’s books

16 of the best Scottish children’s books and authors

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