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?

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.

The 35th anniversary of The Hodgeheg - a timeless classic tale for young children from the master of animal stories, Dick King-Smith. Includes an author profile and interview, and fun facts. ''Sparkling humour and wonderful characters are Dick King-Smith''s trademarks'' - Books for Your Children Max is a hedgehog who lives with his family in a nice little home, but it''s on the wrong side of the road from the Park where there''s a beautiful lily pond and plenty of juicy slugs, worms and snails! The busy road is dangerous but Max is determined to make his way across. If humans can do it, why can''t hedgehogs? His first attempt ends in a nasty bump on the head and, when Max tries to speak, he realises his words are all mixed up. He is no longer a hedgehog but a hodgeheg! Still determined to fulfil his mission, Max discovers the best way to cross the road - with the help of the lollipop lady and some careful detective work . . .

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.

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.

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)

A funny and fantastical adventure story featuring a finger-eating troll and a very determined heroine, from one of the world''s favourite children''s authors.Dick King-Smith, the much-loved author of Babe, spins a hilarious cautionary tale perfect for readers aged 5+. Featuring black and white illustrations by Arthur Robins, this is a classic story that will delight both parent and child.Long ago, in the cold lands of the North, there lived a troll named Ulf who had a very bad habit - he liked to eat fingers! Many, many men, women and children had found their hands a finger short thanks to the razor-sharp teeth of the Finger-eater. And who knows how many more might have suffered the same fate if it hadn''t been for the actions of a resolute girl called Gudrun!

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. . . .

Describes the characteristics and habits of pigs.

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.

GET READY TO EMBARK ON A TINY ADVENTURE! "You mean you''re going to have a baby?" "Babies." The Robinsons are expecting...trouble, that is. With six newborn mousekins and more to come, the whole family is terrified of the savage cat who stalks the hallways. After a close call, little Beaumont, the pluckiest of the lot, decides it''s time to find a new, feline-free home. On their quest, the Robinsons meet an unlikely cast of characters—mice and humans, friends and foes—but wherever they go, they are sure to find one thing: adventure. With simple prose, gentle humor, and playful illustrations, MOUSE FAMILY ROBINSON is sure to satisfy new readers.

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

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 hair-raising cross-country adventure as Lubber the dog and Squintum the cat join forces with a racing pigeon and an Irish setter to search for Lubber''s home. Winner of the Children''s Book Award.

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.

Recounts the experiences of an orphaned family in Edwardian times.

"The author of Babe, the Gallant Pig offers another winner with this tale of a bright pig and her canny young keeper ‘training’ a spoiled princess. . . . Move over, Wilbur." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review) Lollipop is no ordinary pig. According to her young trainer, Johnny Skinner, she’s the smartest pig in the entire kingdom. When people stare into Lollipop’s bright, intelligent eyes, it somehow changes them for the better. But can Lollipop win over the spoiled Princess Penelope — and her not-so-pig-friendly parents, the King and Queen? With humorous black-and-white illustrations by Jill Barton, Dick King-Smith’s tale about a special pig — and some memorable humans, too — will delight his legions of loyal fans!

A piglet destined for eventual butchering arrives at the farmyard, is adopted by an old sheep dog, and discovers a special secret to success.

Farmer Skint and his family on Woebegone Farm have fallen on hard times, but their luck changes with the arrival of a special golden goose.

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.

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.

Three books in one featuring Sophie, a little girl who loves animals and wants to be a farmer some day. Her best friend is great-great-aunt Al and her worst enemy is a girl called Dawn. Follow her adventures in these three titles - Sophie''s Snail, Sophie''s Tom and Sophie Hits Six.

"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

While on summer holidays in 1936, fourteen-year-old Evan meets a mysterious girl who bears a striking resemblance to the Alice of "Alice''s Adventures in Wonderland."