#tbt: Babe, the Gallant Pig by Dick King-Smith

Image: Wikipedia*

#tbt features Babe, the Gallant Pig by Dick King-Smith. This adorable story was originally published in the U.K. 1983 under the title, The Sheep Pig and was illustrated by Mary Rayner. It won the 1984 Guardian Children's Fiction Award and was published in the U.S. in 1985 retaining the cover and illustrations but changing the name. Babe was the prize at a fair for the person who could guess his weight. Farmer Hogget did so and won him; but he was a sheep farmer and had no use for pigs, so he took Babe home with the intention of raising him for Christmas dinner. Babe missed his mother and litter-mates terribly and is scared in his new environment. Fly, Farmer Hogget's sheep herding dog takes pity on Babe and cares for him along with her puppies. Babe eagerly learns all about farm life and sheep herding; but soon realizes that the sheep can be herded in a more kindly manner.

Dick King-Smith was the pen name for a beloved British children's literature author who wrote over 130 books between 1978 and 2007. He was a farmer for twenty years and many of his books are set on English farms, including his six Sophie books, which are some of my favorites. They chronicle the life of a little girl from age four to eight, who wants to become a Lady Farmer, has no use for her silly older twin brothers and intends to marry Andrew, who lives on the farm down the road. Hilarious!

Babe, the Gallant Pig was adapted for film in 1995.

*Ordinarily, I try to find cover images on the publisher website to link to, but PRH only showed a cover redo, one which I honestly can't stand. I couldn't find my copy to take a pic of and the only place I could find an image of the original was on Wikipedia - of The Sheep Pig - which, I think is a better title, BTW. Why do American publishers feel the need to change titles? Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is a better title, IMHO.