Babe: The Gallant Pig
by Dick King-Smith
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Book Summary Information
Author: Dick King-SmithIllustrator: Maggie Kneen
Edition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Format: Deckle Edge
Published: 2005-03-08
ISBN: 0375829709
Number of pages: 144
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Book Reviews of Babe: The Gallant Pig
Book Review: Some pig
Summary: 5 Stars
Like many of my generation, I came to "Babe" via the movies. I'm not proud of this fact. As a children's librarian I like to pretend that I've heard about all my children's books in their original papery forms. This is hardly the case, of course. Lots of book (like the wonderful "Millions" by Frank Cottrell Boyce) first come to my attention through their film. "Babe" is one of those books though that stands up well to a reading after viewing its adaptation to the silver screen. Dick King-Smith had enough guts and wherewithal to write a children's book about a pig despite the fact that the greatest pig adventure tale (i.e. "Charlotte's Web") was bound to draw comparisons. But did he care what die-hard White fans would say? Not he! He wrote a truly interesting, original, and deeply meaningful tale all on his own and devil take the consequences! Babe has the inherent sweetness of Wilbur and the pluck and charm of Walter R. Brooks', "Freddy". There's even a moral to the tale, but it's so sly and unassuming that kids will end up learning something despite themselves. Well done there.
Farmer Hogget is a man of few words. Running a small farm of sheep, the occasional goose, and a family of sheepdogs, Hogget has never owned a pig (despite his own swinish name). At a nearby fair he happens to correctly guess the weight of a small piglet up for grabs. The pig is happy to go with Hogget but is deeply lonely and the farmer's kind-hearted sheepdog Fly takes the piggy under her wing and raises him as she does her own puppies. It soon becomes clear that Babe, as the pig is called, has a fast mind and is quick to learn. He befriends an old sheep named Ma and learns that by speaking politely to ewes, like herself, he is able to herd them as effectively as any sheepdog. Farmer Hogget is initially bemused by the idea but when it becomes clear that Babe is not only a first-rate sheep-pig but also a great protector of the flock, Hogget can't help but consider entering the animal in the upcoming sheepdog trials. But it's only when Fly and the sheep consider talking to one another sanely that Babe is given the key to keeping his master from becoming the laughing stock of the country.
It's hard to read a book like this and not get bopped over the head time and time again by the things the movie added to the mix. In this story you will find no male sheepdog, no wacky duck sidekick, no singing mice, and no self-assured cat villainess. You don't need all that. This is a book that has as much emotional oomph as any Technicolor adaptation. Comparisons to E.B. White's book are inevitable, but the two stories aren't as similar as you might think. "Charlotte" was about growing up and how nothing in life ever stays the same. "Babe" is about overcoming prejudices, no matter how innate, and trusting in what you know to be good and true. When a character close to Babe dies, the result is not as wrenching and meaningful as Charlotte's death in "Charlotte's Web" but it still does the trick. "Babe" is beautiful in its simplicity.
Now I'm reviewing the 20th Anniversary Edition of Babe at the moment. The illustrations are soft fluffy pictures that are the closest I've ever seen pencil come to pastel. It seems to me that when you're picking out which edition of "Babe" to have in your home, you need to make a quick decision between the original and classic pen and inks of Mary Rayner or these new softy-softy pencilings of Maggie Kneen. I'm sure that had I grown up with the Rayner shots I'd be gung-ho about the original. As it stands, I hadn't any preconceived notions about the book when I picked it up. All I cared was that the newer edition not make the farmer and his wife look like the actors in the film. They don't, it's true, and Kneen's drawings have an entirely new take on the book. They make it very clear that the story takes place in the present day (Mrs. Hogget wears a sweatshirt and has a rather short and fashionable hairdo near the story's end). The farmer and his wife are both relatively young looking. Neither of these are flaws. Unfortunately, Kneen doesn't read into the text very clearly. The book goes on and on about how large Babe grows and how he almost rivals the sheep in size. In the book though he's still smaller than Fly and rather tiny to boot. There's none of those taut muscles the text expects us to see. On top of that, I can't get over the picture of Babe on the cover. Has anyone else noticed that his front legs don't seem to be drawn correctly? There are joints where joints should not be and his left trotter is mighty small. All in all, stick with the original pen and inks by Rayner. Not only do they match the tale but they also offer the far more exciting action sequences of Babe running, fighting dogs, and generally being an active protagonist. Kneen's Babe appears to prefer lying down and sitting. Tis the lesser of the two versions, no question.
Altogether, "Babe" is just the kind of story to bring reluctant readers and voracious ones together to the table. It has something for everyone and is a deeply loving story. Perhaps Dick King-Smith's best, and certainly his best known. And I highly recommend that if this title pleases you that you seek out his roughly five thousand other animal tales. He's a prolific writer and a good one.
Summary of Babe: The Gallant Pig
Knopf is proud to present a handsome 20th-anniversary edition of Dick King-Smith?s bestselling novel that became an Academy Award?nominated movie. When Babe arrives at Hogget Farm, Mrs. Hogget?s thoughts turn to sizzling bacon and juicy pork chops?until he reveals a surprising talent for sheepherding, that is. Before long, Babe is handling Farmer Hogget?s flock better than any sheepdog ever could. Babe is so good, in fact, that the farmer enters him into the Grand Challenge Sheepdog Trials. Will it take a miracle for Babe to win?Complete with the original text and stunningly reillustrated by acclaimed artist Maggie Kneen, this anniversary edition of Babe is perfect to introduce a new generation of readers to the magical story of a pig like no other.
Babe is a sensitive soul, deeply loyal to those who are kind to him. So when he is taken in by Farmer Hogget's sheepdog, Fly, it's only natural that he would want to follow in his foster mum's paw-steps. Even with Babe's considerable handicaps as a sheepdog--namely, that he's a pig--he manages to overcome all with his earnestly polite and soft-spoken ways, proving once again that might doesn't always make right. After saving the sheep from rustlers and wild dogs, Babe convinces Hogget that his idea of becoming a sheep-pig "b'aint so stupid" as it might look. But neither Hogget nor Babe, nor anyone else, could have predicted what follows.
As utterly charming as Charlotte's Web, this book is bound to pluck even the tightest heartstrings. Masterful characterization brings every personality to vibrant life, while Mary Rayner's lively line illustrations only elucidate images Dick King-Smith has already planted in the reader's mind. Herd the whole farmyard together: readers of all ages, ambitions, and antecedents will love this one. --Emilie Coulter
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