Showing results by author "Dick Smith" in All Categories

When Brigid sees a tiny carrot moving about in the garden she can't believe her eyes. When the carrot turns out to be a tiny leprechaun, she can't believe her luck. She is the only human who can see him - but where is his pot of gold?

Best known for his best-selling novel, Babe, which was made into a major motion picture, Dick King-Smith draws on his over 14 years of experience on Woodlands Farm to create this thoughtful and humorous memoir. His time on the farm inspired countless stories as well as the numerous lovable characters found in them. In Chewing the Cud, he candidly talks about what moved him to become a children’s author.

Farmer Tubbs takes a real shine to one particular pig, so much so that he can't bear to send him to market with the other young pigs. Soon Ace is befriended by the farmyard animals including Nanny the goat and Clarence, the cunning white cat. Together they help Ace to find his place in the farmhouse, ousting Megan, the farmer's aristocratic corgi, from her queenly seat – the best parlour chair.

Step into the golden age of speculative imagination with Classic Science Fiction: Selected Short Stories, a masterfully curated collection from some of the most influential voices in science fiction history. This volume brings together visionary tales by Philip K. Dick, Murray Leinster, William Tenn, Robert Sheckley, Lynn Venable, E. E. Smith, and Fredric Brown—authors who shaped the genre with bold ideas, sharp wit, and unforgettable concepts.

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?

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. 

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...

Brought to you by Puffin. 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...

Snail on board! Siegfried loves to explore. One day his explorations take him on a big adventure – from his home in the grass, to the airport, on to an aeroplane and all the way to America! There he makes some very important friends, Mr Ambassador and Mr President, finds a new home in a sandwich box – and also meets the lovely Peggy Sue ...Another magical, funny story from the master of animal tales, Dick King-Smith.

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!

With an autobiographical foreword from the author, this collection traces Dick King-Smith's journey from boy to farmer, from soldier to favourite children's author - always in the company of his irrepressible animal friends. From Dodo the film-star Daschund to a cabbage-eating shark; from a night of badger-biffing to a tortie cat with 104 kittens; from the cat who thinks he s one of the dogs to a dog who fosters orphaned kittens...wherever Dick King-Smith goes, curious animals are sure to follow.

Charlie Muffin breeds mice of every imaginable colour – except green, of course. Everyone knows that mice are never green. But his friend Merry Day really wants to see a green mouse and Charlie Muffin really wants to please Merry Day.

It's not easy having a younger brother, William finds. Especially one like Charlie who shows off, asks a million questions, and will say "absolutely" all the time. But when Charlie is in trouble, William is the first to come to the rescue. After all, they are friends and brothers.

From master storyteller Dick King-Smith, this is the hilarious story of a family turned upside-down by an unusually gifted (and demanding) infant. Laura is amazed when her baby brother George starts talking to her when he's only four weeks old, particularly as he sounds like a grown-up! It's a big secret to keep from their parents and the rest of the family and leads to all sorts of comic confusion until George's first birthday - when he makes a speech to his startled family.

"Isn’t he e-nor-mous!" says the giant father when his first twin son is born. "There’s a-lot-uv-’im!" notes the giant mother when the second twin boy arrives. And as Normus (a vegetarian) and Lottavim (a carnivore) grow and grow, the two are hugely happy - playing Roll the Boulder, singing badly, and doing everything together: waking up, going to sleep, even sneezing. So when they reach the age of 20 and the height of 12 feet, it's not surprising that they each think the same thought at exactly the same time: "It's about time I found a wife!"

Muriel, the Catlady, lives alone with just her feline friends for company. When a new kitten is born, it soon becomes clear it is no ordinary cat. Vicky is a kitten with a very regal character, and strangely enough, was born on the very day that Queen Victoria died.

Look up into the starry sky on the night of the full moon and you'll see...a bird? A plane? No...a little boy! Eight-year-old Mary Bird has discovered a secret: Her four-year-old brother Billy can fly! Floating around his room is bad enough, but when he takes off out an open window, Mary's sure disaster isn't far behind. She may be right!

Frank is a funny chick. Unlike all his brothers and sisters, he wants to dabble about in the lovely duck pond, splashing himself with water. Most of all, he wants to learn to swim. Can Jemima, the farmer’s daughter, find a way to help Frank? 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.

Peter is a young boy, living on a farm. One day, whilst out doing chores for his father, he comes across a strange white stick floating in the stream. He reaches out and catches it - and finds an exciting new friend in the process. Ninnyhammer is the local village simpleton, but Peter knows there's more to him than that - he's a magician and the white stick is his magic wand. Ninnyhammer is so grateful that he starts to help Peter and his family with their struggling farm. But Peter wants to do something for Ninnyhammer in return.

The date is AD 1650. Dodos are leading idyllic lives on an island in the Indian Ocean, but soon there will be no dodos anywhere at all on earth. Beatrice and Bertie are happily planning their wedding bliss and thinking of all the dodolings they will produce, unaware of the dangers lurking offshore in the anchored ship. The sea monkeys and rats within are dangerous, mean and hungry, and the unsuspecting dodos are in trouble!