(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Nick Bruel. When the snooty, condescending pigs exasperate Damaris, a duck, and Rory, a sheepdog, the two encourage them to escape. The pigs, however, soon get kidnapped. Remorse sets in, and Damaris and Rory find it's much harder to bring them home again. Engaging characters fill this wonderfully wacky farm. Humorous black-and-white illustrations add even more personality to the already exuberant animals.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Nick Bruel. Although pterodactyls and apatosauruses generally dislike each other, young Nosy the pterodactyl and Banty the apatosaurus become best friends, challenging their parents' prejudices as well. When a T. Rex terrorizes the neighborhood, the two hatch a plan to get rid of him. The story, illustrated with lively black-and-white cartoons, doesn't let its message overshadow the plot.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Nick Bruel. As mice John and Janet Robinson raise their babies, they become increasingly aware of the house cat. Along with their good friend and neighbor, they set out to find a safer home and eventually discover the perfect place: a house with a human child who loves mice. The story's leisurely pace and lively illustrations downplay any potential peril.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Mini Grey. Normus and Lottavim are identical twin giants whose sibling closeness hits a roadblock when they reach marriageable age. The two split up in search of wives, and all ends happily in reunion. The story's a tad skimpy, but the book's design is luxurious, with decorated endpapers and half-title page and a perfect choice of typeface. Mixed-media illustrations are twisty and lively.

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Nick Bruel. When Ut, a gombrizil, cures Tumblerum Wollycobble, a slobbadunk, of its indigestion, the two become best friends. Ut even convinces her husband, who hates slobbadunks, to accept Tumblerum. Tumblerum becomes part of the family, incubating the gombrizils' egg and helping raise their daughter. Readers will enjoy King-Smith's nonsense language and fantastical creatures, shown in Bruel's rounded black-and-white illustrations.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Maggie Kneen. This twentieth-anniversary deluxe edition features new pencil illustrations. While many will remain partial to Mary Rayner's pen-and-ink drawings from the original edition, this hardcover is a fine alternative and should serve to introduce a new group of readers to the adventures of the intrepid Babe.

Reviewer: Terri Schmitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 1985

(2) 1-3 Illustrated by Ann Kronheimer. Unlucky Farmer Skint and his family are about to sell Woebegone Farm when their goose lays a golden egg that produces a golden gosling. Joy's arrival heralds a time of prosperity, and the farm is saved. Even when Joy's lucky powers wane, the family's love for one another and the dear goose never does in this satisfying, humorous chapter book.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2005

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Bob Graham. A curious white kitten uses up eight of his nine lives in quick succession while exploring his new life as a witch's cat. Young readers can enjoy the excitement of his misadventures while feeling certain that Aristotle will survive to old age. King-Smith's tone is gentle and humorous, and Graham's many cheerful watercolor and ink illustrations keep the story light.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) 1-3 Illustrated by Jill Barton. Princess Penelope and her pig Lollipop learn all kinds of unusual things from her new tutor, the magician Collie Cob. By the end of this sweet if rather unfocused story, Lollipop has delivered a litter of piglets. Barton's charming line drawings are the strength of this sequel to King-Smith's Lady Lollipop.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) 1-3 Illustrated by John Eastwood. Titus, Queen Elizabeth II's favorite corgi, enjoys life at Windsor Castle. His days are filled with adventure (including catching burglars) and comforts (countless custard cream cookies). Though lightweight and heavily illustrated, this short novel may prove difficult for American readers because of the many references to British royalty.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(2) YA Illustrated by Harry Horse. In an autobiography that will appeal most to adults intrigued with the origins of his animal fantasies, King-Smith centers on his decades as a Wiltshire farmer. What will appeal most to young people are King-Smith's humorous tales of the creatures for which he had so much affection. Hand this clear-eyed dose of reality to Herriot enthusiasts, would-be vets, and anyone interested in farming as it was practiced a generation ago.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2003

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by John Eastwood. From the day he hatches, Frank the chicken longs to swim with the ducks. The farmer's family fashions a wetsuit and fins for him out of a hot-water bottle and a rubber glove, and for a time he is content. But as he grows, he realizes that he misses leading a normal chicken lifestyle. Illustrated with comic line drawings, the short chapter book is entertaining and easy to read.

Reviewer: Anne St. John

(4) 1-3 Illustrated by Judy Brown. Seven-year-old Laura is shocked to discover that her newborn brother is able to talk. Since their parents aren't quite ready to accept George's abilities, the rather supercilious baby waits until his first birthday party to announce his amazing talent. There isn't much of a plot, but the concept is amusing and, with a comic illustration on every page, this chapter book moves at a nimble pace.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(2) 1-3 Illustrated by Jill Barton. Lollipop, the "scruffiest, ugliest pig of the lot," hardly seems the right pet for pampered Princess Penelope. As it turns out, Lollipop can learn to do just about anything her young trainer, Johnny, wants her to do. Johnny's ability to understand Penelope and her hapless parents is at the heart of this satisfying tale. The short chapters and the book's open, lively design and engaging pencil illustrations add to this amusing book's appeal.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2001

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Susie Jenkin-Pearce. Mary Bird is astonished one night to discover her four-year-old brother Billy flying about his room. She wrestles with the decision to tell her parents or not and worries if Billy will be seen when he is soaring over the town. Although much of the story is uneventful, the classic King-Smith elements are there.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Peter Bailey. Spider, abandoned at birth and adopted by a shepherd and his wife, doesn't speak or move the way other children do. His mental disabilities keep him out of school, but Spider has remarkable abilities with the animals around his farm home. Though the characters are less real than the setting, details of place and time leave the reader with a strong picture of farm life in World War II England. Glos.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(2) 1-3 Illustrated by Ann Kronheimer. The local children imagine Miss Slade is a witch, but when Patsy and Jim Reader move into a nearby cottage, they befriend the old woman, who shares a ramshackle caravan with her numerous pets. There are a number of quietly astringent messages in this likable chapter book, and King-Smith cuts the sweetness nicely with the brisk humor of the children's dialogue and his satirical portrayal of their parents.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2000

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Sian Bailey. Fourteen-year-old Evan considers the Roundhill, a tree-capped hill visible from his bedroom window, his secret, special place. One day he finds a strangely old-fashioned and mysterious girl there who resembles Alice from Alice in Wonderland. Set in 1936 England, this ghost story is contemplative and steeped in a strong sense of place. Black-and-white drawings open each chapter.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(4) 1-3 Illustrated by Michael Terry. Fifteen stories include several that re-work traditional material and others that humorously explore animal characteristics. Extrapolating from the Lear poem, "The Owl and the Pussycat" tells what the pig does with the shilling paid for his nose ring; in "Little Red Riding Pig," Granny gets the better of the wolf. Overly cute illustrations add little to the generally silly stories, many of which rely on puns and surprise endings.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) 1-3 Illustrated by Lina Chesak. Mr. Muffin, a mouse breeder, says he can't breed a green mouse. But when the woman of his dreams tells him, "There's no such word as can't," he ends up winning her and the Grand Mouse Championship Show with the world's only green mouse. The premise is hard to believe, but this happily-ever-after tale, illustrated with pencil drawings, is entertaining nonetheless.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth