Reading Dick’s Books: Book Six

Published on Wednesday, March 25th, 2020

Book Six: Lady Lollipop (2000). We, Dick’s family, have decided to start rereading (or in some cases reading) some of Dick’s books… ‘Lady Lollipop is about a princess named Penelope and she wants a pig for her birthday and she gets one! A poor boy called Johnny Skinner gives her a pig called Lollipop but […]

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Reading Dick’s Books: Book Five

Published on Sunday, March 22nd, 2020

Book Five: Magnus Powermouse (1982). We, Dick’s family, have decided to start rereading (or in some cases reading) some of Dick’s books… Magnus Powermouse was Dick’s third book, coming just after Daggie Dogfoot and just before The Queen’s Nose. The book takes the reader into a typical farmyard setting, where mouse mother and mouse father […]

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Farmer Hoggett and Babe

Published on Tuesday, March 10th, 2020

The King-Smith family have been lucky enough to receive this wonderful illustration of Farmer Hoggett and Babe from a talented little girl called Luna Silander who is in grade five in St Cyprian’s School in Cape Town, South Africa. We think that Luna has perfectly captured the scene in The Sheep-Pig (Babe the Gallant Pig) […]

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The Puffin Book of Big Dreams!

Published on Wednesday, January 22nd, 2020

We are very excited to announce that Dick King-Smith’s writing will be featured in The Puffin Book of Big Dreams! It is a new collection of stories, poems and illustrations from well-loved and exciting new authors and illustrators to celebrate Puffin Books’ 80th birthday and the power of reading. Along with many other brilliant works, […]

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Inspiration

Published on Wednesday, January 22nd, 2020

When Dick was alive, one of the most common questions that children would ask him was ‘where do you get ideas for your stories?’ Being a lifelong lover of animals, it is no surprise that most of Dick’s books are about them. It must have helped that all of Dick’s family loved animals, so that […]

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Runs In The Family…

Published on Monday, January 6th, 2020

Dick’s love of animals didn’t emerge from nowhere, as his whole family were very fond of them too. Here’s Dick’s grandfather Grampy King-Smith with a somewhat languid pet dog and cat, probably during the 1940s.

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On The Nose Podcast

Published on Wednesday, December 11th, 2019

Some of you may remember Dick’s 1983 book The Queen’s Nose, or more likely, you may have seen the 1990’s BBC TV adaptation of the book, which ran for seven series. Well, lovely chaps Sam and Dan have for some time been running the On The Nose Podcast, which is dedicated to exploring and revisiting […]

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Frampton Cotterell Scarecrow Trail

Published on Friday, November 22nd, 2019

Last month, Frampton Cotterell Parish Council did Dick and the King-Smith family the great honour of theming their fifth annual scarecrow trail around characters from the books of Dick King-Smith. The residents of Frampton Cotterell and nearby Coalpit Heath did an amazing job of creating a great many wonderful scarecrow creations all around the adjoining […]

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Reading Dick’s Books: Book Four

Published on Wednesday, November 20th, 2019

Book Four: Daggie Dogfoot (1980). This book was also titled Pigs Might Fly. We, Dick’s family, have decided to start rereading (or in some cases reading) some of Dick’s books… I have just finished reading this wonderful book. To my shame, perhaps for the first time. I may have been read it as a child, […]

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Buzz King-Smith

Published on Wednesday, October 16th, 2019

King-Smith family dog Buzz has recently had his annual check up and immunisations at the vets. Being weighed was no problem.  Having his heart listened to and ears looked in – fine.  However, he did look very surprised at the indignity of having his temperature taken! But his finest hour was when the pretty, slim, […]

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Dick King-Smith site illustration