Ransome, Sims and Jeffries
Published on Thursday, July 2nd, 2020
Many years ago, Dick wrote his very first book The Fox Busters, which was published when he was 56 years old. He got the idea during the time that he was a farmer and kept chickens. Foxes were an ever-present threat. The book is about three brave hens called Ransome, Sims and Jefferies, who are […]
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The Invisible Dog, read by Dick’s daughter Juliet.
Published on Tuesday, June 2nd, 2020
The Invisible Dog, by Dick King-Smith, read by his daughter Juliet. Chapter one. A little girl who desperately wants a dog introduces an imaginary Great Dane called Henry into her home. Her wish comes true when she is allowed a real Henry. Was old Mrs Garrow, with her cackling laugh and black cat, responsible for […]
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Would Anyone Like A Story?
Published on Sunday, April 5th, 2020
At the bottom of this page, Dick’s daughter Juliet reads Sophie’s Snail, chapter one… Chapter two. Chapter three. Chapter four. Chapter five. Further chapters to follow, on the Dick King-Smith YouTube Channel.
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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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