Contemporary / British English One day, Farmer Hogget wins a young pig. He likes the pig, but he is a sheep farmer not a pig farmer. Mrs Hogget wants the pig for the dinner table. The little pig has other ideas, and he's a very clever pig ...

Reviews

Gr 3-6‘The heartwarming story by Dick King-Smith (Crown, 1983) was the basis for the Academy Award nominated movie Babe. Babe is a piglet won by Farmer Hoggett, a sheep farmer. Hoggett's dog Fly fills in for Babe's lost mother, and Babe surprises everyone when he displays an astounding ability to get the sheep to do as he directs. The ever-polite pig wins the trust of Hoggett's sheep through consideration and bravery, eventually becoming a contestant in a major sheep-herding competition. In this presentation, Stephen Thorne capably reads the story with a mild British accent. Though not overly dramatic, Thorne does a commendable job when he delivers the lines of the babbling Mrs. Hoggett and the old sheep, Ma. The straightforward presentation has no sound effects, music, or message telling listeners to flip the cassette. While most youngsters know the story, the message of determination and politeness bears repeating.-Fritz Mitnick, Shaler North Hills Library, Glenshaw, PA