I am aiming to read more books from the list than last year, 15 is my 2018 target! I'm looking forward to Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfield, as the TV adaptation starring Emma Watson is just lovely! And one of my all time favourite books is coming up too, The Worst Witch by Jill Murphy! Alongside those beauties are offerings from Oliver Jeffers, Michael Rosen, J.M Barrie, and Anne Fine to look forward to. For now though, here are my thoughts on one of the loveliest books i've ever read!
I'm sure everyone has seen the film 'Babe', and even it's ridiculous sequel 'Babe: Pig in the City', so you'll all familiar with the little pig, raised by a sheep dog, who has affinity with sheep. Well let me tell you this, the film is lovely, but the book is even more wonderful!
Babe, so called because that's what his mother called him, is such a cutie! Won by Farmer Hogget in a 'guess the pig's weight' competition, he is taken home and adopted by loving sheep dog mummy Fly. Fly and her pups raise Babe as one of their own and soon Babe is convinced his raison d'etre is to heard sheep just like them!
This book oozes charm. Dick King-Smith knew how to write about animals, and about the unconditional love that exists between man and beast. In The Sheep Pig the most moving character development is most certainly the bond that builds between Farmer Hogget and Babe. To start with there is talk of eating the pig, which would have been the most obvious thing to do, yet the farmer can't quite bring himself to agree with his wife. As Babe becomes more and more 'dog-like' Farmer Hogget becomes quite fond of him, until eventually they have formed a bond as strong as a man and his dog. Farmer Hogget sees that Babe is more than just a pig, he is special.
Flowing through this book there is a strong message about believing and trusting in others. Fly and Farmer Hogget believe in Babe, and encourage him to become a sheep-pig. At no point is he told that he shouldn't. This is an important message that can be transferred into so many different situations. Just because he is a pig, doesn't mean he can't do a dog's job, especially if he is good at it. Take that sentence and replace it with sexist or racist connotations and you've got a life message for children everywhere; you can be whatever you want to be, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise!
Reading this book was an unexpected revelation. I knew the story, but I wasn't at all prepared for the emotional impact it would have on me. By the end I was almost in tears! There are certainly ups and downs in this book, high points and low points, but in just 135 pages this book says more than you could ever imagine when looking at the cover.
Thanks for reading, L x
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