Dick King-Smith

Dick King-Smith (27 March 1922 – 4 January 2011), was an English author. He wrote many children's books. The most popular was The Sheep-Pig. This book was called Babe the Gallant Pig in the United States. The book was made into the movie Babe.

Early life
King-Smith was born on 27 March 1922 in Bitton, Gloucestershire, England. He grew up in the West Country. He was a student at Beaudesert Park School and Marlborough College. King-Smith was a soldier in World War II. He was a member of the Grenadier Guards in Italy.

Personal life
He married his first wife, Myrle, in 1943. They had 3 children and 14 grandchildren. Myrle died in 2000. King-Smith then married Zona Bedding, a family friend. He received the Order of the British Empire and an Honorary Master of Education degree.

King-Smith was a farmer for 20 years before he became a teacher and author. King-Smith's first book was The Fox Busters. It was published in 1978. He then wrote over a hundred books. Some have been translated into 12 languages.

Death
King-Smith died on 4 January 2011 at his home in Bath, Somerset, England. He was 88 years old.

Writing

 The Fox Busters (1978)
 Daggie Dogfoot, retitled in the US as Pigs Might Fly (1980)
 Magnus Powermouse (1982)
 The Queen's Nose (1983)
 The Sheep-Pig  (1983)
 Saddlebottom (1985)
 Noah's Brother (1986)
 The Hodgeheg (1987)
 Tumbleweed (1987)
 Farmer Bungle Forgets (1987)
 Friends and Brothers (1987)
 Cuckoobush Farm (1987)
 George Speaks (1988)
 The Mouse Butcher (1988)
 Emily's Legs (1988)
 Water Watch (1988)
 Dodo Comes to Tumbledown Farm (1988)
 Tumbledown Farm - The Greatest (1988)
 The Jenius (1988)
 Ace (1990)
 Sophie book series
 Sophie's Snail (1988)
 Sophie's Tom (1991)
 Sophie Hits Six (1991)
 Sophie in the Saddle (1993)
 Sophie Is Seven (1994)
 Sophie's Lucky (1995)
 Alice And Flower And Foxianna (1989)
 Beware of the Bull (1989)
 The Toby Man (1989)
 Dodos Are Forever (1989)
 The Trouble with Edward (1989)
 Jungle Jingles (1990)
 Blessu (1990)
 Hogsel and Gruntel (1990)
 Paddy's Pot of Gold (1990)
 Alphabeasts (1990)
 The Water Horse (1990)
 The Whistling Piglet (1990)
 The Jolly Witch (1990)
 Mrs. Jollipop (1996)
 Mrs. Jolly's Brolly (1998)
 The Cuckoo Child (1991)
 The Guard Dog (1991)
 Martin's Mice (1991)
 Lightning Strikes Twice (1991)
 Caruso's Cool Cats (1991)
 Dick King-Smith's Triffic Pig Book (1991)
 Find the White Horse (1991)
 Horace and Maurice (1991)
 Lady Daisy (1992)
 Pretty Polly (1992)
 Dick King-Smith's Water Watch (1992)
 The Finger Eater (1992)
 The Ghost At Codlin Castle And Other Stories (1992)
 Super Terrific Pigs (1992)
 The Invisible Dog (1993)
 All Pigs Are Beautiful (1993)
 The Merrythought (1993)
 The Swoose (1993)
 Uncle Bumpo (1993)
 Dragon Boy (1993)
 Horse Pie (1993)
 Harry's Mad (1993)
 Connie and Rollo (1994)
 The School Mouse (1994)
 Triffic: A Rare Pig's Tale (1994)
 Mr. Potter's Pet (1994)
 Harriet's Hare (1994)
 The Excitement of Being Ernest (1994)
 I Love Guinea Pigs (1994)
 Three Terrible Trins (1994)
 Happy Mouseday (1994)
 Bobby the Bad (1994)
 The Clockwork Mouse (1995)
 King Max the Last (1995)
 Omnibombulator (1995)
 The Terrible Trins (1995)
 Warlock Watson (1995)
 All Because of Jackson (1995)
 The Stray (1996)
 Clever Duck (1996)
 Dirty Gertie Macintosh (1996)
 Smasher (1996)
 Godhanger (1996)
 Treasure Trove (1996)
 Mixed-up Max (1997)
 What Sadie Saw (1997)
 The Spotty Pig (1997)
 A Mouse Called Wolf (1997)
 Robin Hood And His Miserable Men (1997)
 Thinderella (1997)
 Puppy Love (1997)
 The Merman (1997)
 Round About 5 (1997)
  Mr Ape (1998)
 How Green Was My Mouse (1998)
 The Big Pig Book (1998)
 Creepy Creatures Bag (1998)
 The Robber Boy (1998)
 The Crowstarver (1998)
 Pig in the City (1999)
 Poppet (1999)
 The Roundhill (2000)
 Spider Sparrow (2000)
 Just in Time (2000)
 The Magic Carpet Slippers (2000)
 Julius Caesar's Goat (2000)
 Mysterious Miss Slade (2000)
 Billy the Bird (2000)
 Lady Lollipop (2000)
 Back to Front Benjy (2001)
 The Great Sloth Race (2001)
 Fat Lawrence (2001)
 Funny Frank (2001)
 Chewing The Cud (Autobiography) (2001)
 Titus Rules! (2002)
 Billy the Bird / All Because of Jackson (2002)
 Story Box (2002)
 The Golden Goose (2003)
 Traffic (2003)
 Clever Lollipop (2003)
 The Adventurous Snail (2003)
 The Nine Lives of Aristotle (2003)
 Aristotle (book)|Aristotle (2003)
 Just Binnie (2004)
 The Catlady (2004)
 Under the Mishmash Trees (2005)
 Hairy Hezekiah (2005)
 Dinosaur Trouble (2005)
 Nosy (2005)
 The Mouse Family Robinson (2007)

TV and movies
 Harry's Mad (1993–1996): TV series based on Harry's Mad
 The Queen's Nose (1995–2003): TV Series based on The Queen's Nose
 Babe (1995): movie based on The Sheep-Pig a.k.a. Babe, the Gallant Pig
 Babe: Pig in the City (1998): movie sequel using King-Smith characters
 The Foxbusters (1999–2000): TV cartoon loosely based on The Fox Busters
 The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep (2007): movie based on The Water Horse

References

Other websites
Profile at Puffin
Bibliography  from Bookseller World
Book covers from Fantastic Fiction

1922 births
2011 deaths
British children's writers
English novelists
Officers of the Order of the British Empire
Writers from Gloucestershire