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Book Review By J.C. Pierce
Babe: The Gallant Pig by Dick King-Smith

The quiet Farmer Hoggett attends the local fair and hears a pig
squealing loudly. The pig is a prize in a contest. Farmer Hoggett guesses its weight, and he wins the pig. This is no normal pig though. Fly, the sheepdog on the farm, adopts the pig, who she finds is named Babe, and raises him with her puppies. Babe is enthralled with his mother's life as a sheepherder, and when the puppies are sold away, Fly begins to train the pig in the ways of a sheepdog. She explains to Babe that sheep are stupid animals and that dogs are smart animals. It's the dog's job to dominate the sheep in order to have them perform the farmer's bidding. One day, however, a sheep named Ma takes sick and is kept in the barn for treatment. Babe meets her and becomes her friend and knows that she is not stupid and knows that he can treat her respectfully.

As time goes by, Farmer Hoggett begins to notice the strange behavior of this pig raised by a sheepdog. One day, Mr. Hoggett takes the pig out to the field in order to see if the pig can be a sheep-pig. Babe, though he is slow, follows orders perfectly. Also, since Babe is so polite and has made a friendship with Ma, the sheep are perfectly willing to obey his requests. They much prefer his manners to Fly's barking and commands. The farmer continues using Babe to do much of the farm work. One day, though, two dogs attack the sheep. Babe hears their cries and races to the field to save them. Once Farmer Hoggett arrives at the field, he finds Babe with a
bloody snout standing over a dead sheep that the dogs had killed. Farmer Hoggett thinks that Babe has attacked the sheep and decides to kill him. Babe is saved, however, when Mrs. Hoggett receives a call warning of two dangerous dogs in the area. Farmer Hoggett realizes then that Babe actually saved his sheep.

Farmer Hoggett then proceeds with his plan to enter Babe in the
sheepdog trials. He trains his beloved pig how to guide the sheep quickly and accurately through a course. Fly watched Babe's progress delightedly, but she worries that the sheep at the trials will not be able to communicate with Babe. Fly has learned some new respect for the sheep since she has witnessed Babe's interactions with them. She asks them about this potential problem, and the sheep tell her a password that will help Babe to communicate with the sheep at the trials. Babe and Farmer Hoggett attend the trials even though the crowd mocks the pair. The crowd is stunned, however, when Babe begins his work. He tells the sheep the password and addresses them kindly. They obey his requests, and Babe wins the contest with a perfect score.


Plot & Themes
Tone of book? - upbeat
Time/era of story - 1930's-1950's
Animal story Yes
Kind of animal:
Is this an adult or child's book? - Age 7-10

Main Character
Gender - Male
Ethnicity/Nationality

Main Adversary
Identity: - none

Setting
Europe Yes
European country: - England/UK

Writing Style
Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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