The Sheep-Pig

Story

After farmer Hogett wins a piglet at the fair, he has no use for him. But Babe, as he is known to the other farm animals, soon discovers a talent for rounding sheep. Unlike Fly, the trusty sheepdog, Babe befriends the sheep - it’s far easier than frightening them! But will his technique work at the local sheepdog trials…

Why we chose it

A gentle, humorous book with some laugh out loud moments, ideal for young animal lovers – and anyone with a soft spot for pigs.

Where it came from

Dick King-Smith had been a farmer in rural England where the story Babe is set. He treated all the animals in his care as pets, but his favourites were the pigs.

Where it went next

The Sheep-Pig is the top-selling title by Dick King-Smith and won the Guardian Children's Fiction Award in 1984. The story has been translated into fifteen languages and in 1995 it became a film, Babe, which also became an international success. David Wood adapted it for the stage in 1987.

Associated stories

Dick King Smith wrote over 130 books. His first The Fox Busters was published in 1978. Many of them are about animals and have farmyard settings, including The Invincible Dog (1995), Martin’s Mice (1988), Harriet’s Hare (1995), Daggie Dogfoot and Clever Duck (1997). He wrote the popular Sophie series about a little girl who is determined to be a farmer.

The other Dick King Smith books in our 1001 are The Queens Nose (1983) and The Hodgeheg (1987).