Sold by Biblioctopus, Los Angeles, CA, U.S.A.
Association Member:
AbeBooks Seller since November 20, 2013
Seller rating 2 out of 5 stars
Preceding the 1985 U.S. edition retitled "Babe, the Gallant Pig"). Signed by King-Smith (in ink) on the title page. Fine in fine dustjacket, perfect, and not common when it's signed, an exemplar of a "book code" imperative saying that even if every book you buy doesn't ultimately make you happy, always buy the best of them so as to deserve it. The 1995 film (Babe) won the Golden Globe for Best Picture and it is not crazy to call it one of the best movies of the last 40 years. King-Smith won the 1984 Guardian Children's Fiction Award for this book. The file copy has a rubber stamp on the front pastedown, the front free endpaper has been cut off, there is some foxing to the page edges and some spotting to the copyright and contents pages, else very good in a jacket with a faded spine. An interesting thing to have for a book that is beginning to, justifiably, gain recognition among collectors and dealers. "Babe" (1995), directed by Chris Noonan and produced by George Miller, represents a significant achievement in the pastoral film genre that subverts anthropomorphic conventions while delivering a powerful critique of established hierarchies. Through meticulous cinematography that alternates between ground-level shots emphasizing the animal perspective and wider pastoral compositions, the film creates an immersive farmyard diegesis that both embraces and challenges fairy tale traditions. The narrative's underlying exploration of identity construction and social determinism-embodied in the titular pig's refusal to accept prescribed limitations-functions as a sophisticated allegory for class mobility and talent recognition. Its source material, Dick King-Smith's "The Sheep-Pig" (1983), demonstrates the author's masterful ability to blend pastoral realism with accessible anthropomorphism, employing straightforward yet evocative prose that respects young readers' intelligence while exploring complex themes of identity, determination, and mentorship through the relationship between Farmer Hoggett (called Hogget in the book) and the orphaned piglet who learns to herd sheep. King-Smith, drawing on his experience as a farmer, imbues the text with authentic agricultural details while simultaneously subverting traditional farm hierarchies, creating a work that functions both as engaging children's literature and as a subtle challenge to predetermined social roles, establishing King-Smith as a significant voice in late twentieth-century children's literature, with his background in farming lending authenticity to a narrative that balances whimsy with genuine insight into animal behavior and rural life.
Seller Inventory # 1059
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