Dick King-Smith delights readers again with an enchanting tale of an intelligent pig, her royal family, and one very special teacher. Princess Penelope doesn’t know how to read, and she’s not certain she wants to learn how. But the new royal tutor, Collie Cob the Conjurer - with his long white beard, brimless top hat, and strange, multicolored clothing - is no ordinary teacher. Whether working with a person (like Penelope and her friend Johnny) or a pig (like Penelope’s pet, Lollipop), Collie Cob can teach anyone just about anything, almost as if by magic. Combining short, breezy chapters and abundant black-and-white illustrations, here is a winning pig tale that is sure to appeal to both early readers and the read-aloud crowd.
Author
Dick King-Smith was born and raised in Gloucestershire, England, surrounded by pet animals. After twenty years as a farmer, he turned to teaching and then to writing children's books. Dick writes mostly about animals: farmyard fantasy, as he likes to call it, often about pigs, his special favorites. He enjoys writing for children, meeting the children who read his books, and knowing that they get enjoyment from what he does. Among his well-loved books is Babe, The Gallant Pig, which was recently made into a major motion picture, and was nominated for an Academy Award. Dick lived with his wife in a small 17th-century cottage, about three miles from the house where he was born.
