Sophie in the Saddle - Softcover

Dick King-Smith is one of the world's favourite children's book authors. His titles for Walker include the much-loved Sophie books, and his book "The Sheep-Pig" was turned into an Oscar-winning Hollywood film, "Babe". Dick lives in Bristol. David Parkins has illustrated a number of children's books, including "Webster J. Duck" and "Prowlpuss" (shortlisted for the 1994 Kurt Maschler Award and the 1995 Smarties Book Prize). He lives in Lincolnshire.

Grade 1-4-The fourth book about the doings of the indomitable little girl who most recently appeared in Sophie Hits Six (Candlewick, 1993). Here, she housebreaks Puddle, her puppy; learns to swim; and, during her family's holiday on the Cornish seaside, learns to ride horseback. She proves to be a natural rider and is sad to have to stop until next summer-lessons at home are too expensive. Luckily Aunt Al, as usual, comes to the rescue. Sophie is an unintentionally funny child. Her mispronunciations and confused words ("amateur" for "immature") are the source of much of the book's humor. Readers never really get inside her head as they do with such young protagonists as Cleary's Ramona or Hurwitz's Russell. Rather, they see Sophie from the viewpoint of an older, more sophisticated person who is amused by the six-year-old's naivete. Parkins's illustrations capture the girl's resolute, no-nonsense personality well. Sophie's many fans will enjoy these well-told adventures, which are just right for beginning chapter-book readers.
Louise L. Sherman, Anna C. Scott School, Leonia, NJ
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.