The Cuckoo Child - Softcover

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 wrote mostly about animals: farmyard fantasy, as he likes to call it, often about pigs, his special favorites. He enjoyed 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 are Babe: The Gallant Pig, which was made into a major motion picture and was nominated for an Academy Award.

Grade 3-5-- A contemporary, lighthearted version of the "Ugly Duckling" tale. Not just any eight-year-old boy could manage to hatch an ostrich egg on a family farm, but Jack Daw is no ordinary boy. Since the age of four, he has been fascinated by anything that grows feathers. His interest leads him to steal an ostrich egg while on a class trip to the wildlife park. Secretly, he schemes to hatch it, relying on his already extensive experience raising barnyard fowl. He puts the eight-inch "cuckoo" egg under his unsuspecting broody goose. Everyone, especially the goose, is bewildered when the expected gosling turns out to be very large and strange looking. King-Smith is at his humorous best when describing how the animals and humans come to accept and love the odd-looking creature. When the bird is two years old and nine feet tall, Jack understands that he needs other ostriches and returns him to the wildlife park. There the young ostrich sees his own kind for the first time and at last knows who he is. This gentle story will grace the author's long list of well-loved animal fantasies. --Virginia Golodetz, St. Michael's College, Winooski, VT
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.