The honest author of many children's books describes his life as a farm hand, war veteran, failed farmer (through chaotic mismanagement and too bigger love of animals!), a brief factory worker, before being trained as a primary teacher and finally successful childrens' writer. Not to mention father and grandfather. It's vintage stuff, very good, old-fashioned England, but as it's by a man used to writing for kids, it never gets overly dull or self-indulgent, and can be enjoyed by young and old. Also, many humourous accounts of animal characters keep the pace going. It's such a well-rounded life, you wonder what has happened to us in these modern times, divorced from country living. It's interesting to note that when the family suffers some hardships his friends come to the rescue, making this even more a tale about family values. A bit more detail in some places would have helped, as you sense that the author's wry hints at his readers occasionally have to fill in too large a gap.

The drawings are equally cosy, but there might have been more of them to make this an even greater celebration of old farming life and to support perhaps more of the stories and poems by the author. More references and extracts from some of his stories could have been interesting too, perhaps to remind us of his talent for 'anthropomorphism'.

A real, honest read, recalling a bit of James Herriot, leaving you with a warm glow.

Dick King-Smith goes into much detail about his childhood giving many details about both sets of grandparents and the influence that each of them had on him.

He gives details of his meeting and courtship of his wife Myrle and his life during the war years, at which point the book becomes a bit tedious.

At the end of the war he goes into farming, which is what he always wanted to do but is supported by the family business as the farm does not make money. This haunts his farming life. They have arrays of animals and the stories bring with them many laughs. However when the family business closes down it also brings with it the end of the authors farming life and Dick King-Smith as to find an alternative.

He has many small jobs to tide him over but then on the advice of a friend and a bursary which is topped up by his father he spends three years training to be a teacher. This becomes four years so that he can obtain a degree in education.

He gets a position in a local primary school teaching 8 year olds but the headmistress is worried about King-Smiths ability (or rather lack of ability) in mathematics. He spends the next three years teaching 6 year olds. The headmistress figuring that even he could do simple addition.

At the same time Dick King-Smith begins his work as an author. He experiences the usual setbacks and eventually gets his first book published. At age 60 he is advised to give up teaching and put his all into writing, which he does.

It could be said that the rest is history but the book does continue. Covering his fame with 'The Sheep Pig' and the subsequent film 'Babe' and where the inspiration for some of his books came from.

I had mixed feelings about this book. There were some bits which I would not have missed had they not been there but this was definately made up by the funny anecdotes about his family pets.

If you have ever read any of the Dick King-Smith stories this is a must!