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Freddy the Pig #22
Freddy and the Men from Mars
This news wouldn't have disturbed Freddy and the other barn animals had not the paper further stated that their friend Mr. Boomschmidt had invited Mr. G. and his men from Mars to join Boomschmidt's Stupendous and Unexcelled Circus. Freddy, ever ready to maintain his reputation as a detective, immediately suspects a hoax, and quickly sets out to expose it. How he manages to do so, with the help of Jinx, the Horrible Ten, and several other familiar allies-and a band of real Martians who turn up just in the nick of time-makes for one of the most hilarious of all the Freddy tales, a story that is simply out of this world!
"Freddy is simply one of the greatest characters in children's literature!" (School Library Journal)
"Freddy is simply one of the greatest characters in children's literature!" (School Library Journal)
246 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1954
4 people are currently reading
110 people want to read
About the author
Walter Rollin Brooks
62 books69 followersWalter Rollin Brooks (January 9, 1886 – August 17, 1958) was an American writer best remembered for his short stories and children's books, particularly those about Freddy the Pig and other anthropomorphic animal inhabitants of the "Bean farm" in upstate New York.
Born in Rome, New York, Brooks attended college at the University of Rochester and subsequently studied homeopathic medicine in New York City. He dropped out after two years, however, and returned to Rochester, where he married his first wife, Anne Shepard, in 1909. Brooks found employment with an advertising agency in Utica, and then "retired" in 1911, evidently because he came into a considerable inheritance. His retirement was not permanent: in 1917, he went to work for the American Red Cross and later did editorial work for several magazines, including The New Yorker.
In 1940, Brooks turned to his own writing for his full-time occupation. Walter married his second wife, Dorothy Collins, following the death of Anne in 1952.
The first works Brooks published were poems and short stories. His short story "Ed Takes the Pledge" about a talking horse was the basis for the 1960s television comedy series Mister Ed (credit for creating the characters is given in each episode to "Walter Brooks"). His most enduring works, however, are the 26 books he wrote about Freddy the Pig and his friends.
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Born in Rome, New York, Brooks attended college at the University of Rochester and subsequently studied homeopathic medicine in New York City. He dropped out after two years, however, and returned to Rochester, where he married his first wife, Anne Shepard, in 1909. Brooks found employment with an advertising agency in Utica, and then "retired" in 1911, evidently because he came into a considerable inheritance. His retirement was not permanent: in 1917, he went to work for the American Red Cross and later did editorial work for several magazines, including The New Yorker.
In 1940, Brooks turned to his own writing for his full-time occupation. Walter married his second wife, Dorothy Collins, following the death of Anne in 1952.
The first works Brooks published were poems and short stories. His short story "Ed Takes the Pledge" about a talking horse was the basis for the 1960s television comedy series Mister Ed (credit for creating the characters is given in each episode to "Walter Brooks"). His most enduring works, however, are the 26 books he wrote about Freddy the Pig and his friends.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
May 8, 2018
Freddy and the Men from Mars is another delightful book in the Freddy and the Pig series. In this installment, Freddy and Uncle Ben are getting the spaceship ready for another attempt to fly to Mars when they hear that Martians have landed on earth. They have joined up with Mr Boomschmidt's circus through Mr. Garble. They all know that you can never trust Mr. Garble and he's undoubtedly up to no good. Freddy sets out to solve the mystery of just who are the Martians and what is Mr. Garble up to now? My kids and I have loved every Freddy the Pig book. I wish the whole series was more well known to kids as it is fun, witty, and full of adventures. You never know what Freddy and the rest of Mr. Bean's animals will be up to next!
January 27, 2013
Six martians have joined the local circus side show, and crowds are coming from miles around to view them, but is all as it seems? Hilarious and adorable story! Hooray for Freddy and his friends. This is the 3rd book in the series that I've read, and they are irresistible.
April 20, 2026
Freddy, Martians, and Some Old Nemeses Meet in an SF Satire
Walter R. Brooks’ Freddy and the Men from Mars (1954) begins as Uncle Ben and Mrs. Peppercorn are preparing Ben’s space ship for an ideally successful trip to Mars (in Freddy and the Space Ship [1953], they failed), when Freddy brings them news that his old enemy, Mr. Gargle, has reportedly captured six Martians and joined Mr. Boomschmidt’s Circus as a popular Men from Mars sideshow. The laconic Uncle Ben, the awfully rhyming spunky Mrs. Peppercorn, the pig of all trades Freddy, and the g-man slang talking black cat Jinx are soon off to investigate the “Martians,” because they fear that Mr. Gargle will steal the circus from Mr. Boomschmidt. As Mrs. Peppercorn puts it, “If he ties up with Garble… his fate will be har’ble.”
Freddy and company discover that the Men from Mars (“about eight inches tall, dressed in red, with short legs, long noses, and luxuriant red whiskers”) are a fraud but can’t reveal the scam for fear of ruining their friend Mr. Boomschmidt’s reputation.
And did Mr. Gargle really buy the Big Woods adjoining the Bean Farm? And what are the sardonic long-time foes Simon the Rat (whose appearances in earlier series books must have partly inspired E. B. White’s Templeton) and his family doing back in town and country? Can Freddy et al find a way to expel Mr. Gargle and his ersatz Martians from the Circus before Mr. Gargle can ship Freddy to a Montana stockman to be rendered into bacon? What would happen if real Men from Mars were to show up?
This twenty-second entry in the Freddy the Pig series is sillier and less impressive than the earlier books, but does feature flashes of Brooks’ satiric wit, targeting things like gullible Americans who believe in flying saucers, loud Americans who talk to foreigners in broken English, political Americans who want to know if someone is Republican or Democrat, ignorant Americans who fear “red commies from Rooshia” (the novel was published during the McCarthy era), and manipulable Americans who go war-mad from patriotic speeches like this:
“We were not always so fearful. Not in the old days would we have stood aside, hat in hand, and let these robbers plunder and destroy our broad lands. No! Better to languish in chains in the dungeons of the Grimby house; better, I say, to lie stricken on a well-fought field, than to cringe and basely surrender to an enemy whom we have twice before defeated in battle.”
The novel also contains plenty of Brooks’ whimsical humor, most enjoyable in his tongue-in-cheek animal facts like, “Simon, like most rats, was ticklish,” and
“Bumble bees make excellent spies. They go blundering along, bumping into things and buzzing importantly, apparently absorbed in their own rather stupid business. Nobody pays much attention to them. But they have sharp eyes and are good listeners.”
It also displays Brooks’ long running obvious affection and respect for animals, as he humanizes them while remaining aware of their animal natures.
And his quirky, apt lines, like
“But you don’t have to believe in a thing to be scared of it,” and
“Animals aren’t really wild except when they’re shut up,” and
“No ma’am, crime does not pay, unless you get caught.”
Kurt Weise’s monochrome illustrations continue to be just right for the books: the animals are depicted realistically in physical appearance, despite occasionally wearing clothes or accessories and standing on hind legs. And he’s good at depicting amusing or important moments from the novel and even achieves a kind of science fictional sublime with his illustration of a flying saucer overtaking a space ship in the black of outer space.
The earlier books in the series are better, featuring fewer unfunny comedy bits (I could do without Mr. Boomschmidt’s hulking and brainless brother Hercules, whom Brooks suddenly produces from thin air and overuses after never having mentioned him in the previous twenty-one novels), but this one was entertaining.
Walter R. Brooks’ Freddy and the Men from Mars (1954) begins as Uncle Ben and Mrs. Peppercorn are preparing Ben’s space ship for an ideally successful trip to Mars (in Freddy and the Space Ship [1953], they failed), when Freddy brings them news that his old enemy, Mr. Gargle, has reportedly captured six Martians and joined Mr. Boomschmidt’s Circus as a popular Men from Mars sideshow. The laconic Uncle Ben, the awfully rhyming spunky Mrs. Peppercorn, the pig of all trades Freddy, and the g-man slang talking black cat Jinx are soon off to investigate the “Martians,” because they fear that Mr. Gargle will steal the circus from Mr. Boomschmidt. As Mrs. Peppercorn puts it, “If he ties up with Garble… his fate will be har’ble.”
Freddy and company discover that the Men from Mars (“about eight inches tall, dressed in red, with short legs, long noses, and luxuriant red whiskers”) are a fraud but can’t reveal the scam for fear of ruining their friend Mr. Boomschmidt’s reputation.
And did Mr. Gargle really buy the Big Woods adjoining the Bean Farm? And what are the sardonic long-time foes Simon the Rat (whose appearances in earlier series books must have partly inspired E. B. White’s Templeton) and his family doing back in town and country? Can Freddy et al find a way to expel Mr. Gargle and his ersatz Martians from the Circus before Mr. Gargle can ship Freddy to a Montana stockman to be rendered into bacon? What would happen if real Men from Mars were to show up?
This twenty-second entry in the Freddy the Pig series is sillier and less impressive than the earlier books, but does feature flashes of Brooks’ satiric wit, targeting things like gullible Americans who believe in flying saucers, loud Americans who talk to foreigners in broken English, political Americans who want to know if someone is Republican or Democrat, ignorant Americans who fear “red commies from Rooshia” (the novel was published during the McCarthy era), and manipulable Americans who go war-mad from patriotic speeches like this:
“We were not always so fearful. Not in the old days would we have stood aside, hat in hand, and let these robbers plunder and destroy our broad lands. No! Better to languish in chains in the dungeons of the Grimby house; better, I say, to lie stricken on a well-fought field, than to cringe and basely surrender to an enemy whom we have twice before defeated in battle.”
The novel also contains plenty of Brooks’ whimsical humor, most enjoyable in his tongue-in-cheek animal facts like, “Simon, like most rats, was ticklish,” and
“Bumble bees make excellent spies. They go blundering along, bumping into things and buzzing importantly, apparently absorbed in their own rather stupid business. Nobody pays much attention to them. But they have sharp eyes and are good listeners.”
It also displays Brooks’ long running obvious affection and respect for animals, as he humanizes them while remaining aware of their animal natures.
And his quirky, apt lines, like
“But you don’t have to believe in a thing to be scared of it,” and
“Animals aren’t really wild except when they’re shut up,” and
“No ma’am, crime does not pay, unless you get caught.”
Kurt Weise’s monochrome illustrations continue to be just right for the books: the animals are depicted realistically in physical appearance, despite occasionally wearing clothes or accessories and standing on hind legs. And he’s good at depicting amusing or important moments from the novel and even achieves a kind of science fictional sublime with his illustration of a flying saucer overtaking a space ship in the black of outer space.
The earlier books in the series are better, featuring fewer unfunny comedy bits (I could do without Mr. Boomschmidt’s hulking and brainless brother Hercules, whom Brooks suddenly produces from thin air and overuses after never having mentioned him in the previous twenty-one novels), but this one was entertaining.
May 26, 2021
Not the best Freddy, but the one that got me started when I was a kid. My kids thought it went on a bit too long. A fair assessment.
November 9, 2022
This is the last okay-ish Freddy book, if you're willing to accept the science-fiction nonsense. Not a fan of Mr. Boomschmidt's brother, though. Not Brooks' greatest creation.
July 4, 2023
Best summer read so far!!! A blast from summers past and remembering sitting outside in the tree and reading this beloved classic. Pick any Freddy the Pig book and you can't go wrong.
April 9, 2025
not just for kids
Clever, funny, and well written with inventive plotting and fully developed characters, human and animal. Missed these novels as a kid, loving them as an adult.
Clever, funny, and well written with inventive plotting and fully developed characters, human and animal. Missed these novels as a kid, loving them as an adult.
June 1, 2018
I've loved the Freddy books since boyhood but never read this one, i think because I was 12 when it was published and moving on to new horizons. so it's nice to be back with my old friends, even though this Freddy is not one of the greats.
June 14, 2008
A great book in the not so well known classic series of all time. Freddy the pig receives a message from his friend, Mr. Boom, the ringmaster in the circus, saying that one of his sideshow aliens is missing. Freddy jumps into the detective role to find the missing Martian and strengthen his rep as a detective.
This book is a children's book in some ways but the vocabulary is extensive and hilarious. Walter R. Brooks is one of the funniest authors I've ever read, along with Lemony Snicket and Elizabeth Enright. A must read!
This book is a children's book in some ways but the vocabulary is extensive and hilarious. Walter R. Brooks is one of the funniest authors I've ever read, along with Lemony Snicket and Elizabeth Enright. A must read!
Read
November 5, 2009I have to admit to never having understood these books, and I'm not even sure which ones I read. Maybe I should try them again, but I'm not sure I'd understand them any better even now.
Read
August 2, 2011The Freddy the Pig books are what got me reading more than comic books. This is a particularly good one, and I'll let it stand for the whole series.
October 9, 2019
I liked it. It's about how this Mr. Garble makes his own fake martians and then real martians come down to see what people thought were real martians and what happens.
February 5, 2016
i liked it
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews