Freddy and the Dragon

Freddy the Pig #26

by Walter Rollin Brooks, Kurt Wiese (Illustrations)

These beloved classics, originally published between 1927 and 1958, are available now for the first time as Overlook paperbacks: Freddy the Pig, the "Renaissance Pig" (The New York Times Book Review) of Bean Farm, is back to thrill his fans of all ages in facsimile editions of these all-American children's classics. In this terrific adventure, Mrs. Peppercorn reports trouble afoot in Centerboro. Luckily, Freddy and his Bean Home friends have the help of their very own dragon to catch the culprits. This is vintage Freddy and the whole ensemble cast at their charming best.

Genres: Fiction, Childrens, Middle Grade, Audiobook, Fantasy, Animals, Adventure

239 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1958

About the author

Walter 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.
Source

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a nostalgic classic! I love the audiobook performance by John McDonough! His voice is nice to listen to and he does wonderful and distinct voices for all of the characters!

[Niki (nikilovestoread) · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has been very bittersweet to finish Freddy and the Dragon. I've been reading the series aloud to my kids off and on for a few years now. It's sad that we have come to the end of the series. But we also loved Freddy and the Dragon and enjoyed it like we have enjoyed every book in the series. This is one of our favorite series to read aloud. In Freddy and the Dragon, Freddy and Jinx have just come home from their trip up to New England to find Centerboro has been having a rash of thefts and many are blaming the Bean farm animals and Freddy especially. The animals, with Freddy in the lead, must figure out what is going on, clear their names, and bring the real culprits to justice. As we sadly finished up our last Freddy book, my youngest votes we start again at the beginning!

[Abigail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a nostalgic listen!! Love the narrator (John McDonough)!!

[La La · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars on the blog.

This story is like if Charlotte's Web and Animal Farm had a baby, ha ha. The writing is a little bit dated, but not as much as I thought it would be. There was a good solid twisty turny crime mystery to solve and many teaching moments like: just because you are a pig doesn't mean you're lazy, and being a horse doesn't automatically make you a thief. There was also a bad character who just needed some pep talks and someone to believe in him. The illustrations, however, were dreadful. This was the twenty-sixth and last book in the Freddy the Pig series. The author gives enough back story sprinkled in the first chapters to make it easily readable as a standalone.

[Geoffrey · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not with a bang but a whimper. I suppose I should appreciate the fact that this is a bit toned down--more like a typical Freddy book than the last few--but it goes too far in the other direction. This is incredibly insubstantial, and if you think introducing the cows' father is going to liven things up...well, it doesn't. A non-impressive swan song to the series.

[Thomas Henry · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I was in grade school, I read all of the Freddy books over and over, except this one. I bought a new copy reissued by The Overlook Press. Read it for the second time and enjoyed it. Not as good as some of my favorites, such as Goes Camping, The Perilous Adventure and Ignoramus, but a fun and nostalgic read.

[Charlotte van Walraven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyable. A childhood classic that doesn't ever get old no matter how many times you read it. I highly recommend this book, and the entire series.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic book to finish a fantastic series...

[Christin Le · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love all the freddy books! Read these growing up and its great to bring back memories. Another great, thrilling installment! Listened to the audiobook

[Georgene · Rating 3 out of 5]

The characterization of the animals is what stands out in this title. There were some humorous moments, but some portions do not stand the test of time.

[Brandon Minster · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sad to have finished them all. But there are so many that we can't remember the first ones, so I guess we get to start over.

[Anna Carr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun nostalgic read!

[E.L. · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Freddy books were never exactly realistic, but I prefer the earlier ones where they at least bore some semblance of realism. The later ones, where the animals go to Outer Space and the stories veer frankly off toward science fiction, are less appealing to me.

However, the conscience-mole alone made this one a delight to read!

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Our second Freddy book. Phoenix is listening to these in audio-book format and he really enjoys them. I enjoy them too, but my attention floats in and out. I definitely recommend this older series. They are good fun.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

First Freddy book we have read, at the suggestion of an uncle of mine. Jasper and I both enjoyed the book, but I, in particular, found it a little hard to follow. But maybe it was just me! Perhaps we'd have been better off starting with an earlier title...

[Nathaniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked it. It's about Freddy and a dragon which is made by Uncle Ben.

[Caleb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked it. Our library does not have this book and I barely was able to get it from another library to read it.