Harry's Mad

by Dick King-Smith

Overview

"Harry's parents and friends think he's crazy because he acts out the rich fantasies of his 10-year-old imagination. And when his eccentric American uncle dies and leaves Harry a parrot named Madison (Mad), they're convinced of it. A believable, satisfying animal fantasy, with memorable characterizations and playful humor...a sprightly read-aloud."—Publishers Weekly

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780679886884
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	07/22/1997
Series:	A Yearling Book
Edition description:	REPRINT
Pages:	128
Product dimensions:	5.19(w) x 7.69(h) x 0.33(d)
Lexile:	840L (what's this?)
Age Range:	6 - 9 Years

About the Author

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

Dick currently lives with his wife in a small 17th-century cottage, about three miles from the house where he was born.  

Editorial Reviews

Harry keeps secret the talents of the parrot (chess-player, linguist, gourmet) that he inherits from an eccentric uncle in what PW called a "believable, satisfying animal fantasy, with memorable characterizations and playful humor." Ages 8-12. (July)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Gr 2-5 Don't be confused by the title. Harry isn't angry, he's delighted, and so are we, to find that the African Gray parrot he's inherited from his eccentric American uncle has an extensive vocabulary and the independent intelligence to use it. The parrot Madison (Mad for short) is as likable and unique as King-Smith's other recent animal hero, Babe: the Gallant Pig (Crown, 1985). For a while, Harry and Mad keep the secret between them, and the animal/child conspiracy is as delightful as that of Ralph and Keith in Cleary's The Mouse and the Motorcycle (Morrow, 1965). The secret is too good to keep, however, and Mad is soon delighting Harry's mother with his fastidious personal habits and his gourmet recipes and helping Harry's Dad with the crossword puzzles. When evil strikes in the form of a parrot-napping burglar, the agony of both boy and bird is palpable. This book will be fun as a read-aloud as well as a read-alone, and should prove popular. Sally T. Margolis, Town & Country Day School, Kensington, Md.

School Library Journal