BR:1-11: Babe: Pig in the city

"Thia is a city. Nobody wins in the city. And nobody helps anybody. understand?" (p. 16)


 I like Babe!  I remember the excitement of reading the sheep-pig, the first book about Babe, for the first time and the excitement of the time when I found the next story of Babe at the library of the PUK! Babe leaves  the farm for the city. Farmer Hoggett needs some money and Mr, Hoggett's wife and the pig head for the city. There, Babe meets a lot of animals, for example, dogs , chimpanzees and an orang-utan. At first, the animals of the city are dry and cool to others, however, Babe's innocence and kindness change them. They and Babe become good friends, but Babe's kindness sometimes brings about danger  and troubles...

 At the same time, Mrs. Hoggett gets into a panic because her important pig disappears somewhere. She tries to find Babe, but...

I think Babe is great pig. He changes other animals' maid and even human's mind, for instant, the mind of Mrs. Hoggett. Mrs. Hoggett took Babe to the city for her money at first , but the story doesn't go as her will. At last, she and other human do their best for the animals. Human might try to treat animals at will, but animals can overturn it!! In this book, Babe and his friends do that! Therefore, I was exciting to this story.

I think we should also think about real animal's innocence when we enjoy this type of story. 

 Dick King-Smith. (adapted from the novelization by Justine Korman and Ron Fontes ; based on the motion picture screenplay written by George Miller, Judy Morris, Mark Lamprell ; based on characters by Dick King-Smith ; retold by John Escott)  (1999). Babe: Pig in the city. Britain: Pearson Education

BR:1-10: Moonwalk: The first trip to the moon

   With almost every step they leave footprints on the moon! (P. 41)


 We know something about the moon, right? The moon is closest to the earth in the solar system, and it is the only extraterrestrial object that mankind has reached.   Long ago,  however, going to the moon was only a dream. People all over the world imagined many things  about moon. Some people believed it was a god. In Japan, people thought there was a rabbit on the moon.  Later, people learned a lot of things about the moon through telescopes. They were dreaming of visiting it.
 In 1969, that dream came true! Apollo 11 of the United States of America left the earth to go to the moon.  About five days later, two astronauts stood on the moon for the first time in human's history.  They left footprints there. There is no wind or rain, so, if no one comes to disturb them, they will stay there for a long time... 




 There are many stories which is unfamiliar to us behind the story of success.  A lot of people who were watching the moment of the first trip on TV might have be excited. But to go to the moon was so dangerous and hard work. Three astronauts had to get over some troubles and cooperate with each other and share some roles. The  story of "Apollo 11" is famous, but there were a lot of difficulties which is not known so much.  This book is good for people who are interested in the process of the first trip to the moon.



Donnelly Judy. (1999). Moonwalk:The first trip to the moon: New York: Random House

BR:1-09: Black Beauty

"Always be good, so people will love you. Always work hard and do your best." (p. 4)



  Always be good , so people will love you. Always work hard and your best. These were the words of Black Beauty's mother to her son when he was only young horse.(quotation from page 4) At that time, he lives peacefully in a big field of green grass with his mother and other horses. However, when Black Beauty-the hero horse- gets older, his life changes. As a carriage-horse, he is tamed by humans, he does his best as her mother tells him.　A first, he works nicely with a good family, but he is sold because his master decides to move for his ill wise. Then, Black Beauty is separated from his companies and his masters and the family. He was pass into  the hands of many people, encounters a variety of people and goes through many things. Any time he never forget his mother's lesson.



 This story is developed through Black Beauty's flash back.  That's why we readers can see things from a horse's point of view. At last,a special thing happens, and we can also sympathize with him thanks to the style of autobiography of a hero horse. After I finish reading, I perceived a sigh of great work. Through some searching, I found out that it was the only novel in the life of woman writer, Anna Sewell of England. According to Wikipedia, the author's sympathetic depiction of  the plight of working animals is said to have led to a large interest in Animal rights protection and to make an effort foe  abolition of the habit of bearing-rein. This influential novel became a movie, so it is possible to enjoy this story by both reading and watching.


Swell Anna. (2000). Black Beauty. Britain: Person Education