Dick King-Smith (1922–2011), a dairy farmer-turned author, is one of the world's favourite children's book authors, best known for his charming and humorous animal stories. He won the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize for The Sheep-Pig (filmed as Babe) and was named Children's Book Author of the Year in 1991. He was the author of Walker's much-loved Sophie series and A Pig Called Lollipop as well as two perenenially popular non-fiction picture books, I Love Guinea Pigs and All Pigs Are Beautiful.
