22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
if you've never read a Freddy book , start here!, November 15, 2000
The Freddy books are awesome! And there are 26 of them! It's as if E.B. White wrote 25 sequels to Charlotte's Web... They got a bit formulaic towards the end -- but even the worst of them are still staggeringly good. And this is one of the best!
Freddy and the Bean Home News is my personal favorite of the seventeen we've read (there are nine more we'd like to find someday); my son's favorite is probably Freddy the Detective (maybe that's the right one to start with -- it has Simon the rat and his family -- but this one's in print).
I love it all -- the language, the characters, the drawings (the ones with Freddy disguised in a sailor suit are particularly fine). And any scene with Old Whibley the owl fills me with pleasure -- sometimes, I sneak the book off the shelf after Morris is asleep just to reread a choice passage. The books are dated in some ways -- though not THAT much, and some of it adds color (a scrap-iron drive for the war effort is a major subplot of this one). But even now, almost 60 years after it was written, it is still completely understandable and frequently hilarious to both children and adults.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Pig Reporter, December 19, 2001
This delightful tale is set (and written) right in the midst of World War II. While somewhat irreverent, it makes effective use of many of the effects of the war on rural America. The animals at Bean Farm are patriotic creatures. Anxious to participate in the local scrap iron collection effort (and win Mr. Bean a box of cigars) the animals are determined to use their special qualifications and teamwork to collect the largets amount. Freddy, always the pig on the spot, writes up a report of the animals efforts (and a poem or so) and takes it to The Centerboro Guardian, where his friend Mr. Dimsey has always been willing to include an 'animal' news column.
But the worst has happened. The snooty Mrs. Underdunk has foreclosed on Mr. Dimsey and installed her nephew Mr. Garble in his place. Needless to say, Mr. Garble does not like animals. He likes them even less when the enterprising Freddy collaborates with Mr. Dimsey to start up the Bean Home News. In no time at all Freddy has captured a large readership and Mr. Garble is losing business. When Mrs. Underdunk runs into Freddy on the sidewalk, and claims pig violence, war is declared. The two newspapers start making allegations about the opponents and the stage is set for a political struggle that is more than faintly reminiscent of today's campaigns.
This high flown adventure story has Freddy hiding in jail to avoid being arrested, Hank the horse disguised as a deer on Mrs' Underdunk's lawn, and a newspaper where the chief society reporter is a chicken. Plus, we are treated to the regular antics of the Bean Farm crew. As usual Mrs. Wiggens the Cow laughs too much. Charles the Rooster gets so good at pretending he had a cold that he actually catches one and loses a chance to make a speech. Jinx the cat collects iron by singing for it, and Old Whibley the owl wins a court case and engineers a revolution.
This is one of Walter Brooks best plots. It is well paced and cannot fail to keep up the reader's interest right to the end. Kurt Weise's illustrations are numerous and perfect. As is often in the case, the lesson being taught is "have fun, care for your country, have fun, support your friends, have fun, stand up for what's right." Did I forget to mention "have fun?" I think I like the Freddy the Pig books now more than I did as a child. Then, innocence kept the lessons from being as meaningful as they are to me as an adult. Now they are treasures.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Bean Home News, May 11, 2001
This is one of the really great Freddy books, ocurring in the middle of Brooks' career. Written during the Second World War, there are mentions of rationing and scrap iron drives, but most children won't find these a distraction. This seems to be the first appearance of Freddy's nemesis, Herbert Garble, and there are the usual --unpreachy-- lessons, such as not to take onesself too seriously, and plenty of excitement. This is one of the many Freddy books that adults will enjoy as well. Gives one a great excuse to read to your child.
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