Freddy the Pig

The barnyard animals are tired of being cold in the winter. Since Farmer Bean doesn't have enough money to patch the holes in the barn or heat the chicken coop, they are migrating to Florida for the winter. Travelling to the beat of Freddy the pig's funny songs, they meet with one adventure after another. They find gold treasure to take home to Farmer Bean in the spring. Florida is fun, except for the time when alligators try to eat them for lunch. Only Freddy's cleverness lets them escape with their lives. Writing during the first half of the 20th century, Walter R. Brooks captured the idyllic America that disappeared with the 1950s. Fans remember him as the creator of Mr. Ed, the talking horse of television fame. His tour-de-force was his set of 26 Freddy books, all espousing the values that people still want for their children: loyalty, sharing, and forgiveness. John McDonough's delightful voice captures the humor and genius of this timeless creation.

Freddy is certainly an extraordinary pig by all accounts. Although he spends his time oversleeping and overeating just like a normal pig, he also finds the time to daydream, enterprise, and even write poetry! Always full of new ideas, he proposes that the animals of Bean Farm start a tour company. Promoting himself to president of Barnyard Tours, Inc., Freddy arranges an expedition to the frigid Arctic. Freddy, Jinx the cat, Eeny the mouse, Robert the dog, Charles the Rooster and a host of other animals travel all the way to the North Pole. Unfortunately, their plans freeze as they encounter a pack of polar problems--but at least they get to visit Santa Claus! Between 1926 and 1958, Walter R. Brooks wrote 26 books on the adventures of Freddy the Pig. Considered to be one of the greatest characters in American children's literature, Freddy still enjoys enormous popularity today, and his timeless tales are considered to be the American equivalents of the Pooh stories.

This heriloom book about a renaissance pig is lovingly passed from generation to generation, and is an authentic American classic. Freddy the Pig knows the rats have stolen the missing toy train. Now he has to find where it is hidden and convict the rats of the crime. Who will win Freddy's first case, the sly, scheming rats or the honorable Freddy? Narrator John McDonough captures the wonderful wordplay, memorable characters, and laugh-out-loud good humor found in this timeless story.

Mr. Bean knows he has the smartest animals in the state of New York. He's just not sure they can care for his farm by themselves while he takes his wife on vacation. So to show how responsible they are, Freddy the pig and his friends start their own bank and their own animal republic. But a hotly contested election between a plain-spoken cow and a wily woodpecker might be more than even Freddy can handle.

A series of robberies has disrupted the peaceful life at the Bean Farm. First, food disappears from The First Animal Bank. Then sheets and shirts vanish from a clothesline. By the time oats are stolen from the barn, everyone is suspicious and upset. Soon, the animals even suspect Freddy! Who, or what, is responsible for the crimes? What is the mysterious white shape in the Great Woods? When the animals get threatening letters demanding food in exchange for their safety, it's up to Freddy to solve the mystery of the Ignormus-even if it means going into the Great Woods alone. The Freddy books are beloved classics of children's literature. With their lively friendships and adventures, the perceptive pig and his barnyard companions have delighted generations of young readers. Veteran narrator John McDonough conveys each line with gentle humor and warmth.

It all started in 1927 when a group of animals on a farm in Upstate New York decided to travel to Florida in search of warmer weather -and faithful fans of the Freddy books have been joyously lapping up each book in the twenty-six book series ever since! Why is Freddy such a popular pig? Most readers will tell you it's because he's a pig for all seasons-a detective, a pilot, a magician, an explorer, a poet, a politician ... you name it, and Freddy will give it a shot! In Freddy and the Bean Home News, Freddy's friend Mr. Dimsey, the editor of the Guardian, is ousted for publishing news of Bean Farm in the local newspaper. To ensure that those who are interested might still learn of all the goings-on, Freddy takes it upon himself to found a newspaper of his own and calls it The Bean Home News, the basis for the current Freddy fan club newsletter. It turns out that being a newspaperman isn't quite as easy as Freddy thought it might be...

Freddy the Pig needs a break. As Editor of the Bean Home News and President of the First Animal Bank, he has no time for himself anymore. As Freddy says, "I sometimes think I was much happier when I was just a humble, unpolished pig." So when rich Mr. Camphor wants a summer caretaker, Freddy trots right over to apply. Soon, he's sunning himself on a houseboat, writing a bit of poetry, and even dabbling with his paint set. But Freddy's life of ease quickly comes to an end when Simon and the rest of his rat family show up in Mr. Camphor's attic, followed by a visit from a familiar man with a black moustache and his dirty-faced boy. From Freddy Goes to Florida to Freddy and the Ignormus, Walter R. Brooks' Freddy adventures are delighting a whole new generation of readers with John McDonough's charming narration.

A robin with poor eyesight has mistaken Freddy the pig's tail for a worm. Putting aside the poem he is writing, Freddy decides to help the poor bird solve his problem. But the solution just seems to lead to bigger problems. For over half a century, the Freddy books have delighted generations of children.

Freddy the Pig has taken to the skies to save a damsel in distress. Mademoiselle Rose, the lovely bareback rider from Mr. Boorschmidt's Stupendous and Unexcelled Circus, needs Freddy's help. A wealthy but selfish man wants to marry her, and if she doesn't accept his proposal, he vows to close the circus down. So it's up to Freddy to save the beautiful lady and the big top. With the help of Mr. Bean and the animals at the farm, Freddy hatches a high flying plan that just might drive the unwanted suitor away. Freddy the Pilot fills the horizon with plenty of surprises. As John McDonough voices Freddy and his barnyard friends, listeners of all ages will be delighted with the inventive solution to Rose's dilemma. The lively adventures of Freddy the Pig have entertained generations of children. Now, with John McDonough's gentle narration, they will enchant an even wider audience.

Acclaimed author Walter R. Brooks is beloved for his Freddy series. In this tale, Freddy and his friends decide to take a trip to Mars. However, things go a little haywire, and Freddy and his pals are knocked off track. This is when the fun begins. John McDonough's festive narration makes listeners feel a part of Freddy's crew to Mars.

Mr. Boorschmidt's Stupendous and Unexcelled Circus is back in town. This time one of its attractions is really out of this world. In the big ring are six Martians and their flying saucer! But Boorschmidt doesn't stop there. He wants something even more spectacular to offer the audience, so he asks Freddy for help. Freddy knows what to do. He organizes an amazing baseball team. With the help of the other animals from Bean Farm, Freddy will teach the Martians, an elephant, an ostrich, and Mr. Boorschmidt to play ball. What will the other teams think of this strange group? The Freddy the Pig books, written between 1927 and 1955, are childhood classics that have been called the American equivalent of the Pooh series. With John McDonough's warm narrations, the Freddy books are now attracting an enthusiastic new generation of fans.

Warnings had been printed in the Bean Home News and the Centerboro Guardian, but nobody paid much attention to them. An animal revolt? "Preposterous!" said the Beans and all the other humans. But it's true-and the outrages begin: cars are stopped and overturned all over the county, farmers starting out to do their morning chores are driven back into the house, and the cows refuse to come in at milking time. In Centerboro, cats are insolent to their mistresses and horses go out of their way to insult people on the street. Simon the rat is determined to turn the farm into a dictatorship and Mr. Camphor has been persuaded (much against his better judgment) to run for governor of New York State. Herb Garble shows up, Jinx defects to the enemy (or does he?), and Freddy-that inimitable pig!-goes to work as the political boss of Otesaraga County. Freddy and Simon the Dictator is classic Brooks, in which the master of barnyard hilarity has a lot of fun satirizing politics and-especially-politicians.

While Freddy the pig relaxes in his best cowboy outfit and sings a song, he decides that he needs a vacation. He will ride his pony, Cy, out West. He'll see some wide-open spaces and maybe find some excitement. But before Freddy can leave, the excitement finds him first. Uncle Ben races up to the farm and asks Freddy for help. A pack of sneaky spies is trying to steal Uncle Ben's plans for building a flying saucer. Soon, Freddy is riding into one of the wildest adventures of his life, one that will require his most clever disguises! In the Freddy the Pig books, generations of children have enjoyed the chubby but poetic detective and his animal friends on the Bean Farm. Narrator John McDonough's lively voice captures Freddy's wonderful world, where everyone is invited to join in the action and the fun. Also available: Freddy the Detective, Freddy Goes to Florida, and Freddy and the Ignormus.

Returning from a riding trip through New England, Freddy the pig, Jinx the cat, and Samuel Jackson the mole are surprised at the cool reception they get from the people of Centerboro. It seems that some animals have been raiding gardens, stealing bicycles, and breaking into houses. And they’re led by a pig that matches Freddy's description! As folks grow more and more upset, the animals of Bean Farm urgently try to uncover the true culprits before Freddy gets thrown into jail. But to solve this mystery, Freddy and friends are going to have to find a way to defeat a headless horseman-with the help of their own special dragon. A marvelous companion to adventures like Freddy the Detective and Freddy and the Flying Saucer Plans, Freddy and the Dragon offers everything listeners want to hear in a book: thrilling action, talking pigs, and a melodious reading by John McDonough.