CLEVER LOLLIPOP

Dick King-Smith, a former dairy farmer, is one of the world's favourite children's book authors. 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 is also the author of Walker's much-loved Sophie series. He said of these books: "Each time I sit down to write an animal story, I say to myself, 'What sort of animal?' and I answer, 'Pig!' Then I say, 'No, no, you've just done a pig story.' So I have to wait. And then along came Lady Lollipop!"

Jill Barton, who lives in Devon, was highly commended for the Kate Greenaway Medal for The Pig in the Pond and has illustrated many other books for children, including the Baby Duck stories. She says of these books: “Lollipop is a pig with personality plus! My favourite pictures to draw were the ones where she gazes into the eyes of the Princess...’