George speaks (SET OF I AUDIO CASSETTE KB37350 & I BOOK KB37356)

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Laura is amazed when her baby brother George starts talking to her when he's only four weeks old, particularly as he sounds like a grown-up! It's a big secret to keep from their parents and the rest of the family and leads to all sorts of comic confusion until George's first birthday - when he makes a speech to his startled family.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

King-Smith provides frothy fun with this blithe tale about a precocious baby. Four-week-old George shocks his sister, seven-year-old Laura, when he begins to converse in full sentences. George convinces his sibling to keep his gift a secret from their parents, particularly after a tentative test ("Yes, Mommy," he says at six weeks) produces full-blown shock and the couple threatens to call a doctor ("We're going to have to slow things down a bit. That's the trouble with grown-ups something out of the ordinary happens and they panic. Children are so much more sensible," George tells Laura). Meanwhile, Laura finds it's useful having someone to help her with her multiplication tables (her brother knows them all). Eventually, George finds a way to wean his baffled parents from their incessant baby talk, and they soon grow accustomed to his abilities. When he requests an encyclopedia for his first birthday, "They did not even flinch." King-Smith mines his entertaining premise, delivering a steady stream of droll observations and snappy comebacks (" `But George,' said Laura, `how do you know the English language?' `Well, I'm English, aren't I?' "). Brown's impish line drawings of the round-headed family provide the icing on the (birthday) cake, as all of the one-year-old's party guests gape in wide-eyed wonder. Beginning readers will eat it up. Ages 7-9. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

School Library Journal Review

Gr 2-4-Readers will enjoy this funny tale of a baby boy and his seven-year-old sister. George amazes Laura by speaking when he is a mere four weeks old, hence the title. He is well beyond babbling. "`But George,' said Laura, `how do you know the English language?' `Well, I'm English, aren't I?'" he replies. While the infant demands that his sibling keep his skill a secret until he is good and ready to share it, he realizes that he'll eventually have to come clean. He clues them in gradually, repeating their simple words, and then decides to "feed them simple sentences.- Like, `George wants potty.'" Eventually, he makes a big speech at his first birthday party, astounding his adult relatives. The story moves smoothly as George approaches his milestone, and the humor is consistent. Kids will enjoy being in the know as the fawning relatives continue to babble in baby talk at him. Brown's pen-and-ink drawings (one on every page) keep up with the humor of the story. This amusing first chapter book would also be an entertaining read-aloud.-Linda Gray, Lon Morris College, Jacksonville, TX (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Booklist Review

Gr. 3-5. Laura is miffed that baby brother George is getting all the attention. She looked forward to his arrival, but now, after four weeks of being ignored by googling adults, she has had enough. To her great surprise, so has George, who tells her so. It seems George speaks--not simply the occasional gurgle, but words and whole sentences--and he is extremely intelligent. The problem, of course, is that he is trapped in a baby's body. The subsequent events, during which George reveals his extraordinary abilities, are laced with delightfully dry humor, a hint of cynicism, and subtle pokes at the silly ways adults behave around infants. Trust King-Smith to steer clear of the overly cutesy, too. George is no sweet kid: he is totally self-centered and annoyingly bossy. But the setup is great, and kids will relish both the freshness and the idea that usually all-powerful grown-ups have met their match in a little kid who still wears diapers. Judy Brown's plentiful sketches add even more sparkle. --Stephanie Zvirin

Horn Book Review

Seven-year-old Laura is shocked to discover that her newborn brother is able to talk. Since their parents arenÆt quite ready to accept GeorgeÆs abilities, the rather supercilious baby waits until his first birthday party to announce his amazing talent. There isnÆt much of a plot, but the concept is amusing and, with a comic illustration on every page, this chapter book moves at a nimble pace. From HORN BOOK Fall 2002, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Book Review

This literary equivalent of the Look Who's Talking films, originally published in 1988, sees its first American edition. "I wasn't born yesterday, you know." That's George-who was actually born four weeks ago-talking to his astonished big sister Laura in this whimsical account of child prodigy-hood run amok. Unable to keep quiet, George is soon ordering his dazzled parents around, drilling Laura in her times tables, and, ultimately, going public at his first birthday with a polite thank-you speech to a circle of open-mouthed relatives. All the while, he's struggling to get out of diapers as soon as possible and to develop enough coordination to hold a pencil. Brown's ink drawings, all deceptively normal-looking domestic scenes, add to the tongue-in-cheek air. In the end, Laura asks George what he wants to be when he grows up: Prime Minister? ("That wouldn't get my vote.") Judge? ("The verdict is no.") Explorer? ("No way.")-"When I grow up, I'm going to write funny stories for children." Good choice. (Fiction. 9-11)