Babe is my favorite movie. I saw it before I read the book. The book is fun, but it isn't at the level that the movie is. That would be asking for TOO much.

I love the theme that animals are so much more than something for humans to eat--that they are intelligent and emotional creatures, as well.

The ways that the book is dissimilar to the movie is that there is no Rex, just Fly. Mrs. Hoggett is nice about Babe, not like in the movie. The Hoggetts’ children aren’t in it and neither is Christmas. Neither is the subplot with the duck. But the basic story is exactly the same, even with the same beginning and ending.

In this book, the animals communicate with each other. The humans are left out of the communication loop, but the Hoggetts are good people who give Babe a chance.

The underlying idea is the people thinks pigs are to be eaten, yet look how smart Babe is. He doesn’t deserve to be eaten.

It is the same idea as Charlotte’s Web–and similar to Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, though in the latter there it's not about eating animals, but experimenting on them.
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Sort of a long short story, really. Babe, the Gallant Pig is simple, straightforward, sincere, and sweet.
Farmer Hogget wins a piglet at the town's fair and brings it home. His wife is excited, because a year from now they can have all kinds of delicious pork products from him. But the pig quickly is adopted by Fly, Hogget's sheep-dog, who teaches Babe a thing or two. But in time, Babe teaches Fly a thing or two as well. The simple message of the book is, "Be kind."
While Fly thinks sheep are stupid and must be forced to her will, Babe treats them with courtesy and kindness, so they WANT to do anything he asks of them. Babe the sheep-pig becomes a better sheep-dog than any dog ever was.
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This was a lovely book, just as lovely as the movie except it kept using the word "bitch" in its animal meaning and that uh took me aback every time? But Babe is lovely and amazing and I love having the book and being able to read it after all these years of watching the movie. ( )

When Babe arrives at the Hogget farm, Mrs. Hoggett's thoughts turn to sizzling bacon and juicy pork chops. It looks as if the little pig is destined for the dinner table - until he reveals a surprising talent for sheepherding, that is.