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The Queen's Nose
Harmony Parker thought animals were much nicer than people and saw everyone as some non-human species. Her father, for example, was a bald-headed Sea Lion and her mother a tubby, fussy Pouter Pigeon. But Harmony's parents wouldn't let her have pets of any kind--then Uncle Ginger from India arrived and gave Harmony a very special present.
128 pages, Paperback
First published February 10, 1983
About the author
Dick King-Smith
302 books285 followersDick King-Smith was born and raised in Gloucestershire, England, surrounded by pet animals. After twenty years as a farmer, he turned to teaching and then to writing children's books.
Dick writes mostly about animals: farmyard fantasy, as he likes to call it, often about pigs, his special favorites. He enjoys writing for children, meeting the children who read his books, and knowing that they get enjoyment from what he does.
Among his well-loved books is Babe, The Gallant Pig, which was recently made into a major motion picture, and was nominated for an Academy Award.
Dick lived with his wife in a small 17th-century cottage, about three miles from the house where he was born.
Dick writes mostly about animals: farmyard fantasy, as he likes to call it, often about pigs, his special favorites. He enjoys writing for children, meeting the children who read his books, and knowing that they get enjoyment from what he does.
Among his well-loved books is Babe, The Gallant Pig, which was recently made into a major motion picture, and was nominated for an Academy Award.
Dick lived with his wife in a small 17th-century cottage, about three miles from the house where he was born.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
August 30, 2013
I really enjoyed re-reading this book as it brought me back to when I was 10 years old.
The book is about a young girl called Harmony, who her family don't quite seem to understand. She is a 10 year old girl, rather tom-boyish, and completely different to her elder sister, Melody.
If Harmony could have one thing in the whole world, she would have an animal, or two. In fact, she is so besotted by animals that she imagines every person she meets to be some sort of animal; for example, her Uncle Ginger was, in her eyes, a silvertip grizzly bear. The only problem is, Harmony's family see animals as being dirty and messy, so she has to make do with Rex Ruff Monty, her 3 legged dog teddy which had been passed down form her grandmother.
When Harmony's Uncle Ginger comes to visit for the first time, Harmony immediately sees the "Silvertip Grizzly" as somewhat different to her family, someone she can relate to. When Uncle Ginger leave to return to India, Harmony feels sad and lost. Uncle Ginger gives Harmony a very gift when he leaves, but little does Harmony know quite how special the gift is. Inside that little brown envelope in Harmony's hand was the start of a treasure hunt that would lead her to a very special 50 pence coin. Now all Harmony had to do was unravel the riddles that followed only to work out that the 50 pence piece her Uncle gave her was very special indeed... it was MAGIC!
Harmony was given 7 wishes, the first of which, of course, she used to wish for an animal. She was shocked to find that, not only did the magic coin actually work, but it was almost immediate in effect. Harmony got a rabbit!
By the end of the story Harmony realised, through a series of events, that not only did her family really love her, but also that materialistic things had no value. When it came to using her last wish (which she had saved to wish for a puppy), Harmony had no issues in using her final wish to wish that her Uncle would get better and come back from India to live near her.
"The Queen's nose" had done it again. Uncle Ginger recovered from his serious illness and came home in search of a house near Harmony's family.
But how could Uncle Ginger ever repay Harmony for using her final wish on him? Perhaps with the perfect gift of a... puppy!
I found this book to be very realistic for children's real life family situations. I thought it was brilliant that, at the end, the aspect was brought through that life is more about love and relationships than simply getting everything you may think you "wish" for.
Very suitable for young children in key stage 2.
The book is about a young girl called Harmony, who her family don't quite seem to understand. She is a 10 year old girl, rather tom-boyish, and completely different to her elder sister, Melody.
If Harmony could have one thing in the whole world, she would have an animal, or two. In fact, she is so besotted by animals that she imagines every person she meets to be some sort of animal; for example, her Uncle Ginger was, in her eyes, a silvertip grizzly bear. The only problem is, Harmony's family see animals as being dirty and messy, so she has to make do with Rex Ruff Monty, her 3 legged dog teddy which had been passed down form her grandmother.
When Harmony's Uncle Ginger comes to visit for the first time, Harmony immediately sees the "Silvertip Grizzly" as somewhat different to her family, someone she can relate to. When Uncle Ginger leave to return to India, Harmony feels sad and lost. Uncle Ginger gives Harmony a very gift when he leaves, but little does Harmony know quite how special the gift is. Inside that little brown envelope in Harmony's hand was the start of a treasure hunt that would lead her to a very special 50 pence coin. Now all Harmony had to do was unravel the riddles that followed only to work out that the 50 pence piece her Uncle gave her was very special indeed... it was MAGIC!
Harmony was given 7 wishes, the first of which, of course, she used to wish for an animal. She was shocked to find that, not only did the magic coin actually work, but it was almost immediate in effect. Harmony got a rabbit!
By the end of the story Harmony realised, through a series of events, that not only did her family really love her, but also that materialistic things had no value. When it came to using her last wish (which she had saved to wish for a puppy), Harmony had no issues in using her final wish to wish that her Uncle would get better and come back from India to live near her.
"The Queen's nose" had done it again. Uncle Ginger recovered from his serious illness and came home in search of a house near Harmony's family.
But how could Uncle Ginger ever repay Harmony for using her final wish on him? Perhaps with the perfect gift of a... puppy!
I found this book to be very realistic for children's real life family situations. I thought it was brilliant that, at the end, the aspect was brought through that life is more about love and relationships than simply getting everything you may think you "wish" for.
Very suitable for young children in key stage 2.
February 17, 2024
2024 EDIT: Reread in an afternoon, and I have to say, 'The Queen's Nose' has a much darker ending than I remembered. How did I not notice all these implications the first time reading it? There are layers and subtext to this deceptively simple little classic children's book about wishes and animals (dare I say, it could intentionally be about British-and-Indian relations/colonialism, too!?). Though a lot of classic children's books are dark, on rereading them as an adult, aren't they? Just look at the bibliography of Beatrix Potter.
'The Queen's Nose' does have a "Be careful what you wish for" message without outright stating it. It's done in a process, as the reader learns alongside the protagonist, Harmony, as she makes progress or doesn't; learns from her mistakes or doesn't. And at least this piece of lit about a tomboyish young heroine doesn't end with her suddenly being into "girly" things and only caring about boys, as so many male (and female, unfortunately) authors for too long have been under the mistaken assumption that that's "character growth" and "maturity" for girls.
Recommended for a short, sweet, simple - if eerie - time.
Final Score: 3.5/5
Original Review:
'The Queen's Nose' is a sweet little book for children that can be read in a couple of hours. Animal fans are sure to like it, as well as people who like to make-believe, to wish for things that they hope will come true, and to go out and play and explore and ride their bike and do all sorts of things to keep fit and healthy. Never mind how dirty and raggedy you may get!
The characters have such lovely names - Harmony, Melody, Uncle Ginger, and all the people who ten-year-old Harmony names after different animals, based on their appearance and conduct.
Harmony Parker is a rapscallion tomboy (a sexist, patronising and outdated term, but back in the eighties she would be described as such), and I adore her for it. She is desperate for a pet - lots of pets, in fact - but her parents won't let her have any animals. Her Uncle Ginger leaves after a visit to the family, with a present for Harmony: a treasure hunt, which leads to a fifty-pence coin, found under a wooden tea chest in her favourite place - the disused chicken house at the end of her garden.
The fifty-pence coin, that Uncle Ginger apparently got from India, is magic; with a magic Queen's head, with her pointed nose, on one side of it. It can grant its owner seven wishes.
How the young girl will go about wishing for things is up to her. Her wishing will eventually end up with unexpected, and twisted, results for her and her family.
'The Queen's Nose' can be endearing, unpredictable, and life-affirming.
A few downsides to the book are: once Harmony receives her pets, not much attention is paid to them, after all of her longing; and her mother and older sister Melody are rather stereotypical - a fussy, old-fashioned housewife and an overly-feminine, shallow, self-absorbed and mean teenage girl respectively - but they do soften up and show more dimension towards the end of the novella.
I enjoyed 'The Queen's Nose'. I haven't really read any other books by Dick King-Smith (I've never been that interested in fiction books about animals, as fond as I am of them). I know, however, that this one is a certified children's classic. It is also very different from what I barely remember of the BBC TV series that I saw as a little kid.
Final Score: 3.5/5
'The Queen's Nose' does have a "Be careful what you wish for" message without outright stating it. It's done in a process, as the reader learns alongside the protagonist, Harmony, as she makes progress or doesn't; learns from her mistakes or doesn't. And at least this piece of lit about a tomboyish young heroine doesn't end with her suddenly being into "girly" things and only caring about boys, as so many male (and female, unfortunately) authors for too long have been under the mistaken assumption that that's "character growth" and "maturity" for girls.
Recommended for a short, sweet, simple - if eerie - time.
Final Score: 3.5/5
Original Review:
'The Queen's Nose' is a sweet little book for children that can be read in a couple of hours. Animal fans are sure to like it, as well as people who like to make-believe, to wish for things that they hope will come true, and to go out and play and explore and ride their bike and do all sorts of things to keep fit and healthy. Never mind how dirty and raggedy you may get!
The characters have such lovely names - Harmony, Melody, Uncle Ginger, and all the people who ten-year-old Harmony names after different animals, based on their appearance and conduct.
Harmony Parker is a rapscallion tomboy (a sexist, patronising and outdated term, but back in the eighties she would be described as such), and I adore her for it. She is desperate for a pet - lots of pets, in fact - but her parents won't let her have any animals. Her Uncle Ginger leaves after a visit to the family, with a present for Harmony: a treasure hunt, which leads to a fifty-pence coin, found under a wooden tea chest in her favourite place - the disused chicken house at the end of her garden.
The fifty-pence coin, that Uncle Ginger apparently got from India, is magic; with a magic Queen's head, with her pointed nose, on one side of it. It can grant its owner seven wishes.
How the young girl will go about wishing for things is up to her. Her wishing will eventually end up with unexpected, and twisted, results for her and her family.
'The Queen's Nose' can be endearing, unpredictable, and life-affirming.
A few downsides to the book are: once Harmony receives her pets, not much attention is paid to them, after all of her longing; and her mother and older sister Melody are rather stereotypical - a fussy, old-fashioned housewife and an overly-feminine, shallow, self-absorbed and mean teenage girl respectively - but they do soften up and show more dimension towards the end of the novella.
I enjoyed 'The Queen's Nose'. I haven't really read any other books by Dick King-Smith (I've never been that interested in fiction books about animals, as fond as I am of them). I know, however, that this one is a certified children's classic. It is also very different from what I barely remember of the BBC TV series that I saw as a little kid.
Final Score: 3.5/5
October 1, 2011
The Queens Nose is about a young girl who is fasinated with animals and imagines all humans as some type of annimal. However her parents see animals as messey and she is not allowed to have any pets.
Her uncle arrives and gives her a magic fifty pence piece and once she solves the riddle her wishes are granted. As her seven wishes progress she becomes less selfish and the final wishes saves her uncles life as he is very ill with black fever.
This is a short story which deals with issues of morality through an enjoyable tale.
Her uncle arrives and gives her a magic fifty pence piece and once she solves the riddle her wishes are granted. As her seven wishes progress she becomes less selfish and the final wishes saves her uncles life as he is very ill with black fever.
This is a short story which deals with issues of morality through an enjoyable tale.
August 4, 2011
One of my favorite books of all time; I loved the story as a child and still love it now.
November 27, 2023
A short book about not wishing for selfish things and actually appreciating your family. Used to love this as a child and it still made me smile.
November 25, 2021
I first read this book in my school library many, many years ago when I was about 9 or 10. I loved it then - I’m sure I borrowed it more than once. As an adult I sourced a copy some years ago but never got around to rereading it until now. I’m so glad I did! This story is still fabulous and I enjoyed it very much. Dick King-Smith is a brilliant storyteller.
June 4, 2022
When I think of King-Smith his delightful books about animals come to mind. Recently I decided to branch out and read more of his other books. This is an adorable story about a girl who is given a magic coin. And then of course the story goes on to describe the consequences that come about from that coin. Highly recommended for Gr-3-5.
May 12, 2018
I remember watching - and enjoying - the TV series based on this book when I was younger. The book is just as good.
November 21, 2020
Loads of fun.
May 3, 2012
As a child I loved this TV series, I did not realise it was a book, until I read it with a year 3 class during placement.
The Queens Nose is about a young girl called Harmony who is in love with animals and wants nothing more than to have a pet of her own. She imagines, everyone in her life as an animal, for example her uncle a big walrus.
The story starts off when her uncle arrives and gives Harmony a magic fifty pence, known as the Queen’s Nose; this coin allows Harmony up to seven wishes. At first Harmony begins to wish for pets, but as the story progresses, she becomes selfless and uses her wishes for others.
Teacher’s can use this story during circle time to deal with issues regarding moral and what children consider to be right and wrong. This story can also be used to stimulate a creative writing activity, for example if they had the Queen’s Nose, what would they wish for, or what animal would they consider themselves as.
The Queens Nose is about a young girl called Harmony who is in love with animals and wants nothing more than to have a pet of her own. She imagines, everyone in her life as an animal, for example her uncle a big walrus.
The story starts off when her uncle arrives and gives Harmony a magic fifty pence, known as the Queen’s Nose; this coin allows Harmony up to seven wishes. At first Harmony begins to wish for pets, but as the story progresses, she becomes selfless and uses her wishes for others.
Teacher’s can use this story during circle time to deal with issues regarding moral and what children consider to be right and wrong. This story can also be used to stimulate a creative writing activity, for example if they had the Queen’s Nose, what would they wish for, or what animal would they consider themselves as.
November 29, 2015
As a child I remember watching this programme and loving it, the book was completely different to how I remember it, but still really enjoyed reading it.
Messages:
- Family
- Friendship
- Childhood memories
Cross curricular links:
- History, looking at coins and when they were made.
- Geography, money from different countries.
- Maths, counting money and problem solving.
- English, adverts for missing bunny, story writing.
Messages:
- Family
- Friendship
- Childhood memories
Cross curricular links:
- History, looking at coins and when they were made.
- Geography, money from different countries.
- Maths, counting money and problem solving.
- English, adverts for missing bunny, story writing.
January 5, 2009
Dick King-Smith is my favorite choice for a read aloud book in the car. They are somewhat short and always fun. The Queen's Nose includes fantastical adventures and a touch of a moral as the main character learns to be less selfish and draws closer to the family. This book captivated an audience of people ranging from preschoolers to adults.
December 11, 2010
A girl who wants nothing more than a pet receives a magic coin that will grant her 7 wishes. As is usually the case with such magical items, things don't always turn out the way she intends.
Not too many surprises here, but right on for the age group. Our heroine does some satisfying growing up as she makes her wishes.
Not too many surprises here, but right on for the age group. Our heroine does some satisfying growing up as she makes her wishes.
October 7, 2012
I listened to an abridged audio adaptation, starring Lauren Mote.
The plot in this gentle English children's fantasy embodies the phrase be careful what you wish for.
The voice actor for main character, tween girl Harmony Parker, is a bit squeaky but (to my ears) charming.
The plot in this gentle English children's fantasy embodies the phrase be careful what you wish for.
The voice actor for main character, tween girl Harmony Parker, is a bit squeaky but (to my ears) charming.
April 28, 2009
I was astonished by the story of this book when I was 8!
October 20, 2010
LOVED this as a child. Brilliant.
May 18, 2013
This is a very clever book. I think some of the passages would be great for a writing class. I love how the girl describes everyone as if they are animals.
December 24, 2019
I thought this was a fun read. Harmony is a very stubborn and determined girl who loves animals and always sports a conservation-minded shirt. She has always wanted a pet and seems to have the perfect house for it, but her family is of the opinion that they are dirty and too much trouble. Her Uncle Ginger comes to visit and brings some magic with him. If this were a book written for adults, the outcome would have been much different. Most wish-granting stories have terrible endings where the wishes ruin someone's life. But this one is toned down appropriately for younger audiences and the lesson learned doesn't come at such a high price. I think it is entertaining and pleasant, but there are questions left unanswered and the depth of the book stayed pretty shallow.
February 21, 2024
This is a great story and I really enjoyed it.
The plot involves a magic coin and seven wishes. There are some fun hi-jinks involved with this. One part involving the local press really made me laugh.
What really elevated this for me was Harmony as a character. She is rough and ready and scruffy and has a really strong sense of self. She loves animals, and always sees people as animals. We then see her describe every person that she meets, and refers to them as their animals from there on in. Also she practices faces and can roll them out as needed. Each one is Capitalised Like a Trademark or Product, which I really enjoyed.
This was fun, it was light, and it was refreshing. It also brought back no memories of the TV show for me, so it isn't even nostalgia bait.
The plot involves a magic coin and seven wishes. There are some fun hi-jinks involved with this. One part involving the local press really made me laugh.
What really elevated this for me was Harmony as a character. She is rough and ready and scruffy and has a really strong sense of self. She loves animals, and always sees people as animals. We then see her describe every person that she meets, and refers to them as their animals from there on in. Also she practices faces and can roll them out as needed. Each one is Capitalised Like a Trademark or Product, which I really enjoyed.
This was fun, it was light, and it was refreshing. It also brought back no memories of the TV show for me, so it isn't even nostalgia bait.
August 8, 2017
[Re-read in August 2017]
This was cute, but perhaps not as charming as some of Dick King-Smith's other books. I suspect I'm about twenty years too old for all the descriptions of the funny faces Harmony pulls, but the sense of magic is still enjoyable, and I remember rubbing the edges of 50p pieces and wishing hopefully when I was a child. I loved Uncle Ginger! And I loved that by the end of the book Harmony is starting to see her family in a more mature light. I found it genuinely moving when she realised "her father was not, as she had always thought, a person without much in the way of feelings but someone who found it difficult to show them."
This was cute, but perhaps not as charming as some of Dick King-Smith's other books. I suspect I'm about twenty years too old for all the descriptions of the funny faces Harmony pulls, but the sense of magic is still enjoyable, and I remember rubbing the edges of 50p pieces and wishing hopefully when I was a child. I loved Uncle Ginger! And I loved that by the end of the book Harmony is starting to see her family in a more mature light. I found it genuinely moving when she realised "her father was not, as she had always thought, a person without much in the way of feelings but someone who found it difficult to show them."
January 23, 2018
I LOVED the TV series of this when I was young and I've been meaning to read the book for a while. I feel like Harmony was older in the TV show? She's 10 in this but I seem to remember the girls being about 13 and 16? Anyway, this is a cute little book. It's set in 1983 and references cables, but other than that and mentions of Harmony being born in 1973 it doesn't feel too dated. 8 to 10 year olds will love it. Maybe even younger children if they're advanced readers or have it read to them.
May 14, 2018
Harmony loves animals, but her parents think they're dirty. But things begin to change when her Uncle Ginger visits for two weeks. Before returning to India, he leaves her a series of riddles that lead to a truly magical gift. A coin that grants wishes. All Harm needs to do is rub the queen's nose.
Sisterly squabbling, Melody & Harmony, wishes and wise choices. A cute and quirky lower middle grade story.
Sisterly squabbling, Melody & Harmony, wishes and wise choices. A cute and quirky lower middle grade story.
December 31, 2022
It wasn't the first time I've read this, but it's been a long time! I chose it to fit the category of "A book you loved as a child" for one of my reading challenges.
The memory of it had faded (apart from the TV series which I also loved!) but it all came back as I was reading.
Even though it's an older book (set in the 80's) I'd still recommend it for younger readers of today!
4.5⭐️
The memory of it had faded (apart from the TV series which I also loved!) but it all came back as I was reading.
Even though it's an older book (set in the 80's) I'd still recommend it for younger readers of today!
4.5⭐️
June 3, 2023
I vaguely remembered the TV show, but if I ever read the book, it was a long time ago. The story was good, really enjoyable and quick and easy to read. My enjoyment of the book was also enhanced by the illustrations. A great story and one which feels good even many years after initial publication.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 29, 2017
My boy didn't much like this - I think it was a bit old for him. Still, it was okay in a sort of stuffy old fashioned way, even for the 80s.
December 23, 2018
Enjoyed reading this with the girls. Slow paced at first, wanted it to get going. A fun character worth spending time with but not hugely likeable and neither were her family!
February 16, 2019
Good book. My kids enjoyed it. I liked the end...Harmony got everything she wished for in a round about way. It was a nice ending.
March 8, 2019
Fun to read with my son each night. We both enjoyed it, however, it really caught his imagination. Recommended for bedtime story time.
April 20, 2019
Fun and imaginative.
Mild peril when her uncle nearly dies, and also she has a bike accident with a car.
Her sister is a bit nasty and selfish and they have some unpleasant interactions.
Mild peril when her uncle nearly dies, and also she has a bike accident with a car.
Her sister is a bit nasty and selfish and they have some unpleasant interactions.
June 1, 2019
This is a marvelous production of a touching story. Rupert Graves as Uncle Ginger for the win!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews