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The Water Horse  By  cover art

The Water Horse

By: Dick King-Smith
Narrated by: Nathaniel Parker
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Publisher's summary

When eight-year-old Kirstie brings home a strange egg from the Scottish shore, her family never expects it to hatch. But the next day, Kirstie discovers a baby sea monster swimming in her bathtub! Part horse, part toad, part turtle, and part crocodile, he's the oddest-looking creature Kirstie's family has ever seen. Only Kirstie's grandfather knows what the beastie really is: a Water Horse! This lovable creature is the perfect pet. The only trouble is, he can't stop growing. He gets bigger. And Bigger. And BIGGER. Before long, he's outgrown every loch in sight. Will they ever find a home that's large enough for their Water Horse?

A magical retelling of the legend of the Loch Ness Monster, The Water Horse is a timeless tale that will delight children of all ages.

A major feature film, starring Emily Watson, Ben Chaplin, and David Morrissey, has now been inspired by this book.

©1990 Foxbusters Ltd (P)2014 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd

Critic reviews

"The characters are believable and, since King-Smith relates events from the point of view of the water horse as well as those of Kirstie and her family, readers get to know the friendly, not-at-all-fearsome monster." ( School Library Journal)

What listeners say about The Water Horse

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • 3 Stars
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Story
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  • 4 Stars
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  • 3 Stars
    58
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

This is a good book about a sea monster!

I am 6 years old. For me this book was a really good book. I liked it because it was kind of funny. I really liked how the reader made the voices sound. The story was exciting but not too scary. In fact it was not scary at all!

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18 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

good childrens story

The Narrator is excellant. My children enjoyed listening to this story. We listened to the whole book in 1 day as it really held their interest and they are 5 and 8 years old.

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15 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

100& counting

My son , who is 7 has listened to this book at bed time at close to 100 times and still loves it. Great story and wonderful performance.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Adorable Story

Story of the origins of the creature that became the fabled Loch Ness Monster. Geared towards children no doubt, but I enjoyed it very much. The narration was fantastic. Brought to life the home and family in the Scottish highlands beautifully. I quite liked Grumble (the grandfather), who helped the children take care of Crusoe. The movie adaptation that came out a few years ago took some liberties, for sure...

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

This is a terrific story.

Great accents. Whole family can listen. Family dynamics real, exciting events.
Fairly short story unlike the movie which added in a bunch of WW11 angst.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

fun read

fun read I loved listening with my daughter on trips to town. great to keep her occupied

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

I am a believer!

I love the Scottish accent, and I enjoyed hearing about the customs of those living on the coast. There were several moments of great humor.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Sweet childrens story

Where does The Water Horse rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I don't usually listen to children's stories but this one was golden. There was great characterisation and I just wanted to keep listening to find out what happened next.

What about Nathaniel Parker’s performance did you like?

Fantastic, very British.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

The Waterhorse SWIMS !!!!!

This is a delightful story which was written for children but can absolutely mesmerize adults! The awkward Waterhorse joins the family like a doggy pet and brings out all of the family members' soft warm fuzzy feelings. The people in this family are in a win/win situation.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful short story

What a great story! Well written, touching, enchanting and it left me wanting to find out what happened next to Cruso.

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1 person found this helpful