When Harry's eccentric American uncle passes away he leaves Harry something in his will that would have made character Abigail green with envy in Pretty Polly, also by Dick King-Smith; a talking parrot! But Mad does more than just repeat rehearsed words back, he really talks... and plays chess, bakes brownies, and gardens.
One of King-Smith's best
Ten years after King-Smith wrote Babe: The Gallant Pig, he wrote Harry's Mad, a funny, believable, animal fantasy story about a boy with a parrot who is uncommonly talented. Harry is an imaginative 10 year old boy who's parents often think is a little "mad" (crazy, for us Americans). Madison, called "Mad" for short, truly becomes "Harry's Mad" and becomes a part of the family. When he is bird-napped by a burgler, it takes Mad's quick thinking to escape and get home to Harry and his family. Harry's Mad was so popular in the UK it became a well-loved children's television show there in the 90s.
A fantasy with a touch of realism
Of course no parrot in real life posesses the intelligence of Mad, but real African Grey's, like Mad, are often said to be one of the most intelligent animals on earth. According to The Grey Play Round Table thier intelligence can rival that of a 5 year old child According to MIT's Dr. Irene Pepperberg's research found at The Alex Foundation, Greys do not always just parrot, but label things, count, and other fundementals of language.
EnvironmentalGrafitti.com called N'kisi, an African Grey, one of the 5 smartest animals in the world.
Eight-year-old African grey parrot, N’kisi hit the news headlines a few years ago for being able to use words in context and verbs with past, present and future tenses. N’kisi is also able to use other words to phrase a sentence when he can’t quite think of the right one – he will say things like ‘pretty smell medicine’ to describe aromatherapy oils used by his owner and is also reported to have a great sense of humour.
Apparently, when another parrot hung upside down from its perch, N’kisi joked, “You gotta put this bird on camera.” And, on meeting revered primatologist Dr Jane Goodall after seeing her pictured with apes, he greeted her with, “Got a chimp?”
Harry's Mad is available at a few locations in Utah
Harry's Mad is in the Junior Fiction section of the Pleasant Grove Library and the Provo City Library. Orem Public Library has it in print in their Junior Fiction section and as a book on tape as well.
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