Freddy the Pig, and the other denizens of the Bean Farm, were the subject of Walter Brooks' 26 book series published between 1927 and 1958. Making their home in upstate New York, the animals of the Bean Farm were remarkable in that they could speak with humans. Generally speaking, their vocal talents met with little surprise (though it made their owner Mr. Bean a bit uncomfortable). The hero of the story, Freddy, was even more remarkable in that he was accomplished at anything he put his mind to; from poetry to riding a bicycle to politics.

From a literary point of view, Freddy's adventures were remarkable in that the stories covered thirty-one years of American history, and this is reflected in the stories told. As each new decade unfolded in the United States, the issues of the time found their way into the series. It is a wonderful thing to find a WW2 scrap metal drive (Bean Home News) references to the Communist threat of the fifties (Simon the Dictator) and the first spark of the space age (Flying Saucer Plans) all in the same series. Although written as children's literature, the deeper themes and character relationships resonate with adults too.

Freddy's adventures were published by Alfred P. Knopf until the 1970's. After that, they became increasingly difficult to find as the few library copies fell into increasingly bad repair. Fortunately for Freddy's fans, Overlook Press began republishing beautiful facsimile editions in 1998, and Freddy's adventures are now available to a brand new generation of readers.