Showing results by author "Michael Morpurgo" in All Categories

This book was written at a time when foot-and-mouth was very much in the news, as farmers across the UK fell victim to an outbreak that was to leave potent images of blazing carcasses deeply embedded in many minds.

From the pen of Henry Williamson, author of Tarka the Otter, comes the story of Salar - the ‘leaper’ - a five-year-old salmon returning to the stream of his birth. Salar’s migration through the rivers of Devon, surviving porpoises, seals, nets, fishermen, otters, poachers and weirs, is one of nature’s great journeys. Intense, brilliantly imagined and described from Salar’s point of view, this is a vivid and unsentimental picture of the people and wildlife of a river and its estuary. Originally published in 1935, Salar the Salmon combines Henry Williamson’s great talent as a writer with his insight as a naturalist.

A thought-provoking and rich collection of short stories, many of which reflect the author’s love of myths and legends, his close observations of family life, and his skills as a unique storyteller. A beautiful collection of short stories written by one of the best-loved children’s authors of all time. This collection includes Micael Morpurgo's enchanting stories "Giant's Necklace", "Ancient Time", "Silver Ghost", and "Muck and Magic".

In Flanders' fields, young Martens knows his family's story, for it is as precious as the faded poem hanging in their home. From a poor girl comforting a grieving soldier, to an unexpected meeting of strangers, to a father's tragic death many decades after treaties were signed, war has shaped Martens's family in profound ways – it is their history as much as any nation's. They remember. They grieve. They honour the past.

Billy was a champion soccer star, playing for Chelsea in the 1930s. But that was before war broke out! Billy the Kid is told through the voice of an 80-year-old man, who looks back on his life as Chelsea's champion striker until the outbreak of war in 1939 and on through his subsequent life. Billy joins Chelsea as a football apprentice and rises through the reserves to become a real champion.

In a cosy den under a garden shed lives a family of foxes. They love to watch football - all foxes do. But their favourite team keeps losing and losing, and it seems like things will never look up. That is until Daddy Fox finds the ghost of a king buried underneath a car park. A king who wishes only to be free. 'Release me,' says the Ghost King, 'and I can do anything. Just tell me your greatest wish.' For these football-loving foxes, might everything be about to change?

The heart-lifting, heartbreaking new story by Michael Morpurgo, the nation’s favourite storyteller.In the Imperial War Museum is a wooden Dachshund, carved by a German prisoner of war for the children of the British family with which he stayed after the fighting ended. This is the story of how it got there…When the Bismarck sinks, one of the only German survivors is taken on board a British ship as a prisoner of war. Sent to live with a host family, Walter must adapt to a new way of life, in the heart of an enemy country.

The exceptional talents behind some of the nation’s best-loved books - from The Gruffalo to The BFG, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt to the Charlie and Lola series - the Children’s Laureates are the perfect ambassadors for children’s literature. It’s been 20 wonderful years of the Laureateship and now all 10 former honourees have banded together to celebrate the only way they know how: through stories and poems.

Eloise has always loved Joan of Arc. Noble, honest and brave, she was everything Eloise wishes to be. And on a bright sunny day in Orleans, Eloise has a very special daydream…. A young girl faces an impossible task - to save her beloved France from tyrants. To free her country, Joan will lose everyone she has ever loved. But she listens to her heart and believes in her calling. Through patience, perseverance, and unbreakable spirit, Joan of Arc leads armies to victory and finds the strength to face the cruellest of destinies.

Find out how Elvis the donkey helps a trapped sea turtle, meet all the extraordinary animals of Wick Court through J's letters and watch as a special friendship turns Lucky into the very best sheepdog. Full of friendship and adventure, these three uplifting stories capture the wonder, muck and magic of a city child’s week on the farm.

Robbie McLeod has the misfortune to be orphaned at a very young age and is brought up for a while by his heartless uncle. He is also born into a difficult age, being young and idealistic, in Scotland, at the time of the Jacobite Uprising in 1745. That's when Bonnie Prince Charlie came back to Scotland out of exile in France, to claim the throne which was rightfully his. The charismatic Prince swept through Scotland calling men to arms as he went, and Robbie joined them.

As the natural world shakes off a long winter, Michael watches lambs being born on the farm, delights in a fanfare of bluebells in the woods, and sings to the birds, dressed in his wellies and dressing gown. He shares small moments of joy found in the back garden, as well as more dramatic encounters with sparrowhawks, hares and otters.

This is the gripping, urgent and moving diary of young Ukrainian refugee Yeva Skalietska. It follows twelve days in Ukraine that changed 12-year-old Yeva's life forever. She was woken in the early hours to the terrifying sounds of shelling. Russia had invaded Ukraine, and her beloved Kharkiv home was no longer the safe haven it should have been. It was while she and her granny were forced to seek shelter in a damp, cramped basement that Yeva decided to write down her story. And it is a story that the world needs to hear.

Mai 1915. Sur une île au Sud de l'Angleterre, un pêcheur et son fils découvrent une jeune fille blessée, à bout de force et à peine capable de parler. D'où vient-elle? Est-elle une sirène? Le bruit court que c'est une espionne au service des Allemands... De l'autre côté de l'Atlantique, le paquebot ""Lusitania"" quitte New York. La jeune Merry s'est embarquée sur le géant des mers pour rejoindre son père blessé au combat et hospitalisé en Angleterre.

Best-selling author Michael Morpurgo turns his storytelling skills to the drama and tragedy of the Spanish Civil War, illustrated by Michael Foreman. Toro, Toro is the story of a young boy growing up in Andalucia, Spain, on a farm rearing bulls for the bull ring. Antonito hand rears a little black calf, and they become firm friends, but the boy doesn't yet understand the fate of the black bulls: the corrida and death.

The perfect gift for all ages, Pinocchio as you’ve never seen him before: Telling his own story through the master storyteller and award-winning author of War Horse. “Now – there’s no point in pretending here – I was, and still am deep down, a puppet. Everyone knows Pinocchio is a puppet. I reckon I must be just about the most famous puppet the world has ever known. But the truth is I’m not just a puppet, I’m more than just bits of wood and string. I’m me. So I thought it was about time that I, Pinocchio, told you my story...”

Michael Morpurgo’s wonderful storytelling and Jim Broadbent’s compelling performance combine to tell this true story against the epic backdrop of World War Two. Francis Cammaerts, Jim Broadbent and Michael Morpurgo happen to be all part of the same family, so this production is a very special collaboration bringing family members' voices to life. Francis and Pieter are brothers. As the shadow of one war lingers and the rumbles of another approach, the brothers argue. Francis is a fierce pacifist while Pieter signs up to fight.

A forgotten letter in a secret drawer brings one night in the Great War vividly back to life. Writing home from the front, a soldier has an incredible story to tell.

Joey le cheval de ferme, devenu cheval de guerre en 1914, nous raconte son histoire, avec simplicité. Témoin de la Grande Guerre, il va vivre l'horreur des combats auprès des Britanniques, des Français, ou du coté des Allemands. Pour lui, les soldats, les paysans, les officiers, les vétérinaires ne sont pas des ennemis, mais des hommes, chez qui il rencontre la bonté comme la méchanceté. Joey partage leurs souffrances et leurs peurs, et sait leur redonner de l'espoir.

Jlm lives in a fishing village - but no-one goes fishing anymore as all the fish have gone. One day, Jim spots a dolphin beached on the sand. He runs to get help, and everyone works together to return the dolphin to the water. Afterwards, the dolphin stays in the harbour, playing with the swimmers - and he even carries Jim on his back!