Wombat loves digging deep holes and thinking deep thoughts, but nobody thinks much of that until danger threatens the bush and he comes up with a great big idea...
One day Wombat digs the deepest hole he's ever dug and crawls into the cool darkness to think. But when he climbs out again, he can't see his mother anywhere. He is all alone.As he wanders through the great outback looking for her, Wombat meets all kinds of wonderful creatures - Kookaburra, Wallaby, Possum, Emu, Boy and Koala, but none of them think very much of him.
But when a fire sweeps through the bush, it is Wombat's skills which save the day, and everyone races off to find his mum and bring her back to him.
A comedy involving a boy, a bully and a serious case of mistaken identity.School bully, Darren Bishop, is beaten in a race and wants to get even with the winner.
This first new novel in two years from the Nation’s Favourite Storyteller is a sweeping story of love and rescue – an unforgettable journey to the Greek island of Ithaca, and back in time to World War Two…
Australian-Greek girl Nandi travels to her ancestors’ home in Ithaca, and discovers – through a friendship with an extremely unusual flying fish – the extraordinary story of her great-aunt Elena; of how she fell in love, in the hardest of times, and how of how she became an unsung hero of World War Two.
But Elena has gone missing, and Nandi has to find her. In her search, she will discover that Elena was an even greater hero than she thought – and still is…
Nandi’s story is a beautiful and inspiring tale of personal discovery, of love and place and belonging, threaded through with the quiet heroism of everyday people. It is full of magic, myth and mystery; a classic Morpurgo novel that will move and thrill every reader who loved Private Peaceful and War Horse, and combines all the hallmarks of this beloved Master Storyteller.
In 1914, Joey, a beautiful bayred foal with a distinctive cross on his nose, is sold to the army and thrust into the midst of the war on the Western Front. With his officer, he charges toward the enemy, witnessing the horror of the battles in France. But even in the desolation of the trenches, Joey's courage touches the soldiers around him and he is able to find warmth and hope. But his heart aches for Albert, the farmer's son he left behind. Will he ever see his true master again?
Michael Morpurgo's classic tale, capturing the power of the human spirit.First published back in 1982, 'War Horse' has taken the world by storm. The book was adapted to the stage and was performed at the National Theatre and on Broadway. This full and unabridged edition is beautifully performed by the National Theatre's first Albert, OIivier-award-winner Luke Treadaway.At the outbreak of World War 1, Joey, young Albert's beloved horse, is sold to the cavalry and shipped to France.He's soon caught up in enemy fire, and fate takes him on an extraordinary odyssey, serving on both sides before finding himself alone in no man's land. But Albert cannot forget Joey and, still not old enough to enlist, he embarks on a treacherous mission to the trenches to find him and bring him home.
Michael Morpurgo's classic tale, capturing the power of the human spirit.Beautifully performed by Dan Stevens, 'War Horse' has taken the world by storm. First published back in 1982, the book was adapted to the stage and was performed at the National Theatre and on Broadway.At the outbreak of World War 1, Joey, young Albert's beloved horse, is sold to the cavalry and shipped to France.He's soon caught up in enemy fire, and fate takes him on an extraordinary odyssey, serving on both sides before finding himself alone in no man's land. But Albert cannot forget Joey and, still not old enough to enlist, he embarks on a treacherous mission to the trenches to find him and bring him home.
Jo did not stop until he’d shut the door behind him and even then his heart could not stop pounding in his ears.
Jo finds out that Jewish children are being smuggled away from the Nazis over the mountains near his village. All goes to plan until German soldiers start patrolling the mountains, and Jo realises the children are trapped. Jo's slightest mistake could have devastating consequences…
Shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal and Guardian Fiction award.
In the tradition of Goodnight Mr Tom, Carrie's War, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and perfect for fans of The Bone Sparrow, Waiting for Anya is a novel that takes children to the heart of a tumultuous period in history. It will provide a wider context for kids who have studied the Holocaust and The Diary of Anne Frank.
Sir Michael Morpurgo retells two of Shakespeare’s best-loved plays, Twelfth Night and Taming of the Shrew, in this stunning audio collection in association with the RSC, featuring readings by members of the Royal Shakespeare Company and Michael himself.
Translating these iconic plays into thrilling prose, the nation’s favourite storyteller preserves all the imaginative genius and spark of the originals, while bringing a contemporary and vibrant voice to their retelling. The stories are revealed in a fresh, exciting and entertaining way, providing both an entry point for child readers and a fascinating dialogue with the original texts that will intrigue any Shakespeare scholar.
Each tale, directed by Hal Chambers and Aaron Parsons, is introduced by Michael and includes incidental music composed by Phil James.
Look out for the other instalments of Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Macbeth and Hamlet, King Lear and Henry V, and The Winter’s Tale and The Tempest.
From master storyteller MICHAEL MORPURGO comes a surprising, charming and uplifting twist on The Wizard of Oz, told by a very special and unforgettable character: Dorothy's pet dog, Toto. A perfect, collectible gift for all children (and children at heart)."I was there," Papa Toto said, and those magic words sent shivers down my spine. It was going to be the Wizard story. "Dorothy and me were both there."We were all silent, snuggled up together, waiting, waiting.Then Papa Toto began...When a twister descends on their Kansas farm, Toto and his owner Dorothy hide in the house - only to be plucked into the air and whisked away!Coming down with a crash in the mysterious land of Oz, the pair meet a series of extraordinary characters: a scarecrow who believes he has no brains, a tin man without a heart, and a cowardly lion who may not be as cowardly as he thinks he is.But Toto and Dorothy are desperate to return home - after all, home is home, and home is best! So they set off with their new friends on a journey down the yellow brick road to find the only person who might be able to help them: the Wonderful Wizard of Oz.But what they find might surprise them. And on the way, all of them will learn that what they think they are missing might have been there, all along...An unforgettable telling of a classic story.
Best-selling author Michael Morpurgo turns his storytelling skills to the drama and tragedy of the Spanish Civil War, read by Christopher Barlow.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, but the boy doesn't yet understand the fate of the black bulls - the corrida and death. Later, learning of the horrors of the bull fight, he frees Paco, and rides with him into the hills. There they witness the beginning of the Spanish Civil War and Antonito is left alone - his family and the farm are destroyed by bombs, and Paco has run off, wild with fright. He decides to stay in the hills, where he joins the Resistance fighters. Around the campfire, Antonito hears tales of the wonderful black bull, who becomes a symbol of freedom for them all. Could this really be Paco? One night, Antonito falls asleep and dreams of Paco. In the morning, he wakes to see hoof prints on the ground beside him...A delightful story, full of nostalgia and drama in the author's own inimitable style. Illustrated by Michael Foreman.
“There once is a Queen ever constant to her people…”
From the Nation’s Favourite Storyteller Sir Michael Morpurgo comes a poetic celebration of our Queen and longest reigning monarch.
There once was a little girl, born a princess. While she was still a young woman, she became a queen, our Queen Elizabeth. Now, seventy years later, her reign as the longest serving female monarch in history has seen her stand steadfast through triumph and tribulation, and through the monumental changes that have shaped our world. This remarkable queen has remained devoted to crown, to country . . . and a corgi or two!
Beginning with the queen as a little girl, planting an oak tree with her father, There Once is a Queen follows her incredible story in a way that will bring this historic reign vividly to life for readers, big and small, around the globe. An exquisite gift book and commemoration of the Platinum Jubilee, it marks a unique moment in our shared history and will be a treasured keepsake for generations to come.
Laura Perryman's family has always lived on Bryher. But the tough lifestyle is about to get tougher...Laura Perryman's family has always lived on the tiny island of Bryher. She lives with her twin brother, Billy, her mother and father, and her Granny May. They have four milking cows,enough to keep the entire population of the island supplied with milk, and the islanders feed themselves from the sea. It is a hard life, and Billy, fourteen years old and bored with the unending milking routine, is feeling the strain.So, when the General Lee bound for New York calls at St Mary's for repairs Billy secures his passage as a cabin boy. He has left the islands before his parents know anything about it, and Laura is devastated to have lost her twin brother. Things go from bad to worse, and when ill fortune besets the island, families start to drift away from Bryher...
