Showing results by author "Michael Morpurgo" in All Categories

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.

Les parents du narrateur n'ont jamais aimé la vie à la campagne. Lui adore aller dans la vieille ferme de son grand-père et jouer dans la grange, sur le vieux tracteur. Il aime écouter Grand-Père parler de son enfance de petit paysan : il parle de son père et de Joey, le cheval que celui-ci a sauvé de la mort pendant la Première Guerre mondiale. Mais parfois Grand-Père devient triste et silencieux. Son petit-fils sent que quelque chose le tourmente... Quel est le secret de Grand-Père ? Et comment peut-il l'aider ?

Set on a farm in rural Devon, Farm Boy is a collection of Grandpa's reminiscences and stories, touchingly told to his grandson. Joey was the last working horse on the farm, and the apple of Grandpa's eye. In War Horse, Joey was sent away from the farm to be a warhorse in World War I. Grandpa had joined the cavalry in order to find, and fight, with Joey. Farm Boy brings us forward 50 years....

Sir Michael Morpurgo retells 10 of Shakespeare’s best-loved plays in this stunning audio collection in association with the RSC, featuring readings by members of the Royal Shakespeare Company and Michael himself. This collection includes Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Macbeth, Hamlet, King Lear, Henry V, Twelfth Night, Taming of the Shrew, The Winter’s Tale and The Tempest.

Since 2013, Tweet of the Day has been a daily delight for early risers, with its 90 seconds of beautiful birdsong and fascinating ornithological stories. But what of the people who tune in to this avian chorus? In this collection, we bring to the airwaves the conversational voices of an array of wildlife enthusiasts, all eager to recount their encounters with birds.

The powerful new novel from the master storyteller - inspired by the true story of one man who might have stopped World War II. It's 1940. The train is under attacks from German fighters. In the darkness, sheltering in a railway tunnel, the stranger in the carriage with Barney and his mother tells them a story to pass the time. And what a story. The story of a young man, a young soldier in the trenches of World War I who, on the spur of the moment, had done what he thought was the right thing.

War Horse has become a modern classic. This wonderful version is narrated by the author, Michael Morpurgo, and Joanna Lumley. It was recorded with musical accompaniment by The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. The music is composed by Adrian Sutton, with songs by John Tam. The principal singer is Tim van Eyken, the original Songman from The National Theatre's Warhorse.

Joy and heartbreak combine in this bittersweet tale of a champion greyhound’s journey through life – and from owner to owner…“The sack wasn't just drifting gently along like everything else, it was turning of its own accord. There was definitely something inside it, struggling against the side of the plastic bag, kicking at it, squeaking and squealing in terror. He had no idea what it might be, only that it was alive and in danger of drowning.”

One cold Christmas night, a shepherd recounts the magical story of how he came to be the first visitor to the newborn Christ child - ahead of the other shepherds, and in complete secret. A deftly wrought re-working of the nativity story, Michael's tale is rich in human detail.

The story of a farm horse sold from Devon into the mire, wire and machine guns of the Great War of 1914-1918 brings together a stellar cast, including Timothy Spall, Brenda Blethyn and Bob Hoskins, with music and songs from some of the UK's finest folk musicians. This drama was directed by John Tams, who was nominated for an Olivier Award for his work on the phenomenally successful War Horse stage epic at the National Theatre ['the theatrical event of the decade' ( Times)] and which also inspired the Steven Spielberg film.

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 gentle and deeply moving story of a young girl and her bear, told with great charm by a master storyteller. High in the mountains, in a tiny village, an abandoned bear cub is adopted by a lonely orphan child. Soon they are inseparable, beloved by the whole village - safe, until the arrival of a glamorous film crew who need a dancing bear....

Antonito n'a pas de plus grand ami que Paco, le petit taureau qu'il a vu naître. Paco est destiné à la corrida et le petit garçon ne peut se résoudre à voir son taureau mourir dans l'arène. À l'aube, les deux amis prendront la fuite. Nous sommes en 1936. Ils ne savent pas que la guerre civile gronde derrière les collines.

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.

Laura Perryman's family has always lived on Bryher. She lives with her twin brother, Billy, and her mother and father and her Granny May. Bryher is one of the Isles of Scilly. It's a very tiny island, and it is very hard work trying to scratch a living there. The sea feeds the people of Bryher. 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 to the mizzen mast Billy secures his passage.

Children’s author Michael Morpurgo narrates his book The Mozart Question, an eloquent and ultimately uplifting story charting a small boy’s discovery of his love for the violin, and of his parents’ traumatic past in a concentration camp during the Second World War. This audiobook weaves together the book’s narration with musical extracts to bring the story alive, featuring pieces by Beethoven, Vivaldi, Bach and Mozart performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

When cub reporter Lesley is sent to Venice to interview a world-renowned violinist, the journalist is told she can ask Paolo Levi anything about his life and career as a musician, but on no account must she ask him the Mozart question; never the Mozart question. Paolo, however, has realised he must finally reveal the truth.

A stunning and moving new novel from Michael Morpurgo, the nation’s favourite storyteller – featuring the bravest dog in all the world. When Hero, a bomb-sniffing spaniel, goes missing in the middle of wartorn Afghanistan, his soldier-owner is devastated. Meanwhile, Hero makes friends with a local Afghan boy, and sees a whole other side of the war. As Christmas draws ever closer, the question is – will Hero and his trainer ever be reunited?

Michael Morpurgo's inspiring new story of Robbie, a boy in a coma – victim of a car accident. Locked inside his own head, able to hear but not move or speak, Robbie tries to keep himself from slipping ever deeper into unconsciousness.

A heart-warming novel about Kaspar the Savoy cat, from the award-winning author of Born to Run and The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips. Everything changes with a cat like Kaspar around. After all, he's Prince Kaspar Kandinsky, Prince of Cats, a Muscovite, a Londoner and a New Yorker, and as far as anyone knows, the only cat to survive the sinking of the Titanic….