Kensuke's Kingdom (Special Colour Edition) - Softcover

Morpurgo, Michael

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1405248564 ISBN 13: 9781405248563

Publisher: Farshore, 2010

Synopsis

Kensuke’s Kingdom is a true children’s classic by former Children's Laureate Michael Morpurgo, the creator of War Horse.

I heard the wind above me in the sails. I remember thinking, this is silly, you haven’t got your safety harness on, you haven’t got your lifejacket on. You shouldn’t be doing this . . . I was in the cold of the sea before I could even open my mouth to scream.

Washed up on an island in the Pacific, Michael struggles to survive on his own. With no food and no water, he curls up to die. When he wakes, there is a plate beside him of fish, of fruit, and a bowl of fresh water. He is not alone . . .

From the author of War Horse, Private Peaceful, An Eagle in the Snow, Listen to the Moon,  and I Believe in Unicorns comes a stunning children’s story – loved by kids, teachers and parents alike. One of the best books for children aged 10 and up. Michael Morpurgo has written more than one hundred books and won the Whitbread Award, the Smarties Award, the Circle of Gold Award, the Children’s Book Award and has been short-listed for the Carnegie Medal four times. Reviewed as ‘A dazzling adventure’ by The Times.

About this title

Review

It would be foolish to think that Michael Morpurgo, author of the award-winning When the Whales Came, could create something that would prove to be anything less than stunning and here, in Kensuke's Kingdom, he certainly proves he has not lost his magic touch.

When Michael is washed up on an island in the Pacific after falling from his parent's yacht, the Peggy Sue, he struggles to survive on his own. But he soon realises there is someone close by, someone who is watching over him and helping him to stay alive. After close-run battle between life and death after being stung by a poisonous jelly fish, the mysterious someone--Kensuke--allows Michael into his world and they become friends, teaching and learning from each other, until the day separation becomes inevitable.

Morpurgo here spins a yarn which gently captures the adventurous elements one would expect from a desert-island tale, but the real strength lies in the poignant and subtle observations of friendship, trust and, ultimately, humanity.

Beautifully illustrated by Michael Foreman, Kensuke's Kingdom is a stylish, deceptively simple and utterly magical book that will effortlessly capture the heart and imagination of anyone who reads it, ensuring that Morpurgo continues to stand tall amid the ranks of classic children's authors. (Age 9 and over) --Susan Harrison

Review

A dazzling adventure (The Times)

This is a beautifully written tale of an exceptional friendship which survives beyond the boundaries of culture and language (BookTrust)

About this edition

• Publisher: Farshore
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 1405248564
• ISBN 13: 9781405248563
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 192
• Illustrator: Foreman Michael