Fifty years ago, Michael and Clare Morpurgo packed their young family into a car in London and set off for a remote farm in rural Devon, down a narrow track called Burrow Lane.

It was on this magical farm that Michael, then a young schoolteacher, became a writer. Over the years, it would inspire many of his best-loved books, including War Horse and Private Peaceful.

Here, Michael and Clare raised their family – and, in many ways, grew up themselves. They also welcomed more than 100,000 children from towns and cities to experience life in the countryside through their charity, Farms for City Children.

This is the remarkable love story of Michael and Clare, and an account of the joys and hardships of life on the farm across five decades: a journey through the seasons and years that shaped the land around them, and the lives of the children forever changed by their time there.

A story championing kindness, compassion and humanity, and a rallying cry for the rights of animals, readers have fallen in love with the story of a horse called Black Beauty for 150 years.

Now, this faithful retelling, beautifully written with Michael Morpurgo’s inimitable warmth, offers a new generation of readers the chance to discover this unmissable children’s classic.??

Illustrated in full colour throughout by acclaimed artist Tom de Freston, this stunning new edition will make the perfect gift for the whole family.

Rediscover the extraordinary story of Black Beauty with this brand new retelling from the award-winning author of War Horse.

‘A beautiful, thoughtful book that brims with joy’ KATE MOSSE

In Funny Thing, Getting Older, one of our most beloved novelists shares his reflections from a lifetime of writing stories about the world. Here, collected for the first time on Michael’s 82nd birthday, are his thoughts on nature, childhood, writing, peace and war, and getting older. Some are deeply personal, some political, others in between. And woven in amongst them you will find a play, a poem or two, and even a few stories.

Full of wonder, gentle humour and sharp observation, Funny Thing, Getting Older is a book to treasure.

‘For me, a story is like a kite. It will swoop and soar, and it will be please my heart when it’s up there, floating on the wind. It is the same with the making of the pieces in this book, every one of them. I have to keep making and flying my kites, and to teach others, if I can, to fly theirs.’
MICHAEL MORPURGO

‘Our master storyteller’ JOANNA LUMLEY

Featuring re-tellings of a further eight of Shakespeare’s plays, and beautifully written with Michael Morpurgo’s warm, accessible and inimitable style, this is the much-anticipated follow up to Michael Morpurgo’s highly-acclaimed Tales from Shakespeare, with a brand new collection of re-tellings with stunning artwork from eight different illustrators.

This wonderful collection offers a new generation of readers the chance to discover even more of the magic of Shakespeare – the perfect introduction to the Bard and an unmissable book for children.

Stunningly illustrated throughout with contributions from eight different artists, and published in a beautiful hardback edition, More Tales from Shakespeare is a glorious tribute to both Shakespeare and Michael Morpurgo, making this the perfect companion to the first collection, and a wonderful gift.

Complete the set today!

Featuring:

Julius Caesar, illustrated by Dapo Adeola

Much Ado About Nothing, illustrated by Axel Scheffler

Antony and Cleopatra, illustrated by Ed Vere

As You Like It, illustrated by Emily Gravett

Othello, illustrated by Moera

Timon of Athens, illustrated by Tom de Freston

The Merchant of Venice, illustrated by Alona Millgram

Cymbeline, illustrated by Michael Foreman

“You have to breathe the world in deep, and all its creatures too … become part of it.”

Immerse yourself in the great outdoors and travel around the country in these four heart-warming modern fables. Join Michael, who spots a whale on the shores of the river Thames, Mrs Pettigrew in her railway carriage by the sea, Bonny who wishes to follow her dreams cycling along country lanes and a refugee named Ho who finds his voice working with horses in a Devon farmyard. These four nostalgic stories are thought-provoking, touching and inspiring and will linger in your mind, long after you turn the final page.

This powerful book for younger readers tells the enduring story of a friendship between a boy and his horse amid the turmoil of the First World War. For 40 years, War Horse has been helping children understand conflict. As we move beyond centenary commemorations and continue to strive for peace across the world, it remains an important book for young readers learning about the past.

Review for the novel:

War Horse is a story of universal suffering for a universal audience by a writer who ‘has the happy knack of speaking to both child and adult readers’ – Guardian

Michael Morpurgo has written more than one hundred books for children 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.0

‘Thank goodness for Michael Morpurgo’ ????? The Telegraph

‘Moving, unique and utterly charming. This is why Michael Morpurgo is the nation’s favourite storyteller’ Hannah Gold, author of The Last Bear

“They call me Cobweb. I’ll tell you why later. I may be a dog, but I know and understand a lot more than people think I do.”

Britain. 1815. After years of loss and sacrifice, the end of the war with Napoleon is approaching.

Cobweb knows nothing of the war – he loves being a young puppy and playing with his owner, Bethan, exploring the countryside and chasing rabbits.

But when he is taken away from Bethan and sold, Cobweb must learn to become a Drover’s Dog – herding sheep and cattle for hundreds of miles on the long, treacherous journey to London.

And after the Napoleonic wars finally come to an end with the Battle of Waterloo, Cobweb meets an unexpected stranger with an incredible tale to tell on his journey home ?

Inspired by the woods around his home, the mighty forests that support our life on Earth, and the Ted Hughes poem which gives this book its title, My Heart Was a Tree is a celebration, and Sir Michael Morpurgo’s love letter to trees.

There are stories from an ancient olive remembering Odysseus and Penelope, and from a eucalyptus that gave shelter to a koala; from a piece of driftwood that was made into a chair, and from a tiny sapling carried by a refugee as a reminder of home.

These are poems and stories that will amuse, move and energise families and readers of all ages to appreciate the beauty and wonder of trees.

Yuval Zommer’s beautiful, detailed illustrations bring the natural world to life, and make My Heart Was a Tree a book to pore over for hours and hours, discovering something new each time.

‘Full of vibrant colour and most of all, heart and soul.’ CLARE BALDING

And there, as I struggle to open the gate, I happen to glance down and see it. Frog spawn! Clumps of it, floating like grey slimy sponges on the surface of the puddle. I crouch down to be close to it, to the beginning of new life.

Michael Morpurgo has lived on a farm deep in rural Devon for more than forty years. In Spring, he observes the season unfold around him, as fragile new shoots emerge, buds turn to blossom and grey skies give way to blue.

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.

With new poems and reminiscences about childhood and springs gone by, this is an enchanting memoir of a season from one of the world’s best-loved authors.