Greatest Animal Stories

by Michael Morpurgo

Overview

This treasure trove of animal stories features all of the creatures that children love, in stories that they will remember for years to come.

From squeaks and peeps to growls and howls, all animal life is duly represented. This collection of the greatest animal stories was gathered by award-winning children's writer Michael Morpurgo. There are brave mice and hungry wolves, mischievous spiders and ingenious cats, silly dogs, a magic cow, and more. Stories include retellings of "Puss and Boots," "The Ugly Duckling," "The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing," and more. Beautifully illustrated and charmingly retold, there are lots of great stories from around the great big world that children will explore and enjoy.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781438050034
Publisher:	Peterson's
Publication date:	09/01/2017
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	632,523
Product dimensions:	7.70(w) x 9.20(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	7 - 12 Years

About the Author

Michael Morpurgo is a former Children's Laureate in Great Britain and the best-selling author of over 130 books for children, including Private Peaceful, The Butterfly Lion, Kensuke's Kingdom, and Warhorse. Since 1976, he and his wife, Claire, have run the charity Farms for City Children, which offers children and teachers from urban primary schools the opportunity to live and work in the English countryside for a week. Visit his website at www.michaelmorpurgo.com

Editorial Reviews

08/14/2017
Originally published in the U.K., this collection of 17 animal stories selected by Morpurgo features a variety of authors and illustrators, including Pippa Goodheart, Geraldine McCaughrean, and Meilo So. Several tales originate from Aesop and Andersen, while others are drawn from Native American, African, Caribbean, and other folkloric traditions. Morpurgo provides commentary before the stories, inviting readers to compare and contrast them, and to consider how the tales might resonate in their own lives (“What would you do if someone like Jackal was trying to tempt you into trouble?” he asks at the outset of Timothy Knapman’s version of “The Hungry Hyena”). The broad mix of voices and illustration styles brings a lively variety to the collection, while the stories are united by concluding morals set off from the rest of the text. Ages 7–12. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

"This book is amazing--I love every bit of it from the chosen stories to the artwork to the texture of the pages. Another thing I LOVE about this book is that the text to picture ratio is absolutely perfect! Perfect for reading aloud and perfect for reading to yourself. The stories are about all animals, some from different cultural traditions; most of the stories contain a valuable lesson like "The Fox and the Crow" or explain a natural phenomena like "How the Bear Lost His Tail." All stories are delightfully entertaining."
--Melissa Taylor, Imagination Soup, imaginationsoup.net

From the Publisher

10/01/2017
Gr 1–5—A collection of 17 stories selected by Morpurgo, the best-selling author of over 130 books for children. Each classic tale is retold by a different author and illustrator, making this book a beautiful and diverse compendium of narrative and artistic styles. The stories also vary in length and complexity so that readers of all ages can find something suited for their reading level. Stories from all over the world are represented: Aesop's fables are included, as well as tales from Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean. Classics such as "The Ugly Duckling" and "Peter and the Wolf" appear alongside "How the Bear Lost His Tail" and the "King of Cats." Next to each title page is a short paragraph by Morpurgo introducing the story, describing its cultural origins, and presenting the moral conflict. The shorter stories end with a summary of the moral. The book itself is a beauty to behold: the dust jacket is gorgeous, featuring silver letters and intricate design, and the interiors are bright and slick. VERDICT This book is ideal for solo readers as well as family bedtime stories and makes for a memorable gift.—Katherine Hickey, Metropolitan Library System, Oklahoma City

School Library Journal

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