Kensuke’s Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo

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Kensuke’s Kingdom is a thrilling adventure story from exceptional children’s writer Michael Morpurgo.

Michael, his parents and their faithful dog Stella set sail around the world in their yacht the Peggy Sue. Michael has never been so happy and then disaster strikes when he and his dog are swept overboard and find themselves stranded on an island where he discovers Kensuke, a former Japanese soldier and obstinate old man. Seemingly determined to thwart any attempt Michael makes to be rescued yet, unswerving in his generosity, sharing precious food and water and watching over him. Michael soon looks on Kensuke as both saviour and captor. It is not until both boy and man begin to understand one another and a bond of trust builds. Having lost his own family in the war Kensuke realises he must do all he can to help Michael find his own family even though he desperately wants to keep his island secret from the outside world he has turned his back on.

This poignant tale of trust and mutual respect is a thrilling and emotive story, written in the first person narrative giving the reader a sense of a true story being related to them. The final page of the book reinforcing this effect beautifully. The characters of Michael and Kensuke’s characters are as far removed from each other as is possible but it is this contrast that engages the reader and adds such interest to the story. Morpurgo’s style of writing is distinctive and his execution of a storyline masterful leaving you able to relax and simply enjoy a cracking good read.

Kensuke's Kingdom (Amazon.co.uk)

Author: Michael Morpurgo
Binding: Paperback
Number of pages: 176
Publication date: 2005-10-03
Publisher: Egmont Books Ltd

RRP: £4.99
Lowest new price: £0.54
Lowest used price: £0.01

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. Following a 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 of 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 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. (Ages 9 and over) --Susan Harrison
Amazon.co.uk Review

Kensuke's Kingdom (Amazon.co.uk)

Author: Michael Morpurgo
Binding: Paperback
Number of pages: 176
Publication date: 2005
Publisher: Egmont

RRP:
Lowest new price:
Lowest used price: $0.01

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