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Summary
Summary
Revered author Michael Morpurgo evokes the post-war Britain of his childhood in this unflinching and deeply poignant tale of the physical and mental scars of war.
From a young age, Michael was both fascinated by and afraid of his grandfather. Grandpa's ship was torpedoed during the Second World War, leaving him with terrible burns. Every time he came to stay, Michael was warned by his mother that he must not stare, he must not make too much noise, he must not ask Grandpa any questions about his past. As he grows older, Michael stays with his grandfather during the summer holidays and learns the story behind Grandpa's injuries, finally getting to know the real man behind the solemn figure from his childhood. Michael can see beyond the burns, and this gives him the power to begin healing scars that have divided his family for so long.
Author Notes
British author Michael Morpurgo was born in St. Albans, Hertforshire in 1943. He attended the University of London and studied English and French. He became a primary school teacher in Kent for about ten years. He and his wife Clare started a charity called Farms for City Children. They currently own three farms where over 2000 children a year stay for a week and experience the countryside by taking part in purposeful farmwork.
He has published over 100 books and several screenplays. He won the 1995 Whitbread Children's Book Award for The Wreck of the Zanzibar, the 1996 Nestle Smarties Book Prize for The Butterfly Lion, and the 2000 Children's Book Award for Kensuke's Kingdom. Private Peaceful won the 2005 Red House Children's Book Award and the Blue Peter Book of the Year Award. Five of his books have been made into movies and two have been adapted for television. He was named as the third Children's Laureate in May 2003.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 3 Up-Morpurgo has penned an extraordinary little book of pain and triumph. It is a fictionalized tale but is based on the heroic work of Dr. McIndoe, a pioneering plastic surgeon who treated severely burned soldiers during World War II. The narrator is Michael, a young boy whose grandfather is severely disfigured from burns sustained during the war. His grandfather lives a solitary and misanthropic life and only visits family during the holidays. These are tense and frightening times for the young boy, due in no small part to his mother exhorting him to never stare at his grandfather's face, and it is always a relief when he leaves. When Michael begins spending summers with him on his remote island home, the two gradually form a loving and enduring bond. Michael now looks directly at his grandfather's face, and this simple gesture is a balm to a soldier who had considered himself "half a man." The text is lovingly illustrated by O'Callaghan in ink with a screen-printing technique that captures the story and the emotions brilliantly. The scenes where the grandfather describes his harrowing ordeal are made that much more potent with her haunting images. This title will resonate with a variety of readers, including children who are interested in World War II, fans of R.J. Palacio's Wonder (Random, 2012), and is an outstanding choice for reluctant readers. With our returning wounded warriors of today, this is a timely and superb addition to all collections and not to be missed.-Amy Nolan, St. Joseph Public Library, St. Joseph, MI (c) Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Master storyteller Morpurgo imagines the ordeal of one of WWII's grievously burned soldiers, narrated in a remarkably authentic voice by the man's grandson, Michael. Michael's mother tells him never to stare at Grandpa when he visits ("He had three half-fingers on one hand and no fingers at all on the other. His top lip had almost completely disappeared, and one of his ears was little more than a hole in his head"). Yet, somehow, avoiding looking at Grandpa means only half-seeing him, and seeing him as "half a man." As Michael grows older, he begins visiting Grandpa on the island where he lives. Grandpa shares the horrors of the attack that left him scarred and the decades of misery that followed. Still more affectingly, he thanks Michael for looking at him-for really seeing him. O'Callaghan's prints, however, choose not to look. The characters are seen from far off, their features absent or indistinct, while the quiet landscape expresses the story's sadness. Morpurgo is at his best when dealing with ordinary people wrestling with huge emotions, and this story may bring tears to unsuspecting readers. Ages 10-up. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
Young Michael is scared of his grandfather, who was badly burned and scarred in World War II. Summers spent together on the Isles of Scilly bring understanding, love, and the means to unite the whole family. The elegant prose illuminates the physical and emotional scars of war, while the spare illustrations in fiery oranges and muted blues give readers needed distance. (c) Copyright 2015. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
A grandson's loving homage to his war-scarred grandfather.Michael has been told to never stare at his grandfather when he comes for rare visits. During World War II, Grandpa served on a British merchant vessel that was torpedoed and engulfed in flames, leaving his face a grotesque mask. When Michael turns 12, he starts spending summers with Grandpa, fishing off the Isles of Scilly. It is only when Michael is older, a high school graduate, that the grandfather recounts what happened in all its horrific detail. Facially disfigured, missing fingers and turning to drink, he was abandoned by his wife, who took their daughter, the narrator's mother, with her. "No one wants a monster for a husband. No one wants half a man." At his death, he leaves a note for his grandson asking that the family gather together to scatter his ashes in the sea. They do, and gannets, a sign of good luck, fly overhead. Morpurgo writes with great sensitivity and grace, dedicating the book to a World War II burn victim who underwent experimental reconstructive surgery. The ink-and-screen-printed illustrations in blues and oranges vividly contrast the violence of the recalled violence with the calm serenity of water. Veterans are still returning from war with scars and trauma; this short story may help families heal. A sorrowful yet ultimately redeeming tale. (Fiction. 12-16) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Nightmares, unspoken questions, and unnatural silence: these are the things Michael, as a young boy, remembers about his grandfather. Michael is warned not to stare at his grandfather's forbidden face and hands, which were disfigured in a fire during the war. But Michael cannot help himself, for he is curious to see that face and learn the story behind it. Over summers spent together in Sicily, Morpurgo (War Horse, 2007) traces Michael's relationship with his grandfather from the time he is a young boy to the time he is grown. An adult Michael narrates in calm reflection, though his grandfather's story, once it is fully revealed, is marked by harsh events and sadness. This story is simply told but emotionally dense, dealing in fear, anger, healing, and love. O'Callaghan's saturated pen-and-ink illustrations reflect the magnitude of Morpurgo's storytelling, creating full-page vistas and adding movement to the narrative through smaller action panels. Well suited for the more serious or contemplative reader, this is rich with positive insights into ways goodness can surpass one's flaws.--Smith, Julia Copyright 2015 Booklist