Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

Author & Illustrators

Michael Foreman Books

This longer picturebook is the story of a polar bear who dreams of exchanging his snowy white coat for new fur that is as colourful as the rainbow he sees in the sky one day. The bear’s conspicuous new appearance leads him to be captured and exhibited in a zoo.

This engaging and thought-provoking story by master storyteller Michael Morpurgo is coupled with beautiful illustrations, making it one of our top choices for storytime in Year 2 and the surrounding year groups.

A boy and his grandfather watch as a baby seal is born on the rocks near their home and from that day a special friendship is created between them. Despite his disability, the boy is a keen surfer, and he enjoys many afternoons surfing with the seals. One day, however, he gets into trouble in rough seas, and the young seal saves him. Their friendship brings happiness and meaning at the important stages of the boy’s life

A longer illustrated story from Michael Morpurgo and illustrated by Michael Foreman, all about a boy from a cornish fishing village who helps a beached dolphin find its way back into the sea.

This heartwarming story tells of the special bond between children and animals, which is characterised by unconditional love and loyalty. Poignant at times and magical at others, we love this beautifully rich story of a friendship between a boy and a dolphin, which never fails to captivate KS1 audiences at storytime.

From the Nation’s Favourite Storyteller Sir Michael Morpurgo comes a poetic celebration of our Queen and longest reigning monarch, beautifully illustrated in watercolour by acclaimed artist Michael Foreman.

There once was a little girl, a princess, who became a queen, our Queen Elizabeth. Now, seventy years later, her reign as the longest serving female monarch in history has seen her stand steadfast through triumph and tribulation, and through the monumental changes that have shaped our world, as this remarkable queen has remained devoted to crown, to country… and a corgi or two!

Beginning with the queen as a little girl, planting an oak tree with her father, There Once is a Queen follows her incredible story in a way that will bring this historic reign vividly to life for readers around the world, big and small. An exquisite gift book and commemoration of the Platinum Jubilee, it marks a unique moment in our shared history and will be a treasured keepsake for generations to come.

Kaspar, Prince of Cats by Michael Morpurgo tells the story of Johnny Trott, a bellboy at the Savoy, who makes friends with a cat named Kaspar. They have many adventures, including being on board Titanic when it hits the iceberg. This novel is only partially set on Titanic, but the sinking scenes are thrilling and are vividly brought to life by gorgeous illustrations by Michael Foreman.

This picture book tells the remarkable story of a group of soldiers in the trenches who play a football match with others from the opposing trenches, during a rare pause in the fighting at Christmas time. Illustrated with water colour pictures, this is a highly recommended picture book that is popular in KS2 classrooms. You may also like War Boy by the same author.

Erik the Viking and his crew set sail on a quest aboard the great ship Golden Dragon. Along their way they will encounter monsters, magic and mythical creatures. This is an exciting adventure written in the style of the original Viking sagas and is excellent for reading out loud. The story won the Children’s Book Award in 1984 and includes colour illustrations by Michael Foreman.

The Michael Morpurgo version of the Anglo-Saxon classic Beowulf is a popular chapter book choice for upper KS2 or for more confident readers.

Beowulf is an Old English epic poem about a young man’s quest to overcome a monster. Morpurgo draws on the style of the original text using rich, alliterative language, and also mixes it with modern themes as he retells the story of Beowulf’s epic quest to destroy the monstrous Grendel.

Morpurgo’s excellent version of Beowulf is also brought to life with engaging illustrations by Michael Foreman.

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