Toro! Toro!

Discover the beautiful stories of Michael Morpurgo, author of Warhorse and the nation’s favourite storyteller

Best-selling author Michael Morpurgo turns his storytelling skills to the drama and tragedy of the Spanish Civil War, illustrated by Michael Foreman.

TORO,TORO is the story of a young boy growing up in Andalucia, Spain, on a farm rearing bulls for the bull ring. Antonito hand rears a little black calf and they become firm friends, but the boy doesn't yet understand the fate of the black bulls – the corrida and death. Later, when he learns of the horrors of the bull fight, he frees Paco, the black bull, and rides with him into the hills.There they witness the bombing of their village (it's the year 1936, and the Spanish Civil War has started) and Antonito cannot go back – his family and the farm are destroyed, and Paco has run off, wild with fright. He decides to stay in the hills, where he meets up with the Resistance fighters. During the War, Antonito hears stories round the campfire of the wonderful black bull, who becomes a symbol of freedom for them all. Could this really be Paco? But no-one has ever seen him. After the war, when Antonito is working as a muleteer in the mountains, he falls asleep and dreams of Paco. In the morning, he wakes to see hoof prints on the ground beside him…

A delightful story, full of nostalgia and drama in the author's own inimitable style. Illustrated by Michael Foreman.

Reviews

“A tale about another country and another time that resonates with the here and now… Once again, Morpurgo demonstrates his talent for stories of absolute clarity about big events”
Sunday Times

“A poignant tale, simply told, about the horror of the Spanish Civil War and the noble cruelty of bullfighting.”
Sunday Telegraph

“In Toro! Toro! Michael Morpurgo unpicks the problem of taking sides, of how enemies can be good, of guilty secrets kept for years… A compact, horrifying and compelling story”
The Times

“A beautifully, directly and convincingly told story: typical Morpurgo. Michael Foreman’s illustrations are exactly right and the whole is a very fine, thoroughly recommended, production.”
School Librarian

About the author

Sir Michael Morpurgo OBE FRSL FKC DL is a writer, playwright, performer and librettist. The author of more than 150 children’s books, he has sold over 35 million copies worldwide and in almost 40 languages. A former teacher and vocal spokesperson for the benefits of reading for pleasure, he is currently the President of Book Trust. Between 2003–2005 he was Children’s Laureate and in 2018 he was knighted for services to literature and charity. Many of Michael’s books have been adapted for stage and screen, including the phenomenal National Theatre adaptation of War Horse, which has been seen by over 10 million people in over 100 cities around the world, broke the West End record for weekly ticket sales, and won 5 Tony Awards and 2 Olivier Awards. Michael is also the co-founder, with his wife Clare, of the charity Farms for City Children.