Product Description

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

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4961 in Books
• Published on: 2002-05-07
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 130 pages

Sunday Times
"Once again, Morpurgo demonstrates his talent for stories of absolute clarity about big events"

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

Synopsis
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.

Customer Reviews

Another great book by Michael Morpurgo
Michael Morpurgo is the BEST children's author. He uses brilliant words which are beautifully descriptive. His books are sometimes sad but comforting, always in a different way. I think this book is for 8+ year olds.

This story was one of my best giving me information about the Spanish Civil War and bull fighting. Half way through the book I was crying, but then I cheered up as it had a good ending.

Another brilliant book by Michael Morpurgo
I can tell you one true fact: Michael Morpurgo is a BRILLIANT author. He writes the books really well and they also have a great storyline and no boring parts or soppy parts. This book is a great example of that.

Brilliant, but too short
This book is about a boy named Antonito who's family lived on a farm in Spain at the time of the Civil War
Antonito helped deliver a black bull and they become firm friends. He names him Paco.

He learns that his uncle is a bull fighter who tells him that Paco will one day be a fighting bull in the bullring, so the boy decides to set Paco free and run away. While setting his bull free, Antonito hears bombing in his village and returns home to find his family are all dead or missing. He then loses the bull as well.

Later he meets up with his sister, who'd missed the bombing as she had gone to look for Antonito.

He finds his uncle has become a fighter and a hero, and Antonito and his sister meet up with him.

He then learns that there is a legend of a black bull that chases away the baddies, and Antonito hopes that this is Paco.

The illustrations are perfect for the story. If I have one criticism it is that the book is too short, it took us only an hour to read.