an elephant in the garden by michael morpurgo

When the Lancasters and Spitfires appear, Lizzie, her mother, younger brother and Marlene flee west, hoping to meet the American forces before the notoriously vicious Russians overrun them from the east. Not long before Dresden is obliterated by allied bombs, Lizzie's mother, a volunteer at the city's zoo, decides to care for a young orphaned elephant called Marlene at home. Her tale, which is satisfyingly punctuated by conversation with her audience - a nurse and her young son - is about the final days of World War II. The story of how the elephant got into the garden and what happened after that is told by Lizzie, an elderly woman in a nursing home. I must admit, it brought a happy tear to my eye in the end.

While it's perfect for kids from nine or 10 to early teens, this is the kind of book a jaded adult looking for quick and easy rejuvenation could genuinely enjoy. Yes, this is vintage Michael Morpurgo and yet An Elephant in the Garden is nothing if not refreshing. Nor are there any surprises with his familiar themes of survival and the triumph of good over evil, the vivid setting, happy ending and inspirational animal companion. So it's absolutely no surprise that An Elephant in the Garden is a wonderful book. Many of them have been well received, and Steven Spielberg's big-screen adaptation of the 1982 classic War Horse isn't far away. Michael Morpurgo, Britain's third children's laureate, has won numerous awards including the Whitbread, and written well over one hundred books.

An elephant in the garden by michael morpurgo