"Unicorns weren't actually real, I knew that much. Of course I did. It was quite obvious to me now that this was in fact a wooden unicorn. He had been carved out of wood and painted. But even as I came closer he seemed so lifelike. He looked so much how a unicorn should be, so magical and mysterious, that if he'd got to his feet and trotted off I still wouldn't have been in the least surprised."
Tomas Porec lives in a small town with his parents. One day his mum insists he wait in the local library while she completes her shopping. Tomas is sure he is way to old for the library story time but, in spite of his reservations, he does listen in from behind some shelves.
The library lady tells the story of Noah's Ark and how the unicorns were left behind and after struggling to find land during and after the flood, they transformed into the creatures we call Narwhals. Tomas is totally swept up into the story as are all the children.
"For some time after she finished speaking a word. It was as if we were all waking up from a dream none of us wanted to leave."
Over the coming weeks Tomas goes to the library nearly every day.
"Every story she told us, even it was one we'd heard before, held us enthralled. It was the way she told them, I think, as if each of us was the only one she was talking to, and as if each story must be real and true, however unlikely, however fantastical. You could tell she believed absolutely in her stories as she told them."
At one story session the library lady brings out a book that she says is her most special one.
"She held it up so we could all see. It looked rather old and tatty. The spine of the book was heavily taped, and the cover so stained that I found it difficult to read the title. And it was blackened too, at the edges, I noticed, as if it might have been scorched a long time ago."
I gasped when I 'heard' the library lady (now known as the Unicorn Lady) say the title - The Little Match girl. I hoped someone reading the book had not experimented with matches and caused all this damage. No that was not the story she told the children. The Unicorn Lady was a child during the holocaust. The Nazi soldiers burnt all the books from her town and library but her father heroically saved this one.
All of that was in the past but then the story shifts to the present and war has come again. Tomas sees a plane dropping bombs. His family rush to safety but the library, his precious place, is on fire. Once the planes fly away everyone rushes to help forming a human chain to save the books and last of all Tomas and his father and the Unicorn Lady are able to retrieve the library unicorn.
This novella sure does 'pack a punch'. Sadly, though, it was published in 2005 and is now long out of print. I do hope you can find a copy in a library. You can read the first few pages here. If you can find a copy of I Believe in Unicorns it would be a fabulous book to read aloud in a family to your children aged 8+.
Michael Morpurgo pulls on the heart strings in a short book into which he has packed a number of strands, richly woven together. Tomas lives for the outdoors: he hates books, reading and stories. But one day, his mother forces him into the library and everything changes. Tomas hears the magical story of the unicorn and is soon spell bound by its power. Soon, reading and the wonderful stories that unfold before him become central to his life. But things are changing around Tomas too as the distant rumble of war is suddenly brought close to home. When his village suffers a direct hit, he realises what really matters to him. Morpurgo keeps on the right side of sentimentality and creates a sensitive boy hero. Love Reading for Kids
A few days ago I talked about another book by Michael Morpurgo: This Morning I met a Whale. My book today - I believe in Unicorns - has a similar format (not quite the same as the cover image at the top of this post) so I wondered if these two books might be part of a series. Alas I cannot find the name of the series I only know they were both published by Walker Books in the UK around 20 years ago.
This Morning I met a Whale has illustrations by the wonderful Christian Birmingham. My book today is illustrated by the equally wonderful Gary Blythe. Here are three of his books:
1 comment:
Wow…too kind. Thank you for all you do to keep the library swimming along too, my shelving fairy, library mentor and friend.
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