Kensuke's Kingdom
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5.0 • 2 Ratings
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
Michael Morpurgo’s children’s classic is now a BAFTA nominated major movie animation that The Sunday Times calls ‘bold, charming and beautiful’ starring Cillian Murphy, Sally Hawkins and Ken Watanabe. With screen play by children’s laureate, Frank Cottrell-Boyce. From the award-winning author of War Horse.
‘A dazzling adventure’ – The Times
‘I heard the wind above me in the sails. I remember thinking, this is silly, you haven’t got your safety harness on, you haven’t got your lifejacket on. You shouldn’t be doing this … I was in the cold of the sea before I could even open my mouth to scream.’
Washed up on an island in the Pacific, Michael struggles to survive on his own. With no food and no water, he curls up and closes his eyes ready for the end. When he wakes, there is a plate beside him of fish, of fruit, and a bowl of fresh water. He is not alone …
Kensuke's Kingdom is a gripping adventure of survival and true friendship from the author of War Horse.
Michael Morpurgo has written more than one hundred books for children and won the Whitbread Award, the Smarties Award, the Circle of Gold Award, the Children’s Book Award and has been short-listed for the Carnegie Medal four times.
Kensuke’s Kingdom was shortlisted for the Whitbread Prize and won the FCB Award.
Reviews
‘A dazzling adventure’ – The Times
‘This is a beautifully written tale of an exceptional friendship which survives beyond the boundaries of culture and language.’ – Booktrust
'I read Kensuke’s Kingdom to my boys when they were little and they were enthralled by it. Michael Morpurgo manages to connect so beautifully with a child's sense of wonder and adventure.’ Cillian Murphy
Reviews of the Kensuke’s Kingdom movie
‘Beguiling’★★★★ The Times
'Kensuke’s Kingdom is your family film for the summer holidays…bold, charming and beautiful' ★★★★ The Sunday Times
‘[A] magical British animation' ★★★★ The Telegraph
‘Will be treasured for years by young and old alike' ★★★★★ Irish Independent
‘Spielbergian’ The Guardian
‘Impeccably elegant animation of [the] Michael Morpurgo adventure' The Observer
'This island adventure is one to treasure' The Mail on Sunday
'Delightful family entertainment' ★★★★ The Irish Times
‘Inventive and absorbing…beautifully animated, full of emotion' Scotland on Sunday
‘Epic… a true labour of love’ Metro
‘Gentle and gorgeous…it’s impossible not to be charmed… this film will resonate, whatever your age.’ The Sun
‘Full of lush colours and with a David Attenborough-ish eye for the wonder of nature, ‘Kensuke’s Kingdom’ should widen the eyes of family members of all ages.’ Time Out
‘A beautifully realised family film' The Scotsman
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Whitbread winner Morpurgo (Waiting for Anya) tries his hand at high-seas action in this tale of a 12-year-old who washes up on a tiny island in the Pacific in 1988. When the brickworks that employs Mike's parents closes, Mike's father comes up with a novel idea: he invests the family's life savings in a sailboat and hires someone to train the three of them to operate the boat. Before long Mike and his parents, and his faithful dog, Stella, are off on a voyage around the globe. But one night, while alone on deck, Mike falls overboard. After hours in the water and losing consciousness (he dreams someone with strong arms has hauled him to safety), Mike comes to on the shore of an apparently deserted island. Readers hoping for a survival story on the order of Hatchet or Island of the Blue Dolphinsinstead will find a highly romanticized tale in which a saddened but wise Japanese army doctor, shipwrecked near the end of WWII and unwilling to return home, not only rescues Mike but teaches him to fish, cook and paint ("As I watched I became so engrossed that the failing light of evening always came too soon for me"). The languid descriptions and the clusters of coincidences create the ambience of fantasy; this story reads like a pleasantly extended daydream. Ages 8-12.
