Toro! Toro!

By Michael Morpurgo, Illustrated by Michael Foreman

A moving tale set during the Spanish Civil War, about the bond between a little boy and his bull, and their escape from a terrifying fate.

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

Surrounded by animals on a farm in the Spanish countryside, Antonito’s life is simple but sublime. He and his calf, Paco are inseparable, and the future is an unknown possibility. That is until Antonito sees with his own eyes what happens to bulls in the bullring and resolves to escape with Paco to the hills.

But Paco’s is not the only brutal fate they must run from. As civil war engulfs Spain, planes and soldiers arrive, and their bombs and guns may destroy Antonito’s whole world …

Format: Paperback
Ageband: 9 to 11
Release Date: 27 Feb 2025
Pages: 128
ISBN: 978-0-00-863877-1
Michael Morpurgo OBE is one of Britain\'s best-loved writers for children, and has sold more than 35 million books around the world. He has written more than 150 novels and won many prizes, including the Smarties Prize, the Whitbread Award and the Blue Peter Book Award, while several of his books have been adapted for stage and screen, including the global theatrical phenomenon War Horse. Michael was Children’s Laureate from 2003 to 2005, and founded the charity Farms for City Children with his wife, Clare. He was knighted in 2018 for services to literature and charity.

“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 -