The Fox and the Ghost King

By Author / Illustrator

Michael Morpurgo

Genre

Adventure

Age range(s)

Publisher

HarperCollins Publishers

ISBN

9780008215774

Format

Hardback

Published

22-09-2016

Synopsis

A delightful tale of victory against all odds from master storyteller, Michael Morpurgo, lavishly illustrated by Michael Foreman.

\"Every fox in the whole town, in the whole country just about, is a football fan... And we all have an impossible dream.\"

In a cosy den under a garden shed lives a family of foxes. They love to watch football - all foxes do. But their favourite team keeps losing and losing, and it seems like things will never look up.

That is, until Daddy Fox finds the ghost of a king, buried underneath a car park. A king who wishes only to be free.

\"Release me,\" says the Ghost King, \"and I can do anything. Just tell me your greatest wish.\"

For these football-loving foxes, might everything be about to change...?

Reviews

The foxes love football, and foxes in every part of the country support The Foxes; Leicester City Football Club. Win or lose, they love them, and all the food scraps left behind by the human fans. When returning home from another defeat, across a car park that is being excavated, Dad and son fox hear a voice, a noble voice, that seems to be coming from underground. The voice makes them a promise, if they will dig a tunnel to him, so that he can be found by the archaeologists, he will make their dream come true! With facts any football fan (especially Leicester City fans) will enjoy, and historical links to King Richard III and William Shakespeare, this is a lovely story of trust and believing that dreams can come true. The newspaper excerpts and further information provided as background to the historical aspects of the story are a real bonus. Michael Foreman's illustrations are beautiful, as always. An utterly charming modern fairytale. Great for fans of Michael Morpurgo, football and foxes. 144 pages / Ages 7+ / Reviewed by Miss Cleveland.