Clare and her Captain

Clare is dreading the long summer at Aunty Dora's with Mum and Dad arguing all the time. But then she meets isolated old Thatcher Jones and his retired horse Captain, and a friendship develops that she will never forget. There is nothing much to do in the depths of the countryside, so when Clare stumbles across Thatcher Jones and is allowed to make friends with his horse, she is delighted. However her aunt and father are against her seeing the old man who keeps himself apart from the local community. But Clare is nothing if not determined and carries on visiting. His deep bond with his horse is clear and Clare is surprised and delighted when she is allowed to take him for a walk, down the road and across the field to the river. But the next day, she is devastated to find Thatcher Jones in the barn with a dying Captain. Despite his explanations that Captain was very old for a horse, Clare is convinced it is her fault, that the walk was too much for him. She determines to make things right, with a gift found with the help of her mum and the local newspaper editor. Exquisite pictures, suffused with sunlight, illustrate this small format picture book in which Michael Morpurgo has woven memories from his wife Clare's childhood into an evocative story of friendship and the countryside. Despite the sadness, the book is full of love and hope, with the yellow cover and endpapers giving a real feel of summer. The Conkers imprint features illustrated gift edition hardbacks from Barrington Stoke (ages 8-12 years), who specialise in producing dyslexia friendly books. Like so many of their titles, this is one to be enjoyed by every reader. 104 pages / Ages 8+ / Reviewed by Jayne Gould, librarian.

Suggested Reading Age 7+