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A delightful version of the much-loved story, this version is told by the puppet himself. ‘The truth is I’m not just a puppet, I’m more than just bits of wood and string. I’m me. So I thought it was about time that I, Pinocchio, told you my story…’

Read as a class and imagine what it would be like to be there. Next, look carefully at how the author describes the setting. This can support children’s own development as writers. This BBC radio play of the story is free to listen to, which makes this a valuable text for comparing play scripts and prose, and how the same story can be told in different ways.Michael Morpurgo Month takes place every February. What’s the theme for Michael Morpurgo Month 2023? Pupils could try to write their own story-within-a-story, based on another myth or legend they know. Pinocchio by Pinocchio Pupils could then be challenged to use the word in their own writing. Tales retold Arthur, High King of Britain At the end of his journey, the robin meets his mate. We are not told why the mate is already there or if the mate never migrated. Perhaps that is a tale for another day.

This is a magical story that spans many decades. The Butterfly Lion provides a motivating and memorable way of teaching children to control shifts in time in their own writing. Listen to the story and think about how the author moves from one period to another. This story of adventure, survival and friendship is a staple of the KS2 classroom. As well as being a masterclass in evocative descriptive writing, it provides an excellent opportunity for teaching narrative point of view. It has been exclusively created to be used with episode nine of the Author In Your Classroom podcast. This is a virtual ‘author visit’ you can share with children whenever you like, absolutely free!This resource shares an extract from the story, describing the flamingos that live on the salt flats of the Camargue. It also features suggested discussion activities considering the author’s craft. This includes looking at effective features of descriptive writing, specific vocabulary choices made by an author, and introducing unfamiliar vocabulary. Instead he is washed up somewhere marvellous and strange. It’s the island of Lilliput, whose tiny inhabitants welcomed Gulliver so long ago. As a child, I remember listening with baited breath as our headteacher read Friend or Foealoud in assembly. He was sure to always stop on a cliffhanger so we’d have to wait a whole week to find out what happened next. During his long career, Sir Michael Morpurgo has served as Children’s Laureate and written more than 150 books. He’s sold more than 35 million copies worldwide, touching the lives of many readers. Michael Morpurgo was born in 1943. He went to school in London, Sussex and Kent and later to the University of London where he studied English and French. He became a primary school teacher and it was during his time as a teacher that he realised he wanted to be a writer. Michael has described how his class were bored with a story he was sharing with them and how he decided to create something more exciting for them instead.