Toro! Toro!

by Michael Morpurgo, Michael Foreman (Illustrator)

Discover the beautiful stories of Michael Morpurgo, author of Warhorse and the nation’s favourite storyteller

Best-selling author Michael Morpurgo turns his storytelling skills to the drama and tragedy of the Spanish Civil War, illustrated by Michael Foreman.

TORO,TORO is the story of a young boy growing up in Andalucia, Spain, on a farm rearing bulls for the bull ring. Antonito hand rears a little black calf and they become firm friends, but the boy doesn't yet understand the fate of the black bulls – the corrida and death. Later, when he learns of the horrors of the bull fight, he frees Paco, the black bull, and rides with him into the hills.There they witness the bombing of their village (it's the year 1936, and the Spanish Civil War has started) and Antonito cannot go back – his family and the farm are destroyed, and Paco has run off, wild with fright. He decides to stay in the hills, where he meets up with the Resistance fighters. During the War, Antonito hears stories round the campfire of the wonderful black bull, who becomes a symbol of freedom for them all. Could this really be Paco? But no-one has ever seen him. After the war, when Antonito is working as a muleteer in the mountains, he falls asleep and dreams of Paco. In the morning, he wakes to see hoof prints on the ground beside him…

A delightful story, full of nostalgia and drama in the author's own inimitable style. Illustrated by Michael Foreman.

Genres: Childrens, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Animals, Historical, Middle Grade, Spain

52 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Sir Michael Andrew Morpurgo, OBE, FRSL is the author of many books for children, five of which have been made into films. He also writes his own screenplays and libretti for opera. Born in St Albans, Hertfordshire, in 1943, he was evacuated to Cumberland during the last years of the Second World War, then returned to London, moving later to Essex. After a brief and unsuccessful spell in the army, he took up teaching and started to write. He left teaching after ten years in order to set up 'Farms for City Children' with his wife. They have three farms in Devon, Wales and Gloucestershire, open to inner city school children who come to stay and work with the animals. In 1999 this work was publicly recognised when he and his wife were invested a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to youth. In 2003, he was advanced to an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). He became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (FRSL) in 2004. He was knighted in the 2018 for his services to literature and charity. He is also a father and grandfather, so children have always played a large part in his life. Every year he and his family spend time in the Scilly Isles, the setting for three of his books.

Reviews

[Una Donnelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story begins with a grandfather telling his grandson about the worst thing he ever did as a young boy. The tale goes back to a village in Spain in 1936 during a dangerous time of the Spanish Civil War where the grandfather, Antonito, grew up on a farm which reared bulls for the bull ring, the corrida. Antonito had helped his father to deliver a calf, Paco, and formed a close bond with the animal when its mother had died. When Antonito discovers the truth about the corrida he leads Paco to safety in the hills by releasing all of his father’s bulls out onto the open. Whilst in the hills Antonito’s farm and village have been destroyed by Franco’s soldiers. Leaving Paco in the safety of the hills Antonito returns to his home to discover it in flames and his family gone. He escapes to the countryside to be discovered weeks later barely alive by his uncle Juan, leader of the rebel forces. A small group of survivors have banded together and Antonito later finds his sister Maria alive. They hear tales of a “black phantom”, a heroic bull, fighting off enemy soldiers and Antonito knows that this is Paco.


This is a great novel for young readers of around 8-10 years of age and could be used in many aspects of the curriculum.

Geography - children can learn to locate Spain on a map and pinpoint the towns mentioned in the story.

History - lessons on Franco and the Civil War

English - debates on bullfighting

World around us - Spanish traditions, festivals and foods.

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Обожавам книгите на Морпурго, защото така умело вплита човешките лични истории със световната история. Винаги се чувствам "у дома" като чета книгите му и успява да ме пренесе в един друг свят.

[Claire Phelan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Toro! Toro! Begins with a grandfather telling his grandson, Antonio about the worst thing he has ever done as a young boy. The grandfather also called Antonio begins to tell a gripping and emotional story about the farm he grew up on in Andalucía, Spain. He lived there with his parent and older sister, where they reared black bulls for the ‘Corrida’ – the bull ring. One day Antonio helped his father deliver a calf, that he called Paco. The calves’ mother dies and Antonio takes on the responsibility of rearing the calf. Antonio’s father believes that bulls are reared for the bull ring and the bull ring only. When Antonio discovers the truth about the Corrida he leads Paco to safety by releasing all the bulls out into the wild. On Antonio’s return to the farm he discovers his home has been bombed and is now up in flames, The Spanish civil war has just broken out. There is no sign of his parents or sister. A frightened young boy now returns to the hills in the hope of safety.

This is the perfect story for young readers in years 4 and above. It could be used in many ways throughout the classroom. This book is ideal to introduce children to the Spanish civil war and Franco. This book is beautifully written and evokes many emotions.

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have great respect for Michael Morpugo and was interested to read this book as it deals with Spanish Civil War. I believe this to be written for 8 or 9 year olds (20 lines per page, 6 words per line) but the very detailed blood thirsty bullfight and slaughter of the village was quite upsetting. Would I recommend this...probably for older children who could tolerate fight to the death but not for younger readers, hence the 3 stars.

[Mike Pinter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a quickie read, and lead me to learn about the real village mentioned in the story. Look up La Sauceda.

https://www.casamemorialasauceda.es/e...

As always, a great story from Michael Morpurgo, good level for kids or for adults wanting to read in English.

[Aruna Kumar Gadepalli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book that explores the Spanish civil war, a child and a bull. Interesting reading.

[Greenhill · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.6*

[Iyinoluwa Fayoyin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good and heartwarming. Just like all of Michael Morpurgo's books.

[Mariii · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book when I was about eight years old. In braille. I remember it vividly! I read it laying in bed overnight, in one night! I was sharing a bedroom with my brother at the time. I remember it so clearly because it was the first ever book which made me cry my eyes out. Sobbing silently into my pillow, trying not to wake my brother. Thank goodness he never woke, I would have been a very embarrassed eight-year-old if he did.
I always loved stories as a child, but I think this is where my journey as a real little bookworm truly began! Thank you Michael Morpurgo! Your books have floated regularly in and out of my life over the last 20 years since Reading Toro Toro. It would have been a very different 20 years without you. Thank you❣️It has been wonderful!

[Benjamin Stahl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book when I was a kid. It was one of the few books I remembered, and I also recall enjoying it very much. Probably enjoyed it a little more than Billy The Kid. Some sad parts; I remember crying many a time as a child, reading this book. The child specialist said it was because of my parent's recent divorce ... made worse when my father kidnapped me from school and tried to drown me in the bathtub when my mother refused to accept his meagre divorce settlements. He was wrong ... he was wrong. Now look at me!!!

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did really like it but the story was short so it did take me long. Everytime i read michael morpurgo books i look forward to the illustrations, they are just so beautiful. I recommend it to everyone especially if you like short books or don't have a lot of time this is the book for you.

[Sofia Brito · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved teaching this book to my year 3 class.

[Varsha Seshan · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://www.varshaseshan.com/blog/toro...

[Lou Hughes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Notes: This book has an extra special place in my heart because I had a clonic tonic seizure back in high school, and upon hearing about it, Michael wrote me a letter wishing me well, and gave me Toro! Toro! for free, on top of the Running Wild book signed which I had paid for. He also asked me to give my questions to my teacher, and he would answer each question I had about being an author. So it wasn't the last time I heard from Morpurgo, but that interaction, that care, and the two signed books even though little teen me had only paid for one, meant so much to little me.

Onto the review:
Toro! Toro! is a touching and quietly powerful story that blends childhood innocence with the harsh realities of tradition and conflict. Told through the memories of an elderly Antonito, the book follows his childhood on a Spanish farm and his deep bond with a bull calf named Paco. Their friendship is tender and believable, and Morpurgo captures the beauty of rural life with warmth and nostalgia.

As the story moves toward the world of bullfighting, the tone shifts, and the emotional weight settles in. Antonito’s growing horror at the spectacle — and his desperate attempt to save Paco — creates some of the book’s most gripping and heartfelt moments. Morpurgo handles the themes of cruelty, courage, and compassion with sensitivity, making the story accessible while still resonating strongly.

The novella is short, and at times you wish for a little more depth or a longer look into Antonito’s life. Some characters fade in and out quickly, and the pacing moves briskly toward its conclusion. But the emotional core remains strong.

Overall, Toro! Toro! is a moving, thoughtful read with a powerful message about empathy and standing up for what you believe in. It earns its four stars with its heart, its hope, and its beautifully simple storytelling.

[Srishti Chellani · Rating 4 out of 5]

I personally liked this book a lot because it has a compelling story which pulls you in from the start, fairly easy language which can be read by a small child without help, and most importantly, life lessons. It tells young children the importance of family, how to treat animals with love, and basic things like how to not disobey your parents. This story is told by a grandfather to his grandson, who had asked him to tell him about the "worsest thing" (as said by the child, also named Antonio like his grandfather) he had ever done. He tells the child about the time during the Spanish civil war, when he was a young child and used to help his own father to breed bulls for the bullring, not knowing that those bulls were fated to die.

And then he helps his father bring a bull into the world, quickly bonding with it, and naming it Paco. When he finds out about the horrors of the bullring, he quickly makes a plan to free Paco-, and with him, all the bulls. He ends up in the woods with Paco and his mule Chica. The war reaches his village, and his family dies in the bombing. He goes back to his village, but loses Paco when he goes back to him. He proceeds to travel with Chica, and is eventually founded by his uncle Juan, who manages to save him. Their procession reaches a countryside village, where he finds his sister Maria.

When the war was reaching that village too, his uncle Juan sends him to his mother. He spends the rest of his life there. The story ends on a heartwarming note, and it would surely make the reader smile. On the Whole, the book of great, and I expected no less from an author like Michael Morpurgo.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

A children's story that tackles some difficult subjects, in this 2001 contribution from Michael Morpurgo's pen, the Spanish Civil War & bull-fighting! Spain is the colourful background as a grandfather, Antonito, answers a moral question from his grandson...Antonito!...by relating a character-forming episode from his boyhood in the mid-1930s. Paco is a bull, which serves as a symbolic freedom-loving beast in a time when Spaniards were less concerned with la corida & more with surviving a bloody internecine civil war. The story is grim stuff; but the small boy manages to come through the carnage thanks to his love for a brave bull & his uncle Juan, a matador by trade, & a heroic republican fighter by deed. As an impressionable, small boy myself, one of my favourite sing-a-long songs was Tommy Steele's 'Little White Bull'...all about a bull who enters the bull-ring & survives against the odds , & this little gem of a tale deserves its accolades...though Paco passes into legend with both his ears intact! There are some atmospheric illustrations by Michael Foreman too which help to create a real feel for Andalucia.Ole! Toro!

[KSena · Rating 5 out of 5]

And Michael Morpurgo does it again!

And in this one, a story about a boy and his love of a young bullfighter bull who the boy has taken care of since it was a calf, a story that also deals with the spanish revolution when General Franco took control... In this one, I figured out what really makes Morpurgo so amazing.

He does not dumb down his young readers. He does not shy away from the horrors of war. Yes, he writes on a level it is understandable for kids, but he doesn't shy away from the horrors of it either. In this one the boy, Antonito, is the only survivor when a village is massacared. Yes, massacared. How the hell do you write that on a level that a kid will understand and not get nightmares?!?!?

I wouldn't be able to do it, but Morpurgo does. A story on the shorter side, but DAMN it was really good and definitly packed a punch!

[Lianne Goates · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book full of dramatic events and sadness. This book goes through the horrors of the Spanish Civil war and opens you up to the life of a young boy and his family during this difficult time. I liked that the first page of the book introduces the idea of family relationships. Many children can relate to the feeling of having grandparents and that feeling of love and warmth. This book has many cross-curriculuar links from PSHE, geography, science and history. A great book that could be used all around the curriculum.

[Akintunde · Rating 4 out of 5]

Toro! Toro! Is the story of Antonito years ago. Now as a grandfather, he tells his grandson his deepest secret after his grandson asked for the worst thing he had ever done. This book is a perfect reaad for Young readers. It highlights family, love, loss, loyalty, and. Commitment.
This book was a bit heavy on the emotions for me but I enjoyed it immensely.
Set in Spain, it explores the tradition of the Matadors, bull fighting and the build-up to the Spanish civil war. A good read. I do recommend!

[E. Hazard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Toro!Toro! because I can see that main character, Antonito love Paco, which is his bull. When Paco went to there, they were very sad and Antonito noticed that bullfight is not exciting dance. So Antonito went thereoo and saved Paco. But when Antonito was saving Paco, his town got bombed by enemy. He lost his family except his sister. It is very exciting book ever I read. You shold read this book!

[Mary Louise Sanchez · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this slim book, Morpurgo tells us a story about Antonito who loves Pedro the bull on his father's Spanish bull farm, but circumstances for Pedro and for the people in 1936 Spain change the idyllic life for everyone.

[Caroline Crossland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whilst this book is aimed at young readers it is one which can equally be enjoyed by adults . Set during the Spanish civil war, it is an emotional and heartfelt read which is beautifully written and gives a clear insight into the terrible war in Spain. I recommend it to all.

[Tsana · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I learned one thing on that last journey, and while hiding in the hills with the refugees, it was that men and women have a capacity for kindness as great if not greater than their capacity for evil.

A good read.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great piece of writing which both tackles tricky subjects (the Spanish Civil War and bullfighting in this case) in a way that is accessible to younger readers along with an emotional backstory of family love and loyalty.

I am a big fan of this writer!

[Roan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely story! I read it years ago and loved it, but forgot most of what happened. Now I've re-read it and I still love it s0 much. It's both heartbreaking and heartwarming, and I enjoyed all the characters.

[Penny Hardcastle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love it as it is set in Spain and is very descriptive. It is about an innocent young boy during the civil war. The story is sweet but there is a lot more to it than just a boy and a bull. A quick but recommendable read.

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, written by Michael Morpurgo, tells a story about a bull called Paco, a horse called Chica and a little boy. It happened in a Spanish war and is a bit sad for some readers. The boy saw what happened in bull fighting and tried to rescue all the bulls, and Chica of course.

[Shimea Cisneros · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely great. I read this when I was about 10-11 years old and even until now, I always come back to re-read it again. This book singlehandedly opened my eyes to how War is a piece of dirt and it also made me more interested in historical fiction

[Catherine Pinkett · Rating 3 out of 5]

An emotional read. Would have benefited from being longer and more fleshed out in my opinion

[Annmaree · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick easy read. A lovely historical story set in Spain. A delightful relationship between grandfather and grandson.