Little Manfred

by Michael Morpurgo

In the Imperial War Museum is a wooden Dachshund, carved by a German prisoner of war for the children of the British family with which he stayed after the fighting ended. This is the story of how it got there... When the Bismarck sinks, one of the only German survivors is taken on board a British ship as a prisoner of war. Sent to live with a host family, Walter must adapt to a new way of life, in the heart of an enemy country. Gradually, though, he finds a friend in ten-year-old Grace. So when the time finally comes to go back to Germany, it's an emotional parting, with Walter leaving Grace with only a carved wooden dog to remember him by. The question is, will Walter and Grace ever meet again? In 1966, with the World Cup coming to Britain, that opportunity may just have come along...

Genres: Historical, Childrens, Historical Fiction, War, Fiction, Middle Grade, Germany

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

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

[Jules · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. Little Manfred is a touching tale of friendship, war and a wooden toy dog.

[Natasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoy Michael Morpurgo's books. This was a recommendation from one of my eight year old students!

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very very heart warming and brought happiness to my heart it has a lot of adventure, personally my favourite character is the main character ManFred the dog,
The book is a big adventure and a lot of mystery’s if you have a Sheperd dog you will probably really like this book.

This book has a lot Illustrations and about 5-6 pictures but it’s like you don’t need any pictures because it is soooooooo calming that you can just imagine them in your head.
The book makes you feel happy , relaxed and sleepy .
But it does have a lot of adventure so it also makes you feel excited and you want to keep reading, imaginative so you have happy dreams.
But I recommend this book to 7+

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review from Badelynge.
In the Imperial War Museum there is a wooden Dachshund. It was carved by a German prisoner of war in the 1940s. This is its story. Well almost. It's a story that captures the spirit of the true story though.
In the summer of 1966, just after England's famous footballing victory against the Germans in the World Cup Final, a young girl, her brother and their dog encounter two men on the beach. One has a story to tell about the girl's mother from when she also was a little girl during the second World War. It's a story about friendship and kindness, both heart warming and tragic that begins with two German friends going to war on the fated German battleship Bismarck. Michael Morpurgo tells a moving and nostalgic story, deeply shadowed by the conflict of nations but brightened by the hope and peaceful humanity of ordinary people. He's aided by Michael Foreman's beautiful sketches, brought to bright summer life by water colour. I'd say this would be ideal for the 8-10 reading age group but really I don't see why this can't be enjoyed by ages of any number. It certainly would be a great starting point for summer projects, perhaps investigating the untold stories of parents from when they were children. As the cover states, "The past is all around us."
There is also an afterword about the history touched on in the story and a short chapter about Michael Foreman's memories of that World Cup... and another dog, this time named Pickles, who saved the day.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another book by Morpurgo covering yet another view of the second world war. This time its german prisoners of war working for and then befriending a farmer and his family. The prisoners built a little wooden toy dog for the young girl who named it after one of them. Then in 1966 one of these germans return with british sailor who had saved his life when he was originally captured and then had conveniently run into each other 6 years later on a train station as the german was being repatriated amidst loads of others and they recognized each other. Yeah right, now that could happen. Their friendship became such that they go to the world cup final in 1966. For any non english readers, this is Morpurgo's opportunity to remind anyone who cares that England once won this thing. English soccer victory...as rare as hens' teeth. They then appear on the beach below the farm so as to enable the normal Morpurgo style of child encounters old person, coincidental and frankly hard to believe relationship discovered between aforesaid oldie and 'encounteree's' parent. This leads to tearful reunion then flash back and then poignant revisiting twenty years later when the little wooden dog named Manfred is placed in the Imperial War Museum. In between there are lots of rather unsubtle messages shoe horned in about love, comradeship and friendship across the divides. The story, as is so often the case, is beautifully illustrated by Morpurgo's long time collaborator, (no wartime pun intended)Michael Foreman. Though Morpurgo's work is often the same theme reworked over and over again to death it probably doesn't matter too much as firstly most young readers would only read a few of his works before they move on to other writers and secondly....mark, they are not written for you

[Candy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another brilliant easy to read book, such a beautiful heartwarming story. Based on the war and true events 💖

[Emma Bourne · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can’t beat Michael Morpurgo, having collected his books since mid 2000’s there are some on my shelf I hadn’t read in my younger days. Little Manfred is such a heartwarming tale, there’s a little sad stuff- typical of Michael’s books but it will leave you smiling at the end! I was really intrigued to read about and look up the actual Little Manfred this book was written about! Perfect for young readers!

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this author's books...he takes the simple details and creates fascinating characters, intriguing war stories, and ones that really stick in your mind. This sweet story had an amazing illustration and it's the perfect book for young readers bringing history through fiction.

[Charlotte Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite books, it has a special place in my heart. I have read this book three times now and I am addicted.

Lets make it 4 or 5 times now!!!!!

[Shaun Ferguson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought I'd read a quick Morpurgo children's book before bed thinking it would be light relief before starting a heavy novel. Wrong! All the emotions with this one. So beautiful.

[Cruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author: Michael Morpurgo
Illustrator: Michael Foreman
First Published: 2011
Includes: Afterword covering the Bismark particularly the last battle, German POWs in the UK, and The World Cup, 1966.

Michael Morpurgo weaves a story through of friendship amidst trial, taking us on a journey through England (and Germany's) near history. Told in five parts he shows us the people who make us who we are.

Part 1: Today - 1966. The World Cup Final is played with the final between England and Germany.

Part 2: The Past - 1941. The Bismark destroys HMS Hood (only three men survived), and in turn is destroyed resulting in the deaths of more than 2000 men. Walter and Manfred are taken to the UK as POWs.

p.64-65, the fall of Bismark

Part 3: The War Ends - 1945. Repatriation takes a while. Walter and Manfred are moved and end up working as farm labour and to reclaim the beaches from mines and barbed wire.

Part 4: Today. Marty and Walter revisit the farm.

Part 5: The Future - 1991. Little Manfred is donated to the Imperial War Museum where he lives on as a symbol of friendship.

from http://media. iwm. org.uk, the real Little Manfred

A lovely snapshot of history, personalising events that are misting with time.

We forget, sometimes, that that the enemy were not all evil.

They had families. They were hurt. They cared, too.

And friendships blossomed in unlikely places.

We shouldn't forget the past but we also shouldn't let it colour our futures.

References:
Author's website: http://www.michaelmorpurgo.com/
Author on W'pedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_...
Illustrator on W'pedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_...
Imperial War Museum: www.iwm.org.uk
Little Manfred: http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/ite...

Age:
Read aloud - 6+
Read yourself - 8+

(ISBN 9780007339679)

-CR-

[Jinghay (these.blank.pages) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5 / 5

[Suma Krishna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little Manfred is a heartfelt story about war, friendship, loss, and the power of memory. It follows two German sailors, Manfred and Walter, who survive a naval attack during World War II and are taken as British prisoners. After the war, while working on a British farm, they grow close to a young girl named Grace. Manfred, missing his own family, sees Grace as a daughter and begins carving a wooden dog for her. Tragically, he dies in a mine explosion before he can finish it, and Walter completes the toy in his memory.

Years later, Walter and his friend Marty return to the beach near the farm and meet Grace’s children. Through them, they reunite with Grace and share their story. After Walter's death, the wooden dog is donated to the British Museum, a symbol of love, loss, and lasting connection.

This touching story shows how relationships born from the darkest times can leave a legacy of peace and remembrance.

[Lisa Fransson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this to my son, Manfred. He found it quite frightening with all those sailors drowning. And I found the fact that the entire story is a flashback quite boring to read. I think it was also quite difficult, for my Manfred to understand. He kept asking who was talking and where are they and what happened. But we got through it and the ending with the little wooden dog ending up in the imperial war museum was nice.

[Sharlene Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stories are everywhere. Shared stories of the past only last if the holders of the story share/pass them along. Every object has a story. The problem is, does the story hold strong enough to last the test of time?
I loved this short story. Great example of a story that very easily could have ended with a girl holding too much sorrow to share and a chance happening that draws the story into the present through storyline connections.

[Maple Class · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was about two kids who meet two men at the beach. One man was German, one was English. The German and his friend got rescued by the English man. They were POW after they were rescued when Bismarck suck. They lived with a girl. She was 6. The friend built her a toy but he stepped on a mine. So the English and German became friends. And the kids at the start, well the girl is their mum.
By Louis

[Mia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fantastic story by Michael Morpurgo. This story is great for battling stereotypes about the British and Germans during the war. It explains that while they were enemies, they still treated each other as humans (typically the lower ranked soldiers - need I say more...).
It does shed light on the difference between POW camps in Britain and Nazi occupied camps.
It is a wonderful story that has an element of sadness, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story.

[Shajie · Rating 4 out of 5]

My cousin had to read this (age 9) as a school book and I though why not read it - it’s a quick read.

It starts of quite slow with two kids playing on a each, but the story is quite good as it relates to the war and has some truth in it I.e. the naval ships and the prisoners of war. It’s actually quite educational and although the main story is not true there’s some nice factual ending pages.

[Bryony Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heart warming book that offers children the opportunity the common held concept of ally vs enemy in war time, with the relatable figure of the toy and the real little dogs. Beautiful illustrations too. This book at times brought a tear to my eye.

[Dorthe Svendsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

En bok om en bok, noe jeg ikke liker så godt. Men også en bok om en viktig historisk hendelse, som kan være greit å få satt lyset litt på. Og her med en vakker inntoning, selv om historien er og var trist. Godt egnet for unge.

[Jane Meagher · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 3rd class liked this story about WW11. They were shocked it was a true story and very sad about all the people killed in the Bismarck Ship. Some loved that the German prisoner of war went onto play for Man City. They also loved saying 'vundebar'!

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only fly in the ointment for me was that it wasn't quite accurate in a historical sense but it was in all a very good story, however unbelievable.

[Sarah✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh.

[Michelle Lechowicz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy this book so much ❤❤❤

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

[Indah Threez Lestari · Rating 3 out of 5]

612 - 2019

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is a heart touching story which described a young mum having a addition to a wooden toy dog.

[T · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book!
It is informative, as well as funny and i love the story behind a toy!
i recommend this book.
C:

[Anna Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely little book read with my 7 year old.

[Lucy Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like history, I would definitely recommend this book. That's why I give it 5 stars becuase I love history