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Pinocchio
The perfect gift for all ages, Pinocchio as you’ve never seen him before: telling his own story through the master storyteller and award-winning author of WAR HORSE.
“Now – there’s no point in pretending here – I was, and still am deep down, a puppet. Everyone knows Pinocchio is a puppet. I reckon I must be just about the most famous puppet the world has ever known. But 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…”
So begins this stunningly beautiful interpretation of the classic story. Michael Morpurgo channels Pinocchio’s words to tell the famous puppet’s story in his own inimitable, cheeky and always funny way.
Lavishly illustrated throughout in black-and-white by the acclaimed Emma Chichester Clark, this is a must-have for all book lovers, and an utterly charming and surprising adaptation of a much-loved tale.
“Now – there’s no point in pretending here – I was, and still am deep down, a puppet. Everyone knows Pinocchio is a puppet. I reckon I must be just about the most famous puppet the world has ever known. But 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…”
So begins this stunningly beautiful interpretation of the classic story. Michael Morpurgo channels Pinocchio’s words to tell the famous puppet’s story in his own inimitable, cheeky and always funny way.
Lavishly illustrated throughout in black-and-white by the acclaimed Emma Chichester Clark, this is a must-have for all book lovers, and an utterly charming and surprising adaptation of a much-loved tale.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published September 26, 2013
20 people are currently reading
473 people want to read
About the author
Michael Morpurgo
644 books3,101 followersSir 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.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
August 6, 2016
As someone who finds some of Morpurgo's work simply boring, I maintain this to be one of the freshest, exciting and most fun books that he's written. It's one of my all-time favourite versions of Pinocchio and it's destined to be read in an Italian accent! A must-read for any teacher wanting to engage boys too.
April 24, 2018
Pinocchio
Michael Morpurgo,
2013
Illustrated by
Emma Chichester Clark @emmachichesterc
“Now – there’s no point in pretending here – I was, and still am deep down, a puppet. Everyone knows Pinocchio is a puppet. I reckon I must be just about the most famous puppet the world has ever known. But 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…”
My intent was to find the Pinocchio story as told by Carlo Collodi – but in English – and not the Walt Disney version. Instead found the Pinocchio version as told by ‘Pinocchio’ with kind assistance of Michael Morpurgo.
Clearly this could be a PBS series.
It is the Pinocchio that we all should read…until I get my hands on the original!
The illustrations by Emma Chichester Clark enhance the story nicely and are quite simply GREAT!
Notes:
23: Children often blame their fathers and mothers later on, it’s quite natural.
26: As word spread about the town, everyone in Naples came running to see me.
37: Go ahead, Pinocchio, and you’ll turn into a donkey.
• The cultural connotations of a ciuccio may be lost here!
45: Carabiniere
• Great illustration
92: You silly puppet. Money doesn’t grow on trees. You have to earn it. Anyone who tells you different is either a fool or a swindler. Go home. You’re a good boy at heart, Pinocchio, I know you are. For goodness sake, do what your heat tells you is right.” ~ Talking Cricket
125: If a thing’s worth doing, it’s worth doing now. Later may be too late. ~ Lame Fox
135: For you sheer stupidity and greediness you will go to prison for ten years. Take him away. ~ Frowning Gorilla
147: You must live and learn from mistakes. You must live and learn.
173: That’s the trouble with promises. I always found them easy to make, and so hard to keep ~ Pinocchio
196: …the moment of my almost being Pinocchio Frittata – well I am an Italian puppet…
266: Puppet I may be, but I’m just like you, whether you’re a boy or a girl. We’re all the same inside, and no one pulls our strings! Right?
Michael Morpurgo,
2013
Illustrated by
Emma Chichester Clark @emmachichesterc
“Now – there’s no point in pretending here – I was, and still am deep down, a puppet. Everyone knows Pinocchio is a puppet. I reckon I must be just about the most famous puppet the world has ever known. But 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…”
My intent was to find the Pinocchio story as told by Carlo Collodi – but in English – and not the Walt Disney version. Instead found the Pinocchio version as told by ‘Pinocchio’ with kind assistance of Michael Morpurgo.
Clearly this could be a PBS series.
It is the Pinocchio that we all should read…until I get my hands on the original!
The illustrations by Emma Chichester Clark enhance the story nicely and are quite simply GREAT!
Notes:
23: Children often blame their fathers and mothers later on, it’s quite natural.
26: As word spread about the town, everyone in Naples came running to see me.
37: Go ahead, Pinocchio, and you’ll turn into a donkey.
• The cultural connotations of a ciuccio may be lost here!
45: Carabiniere
• Great illustration
92: You silly puppet. Money doesn’t grow on trees. You have to earn it. Anyone who tells you different is either a fool or a swindler. Go home. You’re a good boy at heart, Pinocchio, I know you are. For goodness sake, do what your heat tells you is right.” ~ Talking Cricket
125: If a thing’s worth doing, it’s worth doing now. Later may be too late. ~ Lame Fox
135: For you sheer stupidity and greediness you will go to prison for ten years. Take him away. ~ Frowning Gorilla
147: You must live and learn from mistakes. You must live and learn.
173: That’s the trouble with promises. I always found them easy to make, and so hard to keep ~ Pinocchio
196: …the moment of my almost being Pinocchio Frittata – well I am an Italian puppet…
266: Puppet I may be, but I’m just like you, whether you’re a boy or a girl. We’re all the same inside, and no one pulls our strings! Right?
August 23, 2024
It’s such a cute and fun read and it’s also such a fast read but it’s not a book I would read again. The illustrations are so beautiful and so well done. The story is such a great story and it’s an original story about doing the right thing and not the wrong thing all the time. I am sure children will love this book more then me xxx
Read
August 20, 2025I read this with somebody for work, I didn’t have much of an opinion other than the fact that this story is much darker than I remember it being. Like??? Who let me read this as a child???????
August 30, 2020
I liked the Book because it had a lot of adventures and a lot of suspense in it and the ending was a happy ending
August 17, 2022
#recomandare
#cartipentrucopii
#nemi
#varsta7+
Le citim sau nu le citim cărți clasice copiilor?.. aceasta e întrebarea ...
O carte clasică repovestită de Michael și Clare Morpurgo, ilustrată de Emma Clark pe cuprinsul a 64 de pagini.
Știm cu totii povestea "băiatului de lemn" căruia i-a dat viață pădurarul Gepetto, a fost una dintre cărțile clasice ale copilariei noastre și totuși o mare parte din noi părinții, am ales să nu le citim poveștile clasice din varii motive.
Am discutat pe marginea acestei cărți în funcție de evenimentele petrecute în carte,anume:
🪵despre adopție, deoarece Pinocchio a fost "adoptat/cioplit", părinți sunt cei care te cresc, nu neapărat cei care te nasc
🪵despre bullying-ul la care este supus Pinocchio atunci când este numit Cap Șubred, Cap de Lemn, Picioare Nătangi;
🪵despre fuga de acasă, motivele/motivul ce l-a determinat să plece; prin fugă nu se rezolvă probleme, din contra pot apărea mai multe, trebuie să discutăm cu părinții despre probleme și împreună să găsim o rezolvare a acestora.
✍️Fuga de acasă, dragul meu, nu e niciodată o idee bună. Nu te poate face fericit. Cât despre mama și tata îi întristează teribil.
✍️"Te rugăm, Pinocchio,nu mai fugi, a spus mama, strângându-mă în brațe.
🪵despre promisiuni și încălcarea lor
✍️"-Acum trebuie să-mi promiți că nu mai fugi niciodată de acasă, a spus tata.
-Promit, am spus eu. Voi fi un băiețel bun și voi merge la școală" . La noi în familie promisiunea rămâne promisiune.
🪵despre școală, un subiect delicat pentru noi, Damian urmează peste câteva săptămâni să fie clasa 0. Am discutat de ce nu se simțea bine acolo Pinocchio, motivul fiind bullying-ul verbal.
🪵despre a fi diferit, pentru că Pinocchio este un băiat diferit, dar acest lucru nu înseamă neapărat un lucru rău
🪵 despre iertare, indiferent de greșelile pe care le face copilul, părintele își iubește copilul
🪵despre prietenie, nu lăsăm prietenii la greu, îi ajutăm, sprijim, despre prieteni falși:vulpoiul și motanul.
✍️-Pentru ce sunt prietenii? a răspuns el. Nu mi-ai salvat tu viața de curând?
🪵despre sacrificii
✍️erau atât de săraci încât tata a trebuit să își vândă paltonul ca să-mi cumpere un abecedar.
.....
Ne pare rău, Pinocchio, dar avem doar trei pere, una pentru fiecare dintre noi.
-Le vreau eu pe toate, curățate de coajă, am spus. Dar după ce le-am terminat tot mi-era foame.
-Dacă ti-ar fi fost cu adevărat foame, ai fi mâncat și cojile, a spus tata. Fără risipă.
🪵despre minciună, dacă minți nu-ți creste nasul, dar scade încrederea oamenilor în tine.
🪵despre comportament neadecvat la școală, despre cum ne poate influența sau cum putem influența noi la rândul nostru
✍️La școală, toti copiii învățau din greu, dar noul meu prieten Lampwick era la fel de leneș și de neastâmpărat ca mine. Ii plăcea să iște bătăi cu ceilalți băieți și mi-am dat seama ca și mie-mi plăcea. Domnul Beaky, profesorul nostru, ne trimitea adesea la colț pentru a ne pedepsi, dar nouă nu ne păsa. Ni se părea amuzant. "
🪵 despre ajutor/bunătate
✍️Fii bun,Pinocchio! Nu poți lăsa bietul câine să se înece "
Ce a învățat Pinocchio din aceste aventuri:
✍️Lucrurile nu sunt niciodată ce par,
Nu renunța,
Și, cel mai important,
Fii mereu bun.
Dacă aveți această carte sau alte cărți ale editurii nemi, puteți descărca gratuit fișe cu activități aferente cărților. Copiii or să fie fascinați de acestea, vă garantez!
https://nemi.ro/fiti-alaturi-de-copii...
https://sclipiridestele.ro/2022/08/16...
#cartipentrucopii
#nemi
#varsta7+
Le citim sau nu le citim cărți clasice copiilor?.. aceasta e întrebarea ...
O carte clasică repovestită de Michael și Clare Morpurgo, ilustrată de Emma Clark pe cuprinsul a 64 de pagini.
Știm cu totii povestea "băiatului de lemn" căruia i-a dat viață pădurarul Gepetto, a fost una dintre cărțile clasice ale copilariei noastre și totuși o mare parte din noi părinții, am ales să nu le citim poveștile clasice din varii motive.
Am discutat pe marginea acestei cărți în funcție de evenimentele petrecute în carte,anume:
🪵despre adopție, deoarece Pinocchio a fost "adoptat/cioplit", părinți sunt cei care te cresc, nu neapărat cei care te nasc
🪵despre bullying-ul la care este supus Pinocchio atunci când este numit Cap Șubred, Cap de Lemn, Picioare Nătangi;
🪵despre fuga de acasă, motivele/motivul ce l-a determinat să plece; prin fugă nu se rezolvă probleme, din contra pot apărea mai multe, trebuie să discutăm cu părinții despre probleme și împreună să găsim o rezolvare a acestora.
✍️Fuga de acasă, dragul meu, nu e niciodată o idee bună. Nu te poate face fericit. Cât despre mama și tata îi întristează teribil.
✍️"Te rugăm, Pinocchio,nu mai fugi, a spus mama, strângându-mă în brațe.
🪵despre promisiuni și încălcarea lor
✍️"-Acum trebuie să-mi promiți că nu mai fugi niciodată de acasă, a spus tata.
-Promit, am spus eu. Voi fi un băiețel bun și voi merge la școală" . La noi în familie promisiunea rămâne promisiune.
🪵despre școală, un subiect delicat pentru noi, Damian urmează peste câteva săptămâni să fie clasa 0. Am discutat de ce nu se simțea bine acolo Pinocchio, motivul fiind bullying-ul verbal.
🪵despre a fi diferit, pentru că Pinocchio este un băiat diferit, dar acest lucru nu înseamă neapărat un lucru rău
🪵 despre iertare, indiferent de greșelile pe care le face copilul, părintele își iubește copilul
🪵despre prietenie, nu lăsăm prietenii la greu, îi ajutăm, sprijim, despre prieteni falși:vulpoiul și motanul.
✍️-Pentru ce sunt prietenii? a răspuns el. Nu mi-ai salvat tu viața de curând?
🪵despre sacrificii
✍️erau atât de săraci încât tata a trebuit să își vândă paltonul ca să-mi cumpere un abecedar.
.....
Ne pare rău, Pinocchio, dar avem doar trei pere, una pentru fiecare dintre noi.
-Le vreau eu pe toate, curățate de coajă, am spus. Dar după ce le-am terminat tot mi-era foame.
-Dacă ti-ar fi fost cu adevărat foame, ai fi mâncat și cojile, a spus tata. Fără risipă.
🪵despre minciună, dacă minți nu-ți creste nasul, dar scade încrederea oamenilor în tine.
🪵despre comportament neadecvat la școală, despre cum ne poate influența sau cum putem influența noi la rândul nostru
✍️La școală, toti copiii învățau din greu, dar noul meu prieten Lampwick era la fel de leneș și de neastâmpărat ca mine. Ii plăcea să iște bătăi cu ceilalți băieți și mi-am dat seama ca și mie-mi plăcea. Domnul Beaky, profesorul nostru, ne trimitea adesea la colț pentru a ne pedepsi, dar nouă nu ne păsa. Ni se părea amuzant. "
🪵 despre ajutor/bunătate
✍️Fii bun,Pinocchio! Nu poți lăsa bietul câine să se înece "
Ce a învățat Pinocchio din aceste aventuri:
✍️Lucrurile nu sunt niciodată ce par,
Nu renunța,
Și, cel mai important,
Fii mereu bun.
Dacă aveți această carte sau alte cărți ale editurii nemi, puteți descărca gratuit fișe cu activități aferente cărților. Copiii or să fie fascinați de acestea, vă garantez!
https://nemi.ro/fiti-alaturi-de-copii...
https://sclipiridestele.ro/2022/08/16...
January 3, 2021
I liked this version of Pinocchio's story.
It is a very light and enjoyable read.
The language and writing style is what attracted me the most to the novel.
Michael Morpurgo sure knows how to capture his readers' attention.
And the illustrator did a wonderful job, the illustrations style matched perfectly with the story's voice.
Pinocchio is a child who makes a mistake after another that leads him to fall into troubles all the time.
And every time he survives the consequences of his irrational and irresponsible actions and decisions, he promises himself not to do it again, yet he falls easily to temptations and false dreams and hopes.
Even though the story happens in an imaginary world, filled with imaginary creatures and events, yet I think that there is a logic behind Pinocchio's behavior.
There are stubborn children in the world who fall into trouble again and again, and it takes a really long time for them to learn right from wrong. The horrible thing is if they never learned.
There is a significant morale to Pinocchio's story. Don't follow temptations and desires blindly, and when you learn your lesson, try not to forget it.
It is a very light and enjoyable read.
The language and writing style is what attracted me the most to the novel.
Michael Morpurgo sure knows how to capture his readers' attention.
And the illustrator did a wonderful job, the illustrations style matched perfectly with the story's voice.
Pinocchio is a child who makes a mistake after another that leads him to fall into troubles all the time.
And every time he survives the consequences of his irrational and irresponsible actions and decisions, he promises himself not to do it again, yet he falls easily to temptations and false dreams and hopes.
Even though the story happens in an imaginary world, filled with imaginary creatures and events, yet I think that there is a logic behind Pinocchio's behavior.
There are stubborn children in the world who fall into trouble again and again, and it takes a really long time for them to learn right from wrong. The horrible thing is if they never learned.
There is a significant morale to Pinocchio's story. Don't follow temptations and desires blindly, and when you learn your lesson, try not to forget it.
January 25, 2021
The tale of Pinocchio has been re-told many a time. Morpurgo clearly has telling stories from an animal’s perspective down to a T so why not a puppet? The story is told in first person and covers all of the stereotypical Pinocchio elements – the donkey, the nose growing, the cricket. There are also slight differences, not least Pinocchio’s lack of desire to turn in to a human boy. “Puppet I was. Puppet I am. I’m glad I’m not a real boy.”
I read the book in 2 hours, mostly helped along by Emma Chichester Clark’s amazing illustrations. Despite this I did find the book dragged a little and Pinocchio’s constant poor decisions became slightly grating. Although you do have to work with what you’ve been given I suppose. Children less familiar with the story (the film was 1940 after all and hasn’t dated amazingly) may well love discovering the tale for the first time. It’s easily manageable for the younger middle grader or competent early reader. That said, it is probably one that is best kept for them, it doesn’t quite stretch to entertaining adults as others in this genre do.
I read the book in 2 hours, mostly helped along by Emma Chichester Clark’s amazing illustrations. Despite this I did find the book dragged a little and Pinocchio’s constant poor decisions became slightly grating. Although you do have to work with what you’ve been given I suppose. Children less familiar with the story (the film was 1940 after all and hasn’t dated amazingly) may well love discovering the tale for the first time. It’s easily manageable for the younger middle grader or competent early reader. That said, it is probably one that is best kept for them, it doesn’t quite stretch to entertaining adults as others in this genre do.
January 10, 2018
Pinnochio is a fresh retelling of a classic story. I really loved the book itself, as the glossy pages and gold really appeal to me. I can't really make any compare this directly to the true original story, but I have seen the Disney version, and there are a few slight differences, story-wise.
This was a fun book, but not Morpurgo's best. It also feels a little kid-oriented and I feel like it is a good book to read-a-loud to young kids. It is cool that he made the story be told by Pinocchio, which helps you learn the theme that hard work and keeping promises are really important better. I would recommend it definitely to children, but also older people, too!
This was a fun book, but not Morpurgo's best. It also feels a little kid-oriented and I feel like it is a good book to read-a-loud to young kids. It is cool that he made the story be told by Pinocchio, which helps you learn the theme that hard work and keeping promises are really important better. I would recommend it definitely to children, but also older people, too!
October 31, 2023
Morpurgo at his best
This Pinnochio story told by Pinnochio is clever with a genuine voice and carefully crafted as all of his books are to give you the next chapter to look forward to and the next and the next. And once again, he displays a talent for working with brilliant illustrators, with individual scenes I'd love to hang on my walls. What will I do when I have read all of his stories. Start over again, I imagine.
This Pinnochio story told by Pinnochio is clever with a genuine voice and carefully crafted as all of his books are to give you the next chapter to look forward to and the next and the next. And once again, he displays a talent for working with brilliant illustrators, with individual scenes I'd love to hang on my walls. What will I do when I have read all of his stories. Start over again, I imagine.
January 18, 2017
Such a delightful book written from Pinnochio's perspective. Michael Morpurgo really knows how to craft a tale. I read Pinnochio over and over as a child. It was one of my favourite books. Pinnochio's tale does the original book justice. MP has given the little wooden puppet a voice to tell his story the way it happened to him. Such a foolish puppet who had to go through his adventures in order to learn such valuable life lessons.
December 15, 2017
This book took me back to my childhood memories of the Disney classic. A slightly different variation and more of a moral at the end about learning lessons but all the same a retell of a classic that works.
April 27, 2019
It was a really nice book. It was funny and it was different to the actual story of Pinocchio. Michael Morpugo wrote it in the perspective of Pinocchio and this was the best part for me about the book. I recommend it.
May 8, 2023
"Puppet I may be, but I'm just like you, whether you're a boy or a girl. We're all the same inside, and no-one pulls our strings!"
Brilliant retelling from the point of view of pinocchio, it was fun and has a wonderful moral message. What a great addition to the other versions of this story!
Brilliant retelling from the point of view of pinocchio, it was fun and has a wonderful moral message. What a great addition to the other versions of this story!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 14, 2024
This was one of my son's school reading books and he chose to read it when he didn't have to, which is always great. A fun retelling of a classic with a moral lesson and lots of colourful illustrations.
September 21, 2017
Beautifully illustrated and produced. Good read for year 3 onwards
July 15, 2018
Nice POV. Pinocchio refuses to listen to his conscience. Poor Gepetto.
September 3, 2018
An interesting retelling of the original classic.
December 19, 2018
I read this book to my 3rd grade EAL class when learning how to write fairy tales. They understood the moral and were engaged in the whole story.
December 29, 2019
Wow what an adventure! Such a good story about temptation and kindness. I loved the picture and thought this was such a lovely change to Morpurgo’s work.
April 15, 2020
A really fun and quick read. I love Michael Morpurgo.
May 21, 2020
This book was fun because it told of Pinnochio becoming a good person at the end of the story.
December 12, 2020
It tells so much about life, how cruel the world could be. Pinnochio will live forever.
January 4, 2021
Ce n’est pas le meilleur de Morpurgo mais c’est intéressant de voir sa version du fameux Pinocchio
August 18, 2021
Pinocchio enthralled several generations of young readers with his adventures and naughtiness. This one too will make you enjoy.
July 16, 2022
beautifully illustrated. I always liked this story.
July 17, 2022
Not a great fan of the Pinocchio story, but I liked the idea of telling it from a different perspective and especially the charming illustrations.
June 24, 2025
Fanciful & Weird.
Definitely not Morpurgo’s best!
Definitely not Morpurgo’s best!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews