The Butterfly Lion

Very sweet story and I enjoyed reading through it quickly. Themes of grief, adventure, boarding school. Personal journey.

BethPrice

I loved the WW1 story- the title didn’t lend itself to this - pleasant surprise. Lots of notes taken to question pupils thinking as will definitely use as a class reader

AGooderson

This heart felt story is one I remember from my own primary school experience. It follows a young boy at a boarding school in England, whom tries to runaway but has an encounter with an old lady. She goes on to tell the story about Bertie and the white lion. This story provokes lot of emotion - you can a real sense of friendship, courage and resilience.

AESINGFIELD

Beautifully written and a lovely story. I found it very engaging but less relatable and maybe this is why I found it less enjoyable than other Michael Morpurgo’s. As always, amazing descriptions and likeable characters which you empathise with

bpemberton.318

Beautiful story set in Africa. Encourages children to think about the world around them and nature conservation. It’s the children that will make a difference to our future.

MissWood1976

This book had a beautiful friendship theme running with it!

MrsNA

Michael Morpurgo creates an atmosphere through amazing Mand vivid descriptions of Africa. The author has a knack for being able to capture our imaginations and transporting us back to WW1. The ending is nicely woven throughout the book. This is a fiction book although it relates to WW1 and there are historical facts within the book. Interested in the book as it a powerful, thought-provoking book that draws you in through inspirational characters. An amazing read for children aged 7 plus and for adults to enjoy.

[email protected]

I found this book very moving and I loved the twist at the end.

kjupe

A lovely book about a boy's adventure to fine the lion he grow up with. Loved the way the story was told through the eyes of the old lady.

Joannel16

This was a lovely book to read. A boy meets a lady at an old house. She tells him a story about a lion. It spans across a few years and is very endearing. It shows a boys love and of a promise he made as a child and for filled as an adult. Highly recommended

Bolty3

I thought it was a beautiful story told well through the old lady. She was my favourite character because as the story unfolds you learn more about her, her life and how she came to meet Bertie and the lion. I especially liked the ending as I didn't expect it and it was a good twist. I would definitely recommend this book!

Frangill

A lovely story about a beautiful relationship. Another Morpurgo tale which warms the heart. This one will go straight onto the bookshelf in the classroom as it may be great for some of the less confident readers in the class.

TomTeaching

A beautiful story exploring memories and family. A relatively short read with big opportunities for discussion and reflection.

MrG89

A perfect story for LKS2 readers and beyond. 'The Butterfly Lion' is a short and accessible book but the story remains rich, immersing readers in settings of both Africa and England. The story follows the life of Bertie, a young and lonely boy who grows up in South Africa and rescues a white lion cub. The two share a gentle and affectionate friendship and are inseparable until Bertie is sent to a boarding school in England and the lion is sold to a circus. Despite their separation, Bertie promises to find his best friend again. Whilst at boarding school, Bertie escapes and meets a young girl called Millie. The two share a playful and heart-warming friendship and continue to write to each other when they finish school. Years later, when fighting in the First World War, Bertie and Millie are reunited. Together they come across an old poster for a circus with a white lion on it and embark on a journey to track down Bertie's childhood friend. A coming-of-age tale that explores themes of friendship, love, loyalty and WW1.

sharetheadventure

Another sad styled novel, but very well written. Similarly to the previous book of Morpurgo's I have read (The Wreck of the Zanzibar), this story is an adult retelling her life story. It is powerful and emotional, but with a lovely message. Bertie’s father kills a lion mother in Africa which had been killing all of their cattle, so Bertie adopts the lion’s cub. When Bertie goes to school, the white lion cub is sold to a French circus (after it fails to survive in the wild when Bertie tried to set it free). Bertie later signs up in World War One and wins a Victoria Cross. He then finds the ruins of the circus owner’s house and the lion is the only animal still alive. Bertie then takes the lion home and marries the female narrator. They live together with the lion. The plot twist was that the narrator had actually died many years ago and was actually a ghost. This book is good because it is about treating animals with respect, about the horrors of keeping them locked up in a zoo or a circus. It is also good for history, because it explained the horrors of the WW1 and the importance of how disrespected the soldiers were; Bertie was only taken seriously because he had won a Victoria Cross medal. Just like the previous story, the boy being told the story was Michael Morpurgo himself (I sense a recurring theme in his novels). Lovely book, I really enjoyed it. The illustrations, although not all of them were very clear, added nicely to the story.

TDS45

Wow what a beautiful story! Yet so sad! It made me cry. Great from finish to end!

Naomimoncada