My Heart Was a Tree by Michael Morpurgo

A beautifully illustrated gift collection of poetry and stories celebrating trees and their importance to humanity and in the natural world. Written by bestselling author Sir Michael Morpurgo and illustrated throughout by Yuval Zommer, My Heart Was a Tree is a joyful treasure trove to dip into time and again.

This extraordinary collection is based on Michael Morpurgo's passion for trees and what they mean to animals, humanity, and the world around us. Inspired by a Ted Hughes poem of the same name, by the woods around Michael's home, and by the mighty forests that support our life on Earth, this book is a love letter to trees. There are stories from an ancient olive remembering Odysseus and Penelope; from a eucalyptus that gave shelter to a koala; from a piece of driftwood that was made into a chair; and from a tiny sapling carried by a refugee as a reminder of home.

The poems and stories in My Heart Was a Tree will amuse, move, and energize families and readers of all ages to appreciate the beauty and wonder of trees. While Yuval Zommer's detailed illustrations bring the natural world to life, and make this a book to pore over for hours and hours, discovering something new each time.

Michael Morpurgo is one of the most successful children's authors in Britain, loved by children, teachers and parents alike. Former Children's Laureate, he has written more than forty books for children, including the global hit War Horse, which was made into a Hollywood film by Steven Spielberg in 2011. He has won many prizes including the Whitbread Award, Smarties Award, Circle of Gold Award, Children's Book Award, and has been shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal four times. Michael's previous picture book for Macmillan was A Song of Gladness, a moving pandemic-inspired story of hope illustrated by two-time CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal-winner Emily Gravett. Michael received an OBE in December 2006 for his services to literature.