The Best of Times

by Michael Morpurgo, Emma Chichester Clark (Illustrator)

When the Prince and Princess marry, joy rings out across the land. But all too soon it fades away and a shadow hangs over the royal palace. As Christmas approaches, Prince Frederico must find a way to warm his new bride's aching heart.

Genres: Christmas, Childrens, Picture Books, Fiction

48 pages, Hardcover

Published October 5, 2009

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

[Christina Reid]

A tiny book with a big message!
This story follows a young couple who are wonderfully happy. Until, the Princess starts to fall into depression and the Prince begins to search for a way to make her smile.
The illustrations by Emma Chichester Clark are stunning - some of my favourite of her illustrations that I have seen! The story is quick, but has heart.
I will be adding this to my box of Christmas stories!

[Kris Dersch]

Odd little book. I'm not really sure what age it's for...it reads like a picture book but feels too long to be one. The story is...fable-like but just a little strange. Depressed princess needs to laugh and cry...okay...but that's not how depression works. I get that I'm probably over thinking it. It's not a bad book, just an odd one.

[Tracey Dodds]

I think you can read this at any age. A beautiful gem of a book.

[Anne Hamilton]

Wonderful illustrations by Emma Chichester Clark. Some of them, particularly the cover, are in many ways reminiscent of the work of Pauline Baynes.

A depressed princess has the love of all her people. Her husband, the prince, loves her immensely. He is willing to give up not just half his kingdom but all of it, if someone can find a cure to what ails her.

But the princess sinks deeper. The doctors believe she will not live to see Christmas. In despair, the prince rides off into the snow. He finds a troupe of story-telling travellers who have some advice for him: celebrate Christmas anyway.

A finely-wrought tale of depression and the healing power of story.

[Faye]

Great childrens book especially when making transition from primary to higher level books.Fable with a message.

[Jan1243]

A sweet little book about kindness and Christmas. Enjoy!

[Jim]

just reread the story and bumped it from four stars to five, when i next reread it it will probably go to six stars

[Desna]

Lovely fable like story to read every Christmas about finding inner peace.