Scholastic Australia
May 2025
ISBN: 9780702325205
ISBN-10: 0702325201
RRP: $29.95
When I got this it, I decided to save it for Rembrance Day, as the timing from my point of view wasn’t right for the D-Day events. But what a superb book it is, as one would expect from these two literary legends.
I have said before how much I love Michael Morpurgo’s knack for taking a thread of history and weaving it into a compelling historical narrative that will engage readers of all ages. This one with its focus squarely on Michael’s history and experience is even more so.
Little Michael knows Aunty Iris as the oldest person in his family, and he loves her and her stories. He especially loves to hear the story about Alfie, who sailed away in the boat in the painting Iris has on her wall in the nursing home. Iris tells the story many times. How Alfie was her special friend and how he gave her the painting and how he sailed away in the war days and never came back.
When Iris dies and leaves Michael the painting he treasures it as she did, and continues to wonder about the whole story of Alfie. One day the painting is knocked off the wall. Michael, now a young man, discovers some clues tucked into the now broken frame: a photo, and an inscription. And that’s exactly just enough to send him on a journey of discovery. It is one that leads him to a small fishing village where he encounters an old man who tells him about Alfie Stebbings, hero of the village, who went with his father on the Dunkirk rescue. Alfie Stebbings, young man who became an army medic but never returned from D-Day. From there it’s onto France to learn the end of Alfie’s story. As he goes he not only pieces together the whole story of Alfie and Iris, but discovers a new ‘found family’ in France.
Like many of the Master’s stories this one is both tender and heart-warming, and certainly makes me a little emotional. Michael Foreman’s illustrations are stellar as always, and set exactly the right atmosphere with the sombre sepia tones, occasionally highlighted with a little colour – and the pop of vividly red poppies on the cover. There is some important back matter written by Philippa Rawlinson, Director of Remembrance, Royal British Legion, with some wonderful photographs which complement Michael’s – and Alfie’s – story, as well as that of thousands of other servicemen and women.
I am including it in Picture Book Month not only because of Remembrance Day but also because I consider it a picture book, albeit an extended one as it is probably novella length. What a wonderful addition to any collection or for an avid reader of war or historical stories.
I can’t praise it highly enough and I do wish there was a poppy emoji (serious oversight there) but instead it’s Alfie’s helmet and a 5 🪖🪖🪖🪖🪖rating.
Lest We Forget
Just So Stories 
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