Our Jacko
A deeply personal and tender story of war, peace and those who are left behind. One hundred years after the war to end all wars, Jacko’s descendants discover his notebook and the untold stories tucked in its pages.
"This war is a nightmare that one day I shall wake from and then forget. And if I don't wake, then you shall never know. I don't want you ever to know."
No one seems to know where the scruffy tin hat came from – just that it is very old, from some war or other long ago. To young Michael and his family it has its uses today: as a child’s toy, a feeding bowl for the hens, a hanging basket... Then Michael discovers that it belonged to his great-great-grandfather, “Our Jacko”, who lost his life at Ypres in 1915. As the boy digs deeper, he finds the young soldier's diary and learns more about his forgotten ancestor – husband, father, poet, actor – who died so tragically young. And it becomes clear exactly how Our Jacko should be commemorated.
Michael Morpurgo was 2003–2005 Children's Laureate, has written over 100 books and is the winner of many awards, including the Whitbread Children's Book Award, the Smarties Book Prize, the Blue Peter Award and the Red House Children's Book Award. His books are translated and read around the world and his hugely popular novel War Horse is now both a critically acclaimed stage play and a highly successful film. Michael and his wife, Clare, live in Devon. Visit Michael's website at: www.michaelmorpurgo.com.
David Gentleman is an artist, illustrator, designer and author. His books include David Gentleman's Britain and related books on London, the British coastline, Paris, India and Italy. He is also known for his wood engraved platform-length mural at Charing Cross, one of London's most striking underground station designs, and has designed British postage stamps and coins. David's work is represented in Tate Britain, the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum amongst many others. Visit his website at: www.davidgentleman.com