A modern tale of a boy and his mother forced to leave their home in Afghanistan. Separated at the shore when the boat they were travelling in would only allow Omar . A storm hits and Omar washes up on an island full of tiny people who speak a foreign language and dress as if they’re stuck in another century. Using the tale of Gullivers travels Michael Morpurgo once again provides a narrative like no other. Engaging, amusing, relatable and above all enjoyable.

Unfortunately there was an error in downloading the book & it would not open on my Kindle ap. I did plan to re download it but unfortunately by then the title had become archived. I was unable to read or review this book.

Another wonderful Michael Morpurgo book. The Son of Gulliver is very easy to read and I instantly loved Omar or Owzat as he is also known. This book ties in the well know story of Gulliver along with a story of war and loss and a child refugee.

I highly rate this book along with most other Morpurgo books that I have read and will definitely be recommending it to the children I work with.

Omar and his mother are fleeing from a refugee camp in war torn Afghanistan. They are crammed into a small boat hoping to reach the UK to live with a relative who is already settled in beautiful, peaceful Mevagissey in Devon, with a business of his own running a local café. The sea roars and dwarfs the small boat time and time again with huge powerful waves until they are all lying in sea water, cold and shivering. One by one passengers are tossed overboard or die of hypothermia. Omar cannot swim and believes his life will end very soon, but to give him the slimmest chance of survival, he ropes himself to the body of the vessel.
He wakes up blinded by sunlight from the sky high above him to find that he is lying on the warm sands of a deserted beach. He is unsure if he is dead or alive because he cannot move. He gradually tests his body with the smallest of movements. It appears that no other humans were saved from the boat and that he is marooned totally alone, but that he is indeed alive. He can hear a buzzing noise all around him. He wonders if he is destined to die where he lies. He is only a boy and cannot possible survive alone. No one will know where he is, so he will not be rescued. Surely he is doomed. But then he finds out that he has been thrown a lifeline of the most amazing type ever. Dare he even hope he can survive or should he give himself up to whatever lies ahead of him? This is the story of Omar, the boy giant.
This is another cracking story for both children and adults from the excellent and prolific story weaver, Michael Morpurgo. It is a sort of modern sequel to a story written almost three hundred years ago called 'Gulliver's Travels' by Jonathan Swift, with the boy Omar becoming known as ‘Son of Gulliver’ or ‘Owzat’ when he is washed up in Lilliput. It is a story that exemplifies Gulliver’s universal message of kindness and peace and preaches against violence, tyranny and war. It also shows that you should never give up and that the future is yours to grab, albeit difficult, challenging and sometimes downright scary. I loved the characters in this story, but Omar was the shining character who was tenacious, gentle, kind and who really deserved the happy ending that I’m delighted to say I really enjoyed.
It’s a swashbuckling, exciting adventure story full of originality and flare. I thoroughly enjoyed this excellent novel. It’s a magical, fantasy story about new beginnings, love and loss, grief and being true to oneself. It swept me along, turning the pages eagerly and looking forward to finding out what would happen. I loved it from the very beginning, absorbed by the gentle storyline, but as I read on it became more and more special and engrossing. I was so happy that I was given the chance to read and review the superb novel which I received through my membership of NetGalley and from publisher HarperCollins Children’s Books, all in return for an honest review. This is my 4.5* review. Believe me this is a very lovely, heart-warming and unforgettable novel. All the opinions are my own, uninfluenced thoughts. I highly recommended it to you as a really lovely read.