Puppet by David Almond illustrated by Lizzy Stewart

"At the beginning, just bits of wood. Something to hold them together. Some string perhaps. Just a few bits and pieces and odds and ends. And that's about all. Apart from an imagination, and a belief that you can really do it."

"You're a mystery, aren't you, Puppet? But isn't everything a mystery? 

Not just you, but every single thing that exists."

Silvester is a master puppet maker but now it seems his life's work has come to an end. The museum curators have collected his puppets, posters and props so they can prepare a display of his work. Not so long ago, Silvester's beautiful wife Belinda has died, and as all the puppets are taken away, Silvester is left feeling so alone. 

Late that evening he climbs the stairs in his home to his puppet workshop. At first it seems there are only discards of wood and other materials, but Silvester gently picks up one piece and then another and before long he has created a new puppet.

"He used thin wire and tweezers to put together a leg and then another leg. One was longer than the other, one had a very wobbly knee joint. One was dark wood; one was light. He added feet; one with a black boot, one with a brown. He found a pair of arms, one of them with powerful-looking muscles. One had had the full four fingers, the other only three. He found a skinny torso and wired the arms and legs to it. He took one of the dangling heads from its string. It was pine wood, yellowy brown. He attached it to the body."

All of this is happening under moonlight and in the company of the small creatures who live in this attic space - a mouse, some spiders, and woodlice. Silvester makes his puppet with love and skill and somehow this makes magic, because Puppet speaks.

And so the story begins. Silvester names his new companion Puppet but out in the world, when he is mistaken as his grandson, he tells local people the boy is named Kenneth. Naturally Puppet knows nothing of the world and so Silvester takes great delight in teaching him to walk and then introducing Puppet to the simple wonders of his local neighborhood - the park, the shops, and the playground swings. In the park Silvester and Kenneth meet a young girl named Fleur and her mum Antonia. They have recently moved to this community following the death of Fleur's father. There is a very special moment in this story when mum and Silvester make a connection.

A small paper puppet slips out from one of Silvester's old scrap books. 

"Silvester picked it up. There was a label tied to it. Thank you for the show. His name is Claude. With love from Antonia."

"Then he took Claude from his pocket and held him high towards the birds and moved him through the air as if he were flying too. And Antonia caught her breath. ... and held her hands out and Puppet put the paper puppet into them, and she whispered 'Claude!'"

After young Antonia and her parents, saw Silvester's puppet show of Hansel and Gretel she explains "at home we made puppets from paper and sticks and card. We made a puppet theatre from a cardboard box and acted out Hansel and Gretel for ourselves. And I made a little puppet named Claude, parcelled him up and took him to the post office and I sent him to you."

David Almond writes with such gentle insights as we watch Silvester caring for Puppet. He also gives readers fragments of text that anticipate how this story will end.

"This would be Silvester's final puppet; he knew that. Puppet was brand new, but he was made from bits of ancient puppets, scraps and fragments, stuff that seemed nearly useless. He was, as Fleur had said, both young and old. He had bits of Silvester in him, bits of Belinda, bits of memories, bits of dreams. He had grown from all the puppets that had gone before, and he would lead to all the puppets that were still to come."

Here are a few text quotes to give you a flavour of the exquisite way David Almond writes:

"This is called music. It pours from the air into your mind and moves your bones."

"Puppet flapped his arms as if they were wings. He stood high and stretched upward, as if about to fly."

"All through the rest of the night, beneath the lamp and the moon, Silvester worked to make Puppet the best puppet it was possible for him to be. He tightened Puppet's joints. He reshaped Puppet's face. He smoothed and waxed his skin. He thickened Puppet's hair. He brightened his green eyes."

"No he would never be perfect but he was beautiful. He was beautiful and imperfect, as all the most beautiful things are."

"What is time? How does it pass? Sometimes - maybe when we're bored or when we're waiting for something we really want to do - an hour can seem like a week. Sometimes an hour can seem like a few fleeting moments. And there are times when you forget everything and time doesn't seem to pass at all ... like when you're reading a good book."

I recommend this book for readers who are deeper thinkers aged 10+. 

There are some themes in Puppet by David Almond which made me remember other books that I have read. To my eye many of his books have religious/Christian themes. After reading Puppet and Skellig you might look for Jackdaw Summer, Clay, Heaven eyes, and Bone Music.

• Falling Boy touches on issues of bullies and community action. Dawn from this story is also grieving the loss of her brother. 
• The tale of Angelino Brown is very similar to Puppet. A lonely couple are 'rescued' by a tiny 'angel' boy.
• Skellig - if you have read this classic award-winning story you will remember the way Skellig resembles an angel and the significance of his wings. 

In her review for our Magpies Magazine Dr Robin Morrow said: "Lizzy Stewarts black-and-white illustrations ... are an integral component of this book, making it a kind of graphic novel. They appear at unpredictable intervals ... The final seven pages have no verbal text, simply the illustrator's eloquent depiction of Puppet releasing his makeshift wings and flying into the distance." "There is an elegiac mood to this small masterpiece."

Read some other reviews:

• Kirkus Star review
• Kids' Book Review
• Books for Keeps

I recently talked about Pinocchio. Perhaps adults will make this connection, but I actually enjoyed Puppet as a character and his friends Silvester and Fleur more than that mischievous Pinocchio who, as an adult reader, frustrated me with his selfish and headstrong attitude and slightly tedious misadventures.

The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi illustrated by Greg Hilderbrandt

Any copy of Pinocchio in English is a translation from the original story written in 1883 by Carlo Collodi whose real name was Carlo Lorenzini. His pen name, Collodi, refers to the name of the village where his mother was born. Every time I pick up a copy of Pinocchio I check to see the name of the translator. Often this is not mentioned. My copy featured today says: text adapted and abridged by Elizabeth Haserick.

So, as you can see my copy here today is both a translation, of course, and an abridged version. The actual novel of Pinocchio is 288 pages. I have not read the full book but my version today covers the main incidents. This one illustrated by Greg Hilderbrandt is long out of print but it is sure to be in many libraries. It is a long format picture book and would make a great family read aloud. 

Derived from the Italian words “pino” meaning pine tree and “occhio” meaning eye, Pinocchio’s name symbolizes his creation from a piece of pine wood by the woodcarver Geppetto. The name carries a sense of magic, mystery, and transformation, making it an enduring symbol of childhood wonder and imagination.

Pinocchio is available in many formats from board books to picture books and novels as well as ebook versions and it has been translated into 300 languages. There are also very simple versions such as one from Ladybird books. When I searched on Goodreads I found over 3500 versions of this famous classic.

The story was originally published in serial form as The Story of a Puppet (Italian: La storia di un burattino) in the Giornale per i bambini, one of the earliest Italian weekly magazines for children, starting from 7 July 1881. Near Florence you can visit Pinocchio Park. 

I found this plot summary:

Chapter 1: Pinocchio's Creation

In the first chapter, the kind-hearted woodcarver Geppetto creates Pinocchio out of a magical piece of wood. As soon as Pinocchio comes to life, he starts causing trouble and running away, setting the stage for his misadventures.

Chapter 2: Pinocchio's First Misadventure

Pinocchio encounters the cunning Fox and Cat, who persuade him to join a puppet theater. However, Pinocchio soon realizes that the puppet master intends to turn him into firewood. With the help of the Blue Fairy, Pinocchio escapes, but not without facing consequences for his gullibility.

Chapter 3: Pinocchio's Encounter with the Talking Cricket

Pinocchio meets the Talking Cricket, who advises him to be obedient and honest. Annoyed by the cricket's wise words, Pinocchio throws a hammer at him, inadvertently killing him. This impulsive act sets the stage for Pinocchio's journey of personal growth and redemption.

Chapter 4: Pinocchio's Trip to the Land of Toys

Pinocchio is lured to the Land of Toys, where children can play all day without consequences. However, Pinocchio soon discovers that the Land of Toys is a trap, turning disobedient children into donkeys. He narrowly escapes this fate but is left with donkey ears and a tail as a reminder of his foolishness.

Chapter 5: Pinocchio's Rescue of Geppetto

Pinocchio embarks on a mission to rescue his father figure, Geppetto, who has been swallowed by a giant shark. With courage and determination, Pinocchio saves Geppetto and learns the importance of selflessness and sacrifice.

Chapter 6: Pinocchio's Transformation into a Real Boy

Pinocchio's bravery and selflessness finally earn him the reward he has longed for – a transformation into a real boy. Through his journey, Pinocchio learns the value of honesty, bravery, and the importance of making virtuous choices.

I visited Italy last year. I was intrigued to see every market in Tuscany had Pinocchio puppets for sale in all sizes and price points. Then I went into a beautiful huge bookstore where they had a whole shelving bay full of different versions of Pinocchio. Here is my photo:

There are many ways you could read or use the story of Pinocchio with your class. In art you could compare all the different cover illustrations or look at the work of the famous illustrators below. This book is also a terrific example of a trickster tale. Take a look at my small Pinterest collection. As a read aloud, you could read one story incident each day. My friend from Kinderbookswitheverything shares the books that feature Pinocchio from her library. 

As you would imagine many very famous illustrators have created their own images for this famous story.

Roberto Innocenti (for older students)

Robert Ingpen (This version has 200+ pages)

Ed Young

Emma Chichester Clark

This version is retold by Michael Morpurgo and is part of a 

Reading Program called Oxford Reading Tree - Treetops

Here is a popup version due for publication in 2025:

Simon and Schuster [9781962098113]

Lane Smith

Luna by Holly Webb illustrated by Jo Anne Davies

Hannah and her family visit a Christmas market in Dresden. Hannah sees a small bear puppet toy and the seller shows her how the bear can dance. Hannah finds this quite upsetting, but she convinces her father to buy her the little bear. In the middle of that night Hannah finds herself in a different place and time - a barn with two bears - one huge and one cub. She meets a young boy who is trying to rescue the cub. He has witnessed the hunters capturing the wild creature to use in their dreadful dancing act. Hannah is a stranger, but she is able to help Matthias. Even though the mother bear has been killed the new friends find another bear in the forest who immediately bonds with the little cub - giving readers the promise of that all-important happy ending.

This book was a generous gift from my friend at Kinderbookswitheverything and it reminded me of an Australian picture book from many years ago. 

Here is the Kirkus review

Luna has a junior looking cover and only 176 pages with illustrations but the topic of cruelty to animals which is explored in this book and the timeslip format mean this book is better suited to readers aged 10+.

Holly Webb needs more than one shelf in a library - she says: "Quite often people ask how many books I’ve written. At the moment, it’s 156!"

The Puppets of Spelhorst: A Norendy Tale by Kate DiCamillo illustrated by Julie Morstad

At its heart this is a story about the serendipity of life. It is also a quietly understated love story (and you know I adore those). And a story about the fulfilment of hopes and dreams. 

Five puppets languish in a toy store. There is an owl made from real feathers. A young girl with striking violet eyes. A boy with a bow and arrow set. A King who is wearing a crown. And a wolf with very sharp teeth. By chance, a lonely old sea Captain sees the puppets in the window of a toy store. He has no reason to buy this set of toys but the young girl, with her violet eyes, rekindles and old memory of his lost love from long ago. Back at home that night the man named Spelhorst writes a letter, and he places it in his old travelling trunk. This is the final act of his life but it is not the final act for the set of puppets. Their adventures are about to begin - be sure to listen carefully to their hopes and dreams.

The old sailor's trunk is sold and eventually ends up in a home with two young girls. The older girl, Emma, knows these puppets should be part of a play. She finds and reads the letter, but we still have no idea what it says. At this point the fate of those five very different puppets is in the balance. The owl is mistaken for a feather duster and he ends up in a cleaning bucket. The younger sister, as is the way with very young children, takes the boy and the wolf. Her treatment of the wolf made me gasp. And we watch as the boy, in a way I won't explain here, ends up in the top branches of a tree. 

Finally, we come to the night of the play. Emma has written the script and made the scenery. She needs her younger sister Martha and their maid, Jane Twiddum, to help her with the performance. We don't meet the assembled adults but this performance, in three acts, is filled with pathos. It also links very subtly back to that letter written all those weeks ago by the old sailor. 

Betsy Bird (Goodreads): this is the kind of book that’s going to appeal to kids young and old. A contemporary classic with ingrained appeal and the occasional jolt of weirdness to keep things interesting.

A quiet, comforting fable of identity and belonging. Kirkus

Blurb by Kate DiCamillo: Shut up in a trunk by a taciturn old sea captain with a secret, five friends—a king, a wolf, a girl, a boy, and an owl—bicker, boast, and comfort one another in the dark. Individually, they dream of song and light, freedom and flight, purpose and glory, but they all agree they are part of a larger story, bound each to each by chance, bonded by the heart’s mysteries. When at last their shared fate arrives, landing them on a mantel in a blue room in the home of two little girls, the truth is more astonishing than any of them could have imagined.

Betsy Bird mentions the three songs in this book, and I felt exactly the same way - I do hope someone can set these to music. 

Last week I saw Walker Books Australia had a little 'competition' give away advance copies of The Puppets of Spelborst - you know the kind of thing - first 'x' number of people to respond to this email will be sent an advance copy of Kate DiCamillo's new book. I had very little hope of winning because it was already late in the morning and surely tons of people had seen the email but NO, I was lucky, and I won this book. I picked up the parcel today at 12 noon and I read the whole book in one quick sitting as soon as I arrived home. 

I am calling this book a novella partly because it only has around 150 pages but also because, even though this looks like a slim and therefore junior book, it is not - I would put this book into the hands of readers aged 10+ who will appreciate the way Kate DiCamillo constructs her story and the way she gives each of her puppet and human characters very distinct personalities. There is some violence in this story but also tiny touches of humor and wonderful moments where we witness the fulfilment of dreams.

This book will be released in mid-October here in Australia, so I suggest you pop it onto your shopping list now or place an advance order with your favourite independent bookstore. I guess this will be the first book in a series because the publisher webpage says this is Book One in the Norendy Tale series. And I found more detail on Kate DiCamillo's web page: A beloved author of modern classics draws on her most moving themes with humor, heart, and wisdom in the first of the Norendy Tales, a projected trio of novellas linked by place and mood, each illustrated in black and white by a different virtuoso illustrator.

Here is a PBS interview with Kate DiCamillo. And even more importantly please take a little time to read this New Yorker profile piece from September this year. 

The reporter says uses these words when talking about The Puppets of Spelhorst: 'Joy and Despair' 'Truth Wonder and Sorrow'.

And here is a quote by Kate from the interview:

"One of the great things about being able to tell stories is that I can find a way to make sense out of what happened to me as a kid. And maybe help another kid feel safe and less alone."

Kate DiCamillo dedicates this book to her friend Ann Patchett.  Read what Ann Patchett says about Kate DiCamillo and her books here. 

My copy of The Puppets of Spelhorst is a paperback ARC but I think the real copy will be a special edition hardcover [9781529512854].  I do like the black and white pencil illustrations by Julie Morstad (I love her work) but it would be even more thrilling to see them in colour. 

This book made me think of these picture books (but they are far simpler stories).

The Hidden House

Ruby and Little Joe

The Barnabus Project

Nothing

I am a huge fan of Kate DiCamillo. I have read and blogged so many of her books and I was utterly thrilled when I heard her speak twice in Sydney, Australia at our Sydney Writers Festival. If I hadn't been so badly hampered by deep shyness, I would have loved to have talked to her - maybe I can do that one day.

Because of Winn Dixie

The Tale of Despereaux

Raymie Nightingale

Beverly, Right Here

Louisiana's Way Home

Great Joy

The Beatryce Prophecy

The Magician's Elephant

Flora and Ulysses

These are some other novellas I have read and enjoyed which would be good to put into the hands of readers who enjoy this story form:

Captain Rosalie

Saving Celeste

A Swallow in Winter

The Unadoptables by Hana Tooke

Over the course of a year five babies arrive at the Little Tulip Orphanage in Amsterdam. The Little Tulip doesn't that sound delightful - of course it is not!  Each arrival breaks one or more of the three rules set my matron Elinora Gassbeek. Wait a minute. Look at that name. Grassbeek. Sounds bad?  Yes she is!  Now back to those rules:

RULE ONE: The baby should be wrapped in a cotton blanket.
RULE TWO: The baby should be placed in a wicker basket.
RULE THREE: The baby should be deposited on the topmost step.

So what about our five babies.
Lotta arrives in a toolbox which has been wrapped in an emerald green ribbon
"a baby with coca-bean eyes and blonde fuzz on its head."
Egg (Egbert) arrives in a coal bucket wrapped in a soot-stained shawl
"A raven-haired infant... "
Fenna is found in the matrons picnic basket along with the sandwiches and almond cake
"It had a shock of curly red hair and was babbling incessantly."
Sem comes in a bucket wearing a wheat sack
"She looked at the baby's wonky ears, its gangly limbs and the wheat-coloured hair that stuck out from its head at the unruliest of angles."
Milou is found on the roof inside a coffin-shaped basket along with a cat puppet
"It had hair as dark as midnight and eyes that were almost black."

Are you wondering about those names.  I won't go into the details here but they are all the invention of Matron serving to emphasise the nastiness of her character. What you do need to know is that each of these children is blessed with a special talent such as mathematics, engineering, knot tying, sewing, map making, cooking and an affinity with animals. Milou has a fragment of information about her own family and she is desperate to find her parents who she is sure are out there somewhere looking for her.

When the group of kids escape from the orphanage they use this scrap of information having fled the matron and an evil man called Meneer Rotman who says he wants to adopt all of them but who is clearly planning something truly awful. Milou has over-heard the matron and Rotman talking:

"Then we have a deal, Matron. In return of a steady supply of orphans each year, I will provide you with coin and rid this place of vermin: both the rodent variety and the urchins you can't shift."

So now the kids are on the run. Where they go, who they meet and the way each of their talents are needed is thrilling. This story is a wild roller coaster ride. I am certain you will not anticipate the ending. When and if you need further reason to read this book pick it up and read chapters 28 to 30.

I especially loved the wonderful character descriptions:

Here is Matron Gassbeek - so many delicious words here:

Her "boots emerged a moment before the rest of her: twin points of polished, blood-red leather, with low, pointed heels, that were just as sharp as the expression on the matron's face ... (she had) the brutal sneer of a gargoyle, the soulless eyes of a werewolf, the skin itching screech of a banshee ... her vileness had transformed her features into something monstrous."

Meneer Rotman Have you noticed the name - Rotman (yes he is rotten!).:
"His face was half covered by a huge mustachio, which erupted from under his nose in two long curls and spread out towards his mutton chop whiskers. There were rings on almost every finger and a long tobacco pipe hung from his mouth." His smile was a parody "all teeth and no soul." His laugh "like a seagull cawing."

A little shiver ran up my spine this morning when I saw an announcement that it is only eight days until The Unadoptables hits the shops! SO grab your order form, email your local bookseller, lobby your local and school library NOW because you are really going to ENJOY this wonderful new book.

Unfolding with the clarity of a fairy tale, this sure-footeddebut casts a delightfully spooky spell. Kirkus

The story is set in nineteenth century Amsterdam, and Tooke, who is half Dutch, brilliantly evokes both the city itself with its narrow streets and tall, crowded-together townhouses, and also the countryside with its patchwork quilt of fields, canals and windmills. The Nerd Daily

Here is a web site for Hana Tooke with a terrific book trailer. I am also including the cover of the Advanced Reader copy which Beachside Bookshop kindly supplied earlier this year. You might be interested to see how covers evolve. My copy of this book only had draft illustrations. You can see the art here by Ayesha Rubio.

Aspects of this book reminded me of A series of Unfortunate Events. I would also link The Unadoptables with these books:

For a younger audience take a look at The Dunderheads:

Kirkus review: The plot is deliciously outlandish

Eloise and the bucket of stars

Skycircus

The Secret Hen House Theatre

Noah Barleywater runs away by John Boyne illustrated by Oliver Jeffers

As a marketing strategy books often have recommendations or other details on their covers.  This book, Noah Barleywater runs away, has a sticker that says "From the author of the Boy in Striped Pyjamas".  For me this is not a recommendation.  I rarely say I dislike a book but I thoroughly disliked The Boy in Striped Pyjamas and so I did hesitate to open this book.

Now that I have read it, however, I can say I really did enjoy Noah Barleywater runs away.  This is a brilliant storytelling using the story of Pinocchio woven into the story of why Noah has run away.  I must confess that while I think I "know" the story of Pinocchio I have no memory of actually reading this famous story so that will be my next book.  Luckily I own a wonderful version illustrated by Roberto Innocenti.

Noah runs away travelling through two strange and unwelcoming villages where he witness very odd things such as a moving apple tree that begs him not to take its fruit.  When he reaches the third village he meets a talking donkey, a helpful dachshund and a man in a toy shop.  The toy shop is a magical place.  Every toy is handmade from wood and most special of all the shop is filled with hundreds of puppets. The building is oddly shaped and positioned beside a very special tree that seems to be almost hypnotic.  Noah enters the shop and spends the whole day with the toy maker.  The two of them take turns to tell their own life story.  The toy maker has had a very eventful life beginning with absolutely horrid bullying in school and then the discovery that he is an outstanding runner.  His running takes him on an adventure around the world. Noah talks about his family and in particular his mother who has organised the most wonderful and memorable outings for Noah over the last few weeks.  As Noah reveals more and more of his story the curiosity of the Toymaker grows and grows as he tries to discover why Noah has run away especially when everything he describes seems to point to a loving family.

Here is a description of the toys :

"There were houses and villages, boats and trucks, every conceivable toy that an interested mind like his could dream of - and every one of them was made of solid, dark wood which seemed to give off a glow of richness and, yes, even a sort of distant hum. ... Almost everything was painted carefully - and not with just any old colours either, like the toys he had at home ...These were colours he'd never even seen before; ones he couldn't possibly even begin to name."

Reading this book is a wonderful experience. I especially loved the quirky shop with its moving door called Henry and the real cuckoo cuckoo clock. This book will probably be very different from any you have ever encountered but this is a book I highly recommend for middle and senior primary students.  One reviewer quoted inside the front cover said : "a carefully crafted, whimsical gem."

Here is a detailed review by Lois Lowry writing in the New York Times.  Take a look at the author web site.

Here is a comment from The Australian newspaper :

Quality novels for primary school-age children are quite hard to find, so this book is very appealing. There are many worthwhile series books, often filling important niches, but the inimitable stand-alone novel is rare.