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. 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. A magical and beautifully packaged gift volume designed to be read aloud and shared, The Puppets of Spelhorst is a tale that soothes and strengthens us on our journey, leading us through whatever dark forest we find ourselves in.
- Books
- Middle Grade Fiction & Indies
- Middle Grade Fiction
- The Puppets of Spelhorst
The Puppets of Spelhorst
Author(s)
Publisher
Genre(s)
Age Range
8+
Release Date
October 10, 2023
ISBN
978-1536216752
Buy This Book
Editor review
1 review
Uniting our different stories
(Updated: July 26, 2023)
Overall rating
4.5
Plot
4.0
Characters
4.0
Writing Style
5.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
5.0
What worked:
It’s creative to tell the story through the eyes of puppets. The puppets are able to talk to each other but the humans they encounter can’t hear them. The puppet characters can’t move on their own so their actions are dependent on human manipulation. Their comments and thoughts are based on the positions they happen to be in when other characters put them down. The owl can’t see much at one point when she’s dropped face down on the floor. The girl puppet describes the beauty of the moon because the others are stuck in a trunk. They’d never seen the sun or trees before because their view from the toy store was of a brick wall on the other side of the alley.
The relationships between the characters are unique and transformative. The characters are mostly focused on themselves in the early chapters with each having dreams of what they want to do. The king wants everyone to listen to him, the owl wants to fly, and the boy believes one day he’ll do something important. The wolf constantly reminds the others, “My teeth are razor sharp”. They all realize they’re part of a future story but events result in all of the characters being separated. The conflict becomes how will they be reunited to achieve their destined story.
The fairy-tale-like narrative is written in a simple voice but the characters will make readers think. The first sentence “There was once an old sea captain…” sets the tone and sounds like a tale being read to children. The puppets’ thoughts are mostly based on things they can see although their minds begin to wonder about possibilities. Their individual dreams differentiate the characters and display a range of personalities. The king and wolf are more one-dimensional, the boy and girl have more imagination, and the owl is the philosopher in the group. Despite their differences, they slowly realize all of their lives are connected.
What didn’t work as well:
Readers may wonder about the housekeeper’s actions at the end of the book. On the one hand, her decision makes perfect sense but on the other readers may wonder why the puppets are included. It provides food for thought after the final pages are read.
The Final Verdict:
This book can be read quickly or slowly depending on how much thinking you want to do. The innocent, naïve characters are loveable and the way their lives are affected by humans will make them even more endearing. Overall, this is a charming, fun story and I recommend you give it a shot.
It’s creative to tell the story through the eyes of puppets. The puppets are able to talk to each other but the humans they encounter can’t hear them. The puppet characters can’t move on their own so their actions are dependent on human manipulation. Their comments and thoughts are based on the positions they happen to be in when other characters put them down. The owl can’t see much at one point when she’s dropped face down on the floor. The girl puppet describes the beauty of the moon because the others are stuck in a trunk. They’d never seen the sun or trees before because their view from the toy store was of a brick wall on the other side of the alley.
The relationships between the characters are unique and transformative. The characters are mostly focused on themselves in the early chapters with each having dreams of what they want to do. The king wants everyone to listen to him, the owl wants to fly, and the boy believes one day he’ll do something important. The wolf constantly reminds the others, “My teeth are razor sharp”. They all realize they’re part of a future story but events result in all of the characters being separated. The conflict becomes how will they be reunited to achieve their destined story.
The fairy-tale-like narrative is written in a simple voice but the characters will make readers think. The first sentence “There was once an old sea captain…” sets the tone and sounds like a tale being read to children. The puppets’ thoughts are mostly based on things they can see although their minds begin to wonder about possibilities. Their individual dreams differentiate the characters and display a range of personalities. The king and wolf are more one-dimensional, the boy and girl have more imagination, and the owl is the philosopher in the group. Despite their differences, they slowly realize all of their lives are connected.
What didn’t work as well:
Readers may wonder about the housekeeper’s actions at the end of the book. On the one hand, her decision makes perfect sense but on the other readers may wonder why the puppets are included. It provides food for thought after the final pages are read.
The Final Verdict:
This book can be read quickly or slowly depending on how much thinking you want to do. The innocent, naïve characters are loveable and the way their lives are affected by humans will make them even more endearing. Overall, this is a charming, fun story and I recommend you give it a shot.
User reviews
There are no user reviews for this listing.
Already have an account? Log in now or Create an account
Latest Additions
GET A YABC BUTTON!
We have all sorts of YABC buttons for your website. Grab one here and link to YABC!