"Look Emma! The wolf's got teeth! Big teeth.
It could eat somebody."
"Ooooooh," said Emma. It's a puppet.
They're all puppets. There's a girl and an owl.
And a man with a beard. And look, here's a boy
with a bow and arrows. We can put on a show.""
This is another of Kate DiCamillo's splendid stories that I will read again, and perhaps again with my granddaughters when they return next summer. Once I started reading this three-act novella, I did not put it down, and I am sure I will feel the same the next time. It is meant to the be the first in a trilogy of Norendy fairy tales.
We first meet the old sea captain Spelhorst and learn that he leads a very lonely life. While out walking one day, he notices a girl puppet in a store window who reminds him of a love he has lost. Wanting to buy only the one puppet, he is told the five puppets must stay together for they are in a story. Upon his death, the trunk that holds the puppets is sold, first to the rag-and-bone man, and then to another young man who wants them for his nieces.
All the while, readers have been listening in on conversations between the five puppets. Once given to the young girls, the five are separated in a series of adventures beyond their control. The boy yearns to do a great deed; the girl aches to see the world beyond her sheltered life; the king wants a kingdom to rule; the owl wants to be wise, and the wolf is eager to capture his prey and run like the wind. Will they find their destiny and then their way back to each other?
If you know Kate's books, you know that they will. What happens is quite the adventurous journey for each one. Therein lies the beauty of their tale. Knowing her readers and how to tell a memorable story, this witty and touching book ups the admiration I have had since reading Because of Winn-Dixie, and each following book. Is there a reason to celebrate a new book from Ms. DiCamillo? Oh, there are MANY reasons.
Julie Morstad’s black and white drawings help create a poignant story of loneliness and longing, of finding true identity through community, and of love for others. The created setting adds meaning to this brilliant story.
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