Puppet

Starred review from July 1, 2024
In a sweet, tender exchange, an aging English puppeteer passes his vision on to a young kindred soul. In a nod to Carlo Collodi's Pinocchio, the child-sized puppet old Silvester assembles one day from mismatched parts magically comes to life. He learns to talk, requesting "jam!"--and with loving care and assistance is able to walk well enough to go on excursions to the park. There, Silvester hastily dubs Puppet "Kenneth" in response to the curious query of Fleur, an observant child. Fleur's mum has long been a fan of Silvester's puppet theater, and the foursome gather at her cottage, where Fleur delightedly makes puppets from twigs and other found materials and entices Silvester to help her put on an impromptu show in which two lost children drive off a monster. In keeping with the narrative's measured lightness, Stewart's fluid brush and line work lends warm informality to the figures in her mix of tight, close-up full-page illustrations and sequential panels. Though Puppet as depicted is plainly wooden (the human cast includes varied skin tones), Fleur greets him with casual friendliness, and everyone else expresses, at most, mild puzzlement; even some boys who initially mock his gait later apologize. "Didn't I tell you it's a lovely world?" says Silvester to his last and greatest creation--and it is, for even though fear and tragedy are real, Almond shows readers a world that's "shambolic and beautiful, and tentative and brave." A meditation on art and family, rich in language and feeling. (Fantasy. 8-12)

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

July 8, 2024
After donating the bulk of his creations to a museum, elderly puppet master
Silvester uses scraps from his remaining inventory to construct one last figure to resemble a small child, which he calls Puppet. To Silvester’s amazement, Puppet comes to life and learns to walk on its own and even speak with a limited vocabulary. Over several days, Silvester takes Puppet out in public, claiming that Puppet is his grandson, Kenneth. At the park, they make friends, including young Fleur and her mother, who was a fan of Silvester’s puppet show in her youth. As they spend more time together, Fleur learns how to make her own puppets, rekindling Silvester’s own enthusiasm, while Puppet experiences more of the world. Dreamlike and thoughtful, this contemporary take on Pinocchio teems with a genuine sense of wonder. Utilizing a subtle, ambiguous magic to explain Puppet’s animation, Almond (Brand New Boy) spins a gently introspective story that eschews overt conflict to meditate on the joys of creativity, artistry, and puppetry. Quirky, stylized illustrations by Stewart (Walking Distance) add a balanced blend of whimsy and realism. Human characters cue as white. Ages 8–12. Agent: Catherine Clarke, Felicity Bryan Assoc.

Starred review from August 1, 2024
Grades 3-6 *Starred Review* Silvester is a renowned puppet master at the end of his storied career, having spent decades touring with his extraordinary puppet theater. After happily relinquishing his puppet paraphernalia for an upcoming exhibition, he is content with a quiet existence, but he's drawn to the dusty attic workshop to fashion one last puppet out of the remaining bits and bobs. To his astonishment, "Puppet" slowly gains sentience, and the childless puppeteer takes it upon himself to teach the unusual boy how to locomote, savor jam, and treasure their existence. As Puppet comes more to life, so does the solitary Silvester, and though the duo encounter its share of mocking and bewilderment on its jaunts into the small town, the two also experience transcendent moments and meet generous humans. A young girl and her mother eagerly accept the odd pair with open hearts and no judgment, and their lives become entwined in a way none of them could have imagined. The uncommonly kind tale conjures a world teeming with magic and stories, and big subjects, including aging and death, are treated with deep respect and remarkable lightness. Wonderful wordless, black-and-white illustrations occasionally take over narrative duties, and the overall effect is as cozy as a warm cup of tea. A gentle gem of a book that encourages readers to delight in their lives and the world around them.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

November 1, 2024
In this fable/fantasy, Almond (Brand New Boy, rev. 5/22) revisits his signature theme of what it means to be human. Silvester, an elderly puppet-maker and performer, retires, giving his puppets to a museum and then wondering what to do with the rest of his life. Using bits and remnants, he fashions one last puppet, a wooden marionette the size of a seven-year-old. "Puppet," who passes as "Kenneth" out in the world, comes to life, learning to walk, speak a few words, laugh, and enjoy jam. Through Puppet, Silvester makes friends with neighbor Fleur and her mother. Fleur becomes Silvester's apprentice and together they all -- adults, children, and Puppet -- -perform a play in the town square. The sadness of this tale is built in from the outset. Silvester is an old man, lucky enough to be able to pass on his legacy of skill and passion, but mortal nonetheless. But what of Puppet? What becomes of a doll when its creator and animator dies? The denouement is classic Almond: sweet, strong, consoling, and with an echo of his masterwork, Skellig (rev. 5/99). (Think wings.) In short chapters, generously illustrated with pencil drawings in spots and panels, we are treated to a singular story with wide-ranging takeaways concerning community, loneliness, memory, the magic of theater, and the joy of making. Sarah Ellis

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2024
In this fable/fantasy, Almond (Brand New Boy, rev. 5/22) revisits his signature theme of what it means to be human. Silvester, an elderly puppet-maker and performer, retires, giving his puppets to a museum and then wondering what to do with the rest of his life. Using bits and remnants, he fashions one last puppet, a wooden marionette the size of a seven-year-old. "Puppet," who passes as "Kenneth" out in the world, comes to life, learning to walk, speak a few words, laugh, and enjoy jam. Through Puppet, Silvester makes friends with neighbor Fleur and her mother. Fleur becomes Silvester's apprentice and together they all -- adults, children, and Puppet -- perform a play in the town square. The sadness of this tale is built in from the outset. Silvester is an old man, lucky enough to be able to pass on his legacy of skill and passion, but mortal nonetheless. But what of Puppet? What becomes of a doll when its creator and animator dies? The denouement is classic Almond: sweet, strong, consoling, and with an echo of his masterwork, Skellig (rev. 5/99). (Think wings.) In short chapters, generously illustrated with pencil drawings in spots and panels, we are treated to a singular story with wide-ranging takeaways concerning community, loneliness, memory, the magic of theater, and the joy of making.

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)