The Puppets of Spelhorst by Kate DiCamillo

5 stars Tale

They were together and then, they’re not.  I heard about this book, so I picked it up.  It’s a Norendy Tale about five puppets that’s told in 3 Acts consisting of 28 chapters.  Kate brings us this story about a lonely sea captain who discovers five puppets and the story they were meant to tell.  The wooden trunk for which they were housed becomes their home, their shelter, as they traveled about experiencing the world.   They were a unique group, a bonded family who knew they held greatness within. 

The sea captain, a man alone in his thoughts, was out for a walk because today was one of his good days as the weather was nice and his body felt good.  On bad days, the sea captain would lie in his bed all day and just exist.  Spelhorst was a lonely man as he listened and watched the world around him.  Today on his walk, there’s a toy shop in the alley that grabs Spelhorst attention.  Floating midair, in the glass display there are a group of puppets: a king, an owl, a wolf, a boy, and a girl.  It’s the girl puppet that captures his heart.  As he attempts to buy this female puppet from the merchant, the face on this female puppet fills his head with memories.   Unable to buy just one of the puppets, Spelhorst buys the whole set and sets off for home.

Upon entering his home, Spelhorst sets the girl puppet on his table, casting the other puppets into a wooden chest on the floor.  Spelhorst is overcome with emotions as he begins talking to the girl puppet, calling her Annalise and apologizing to her.  Retiring for the night, the emotional spent sea captain takes to bed while the puppets begin to talk amongst themselves about their new surroundings.   They’re finally out in the world, experiencing the world but they’re not prepared for what lies ahead. 

They wanted to tell their story; they each knew they had something within them, but would they be able to tell it.

This is such a fun adventure story.  As two young girls become the owners of the wooden chest, the puppets each begin to experience life outside the toy store.   With individual personalities and stories, each of them has an adventure that has a lasting effect on them.   Everyone dreams and has hope and this book definitely shows us that.   5 stars

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