DiCamillo, Kate. Puppets of Spelhorst, The. Julie Morstad, Illus. Norendy Tales; bk. 1. Candlewick, 10/2023. 150pp. Fiction. Trade $17.99. 978-1-5362-1675-2. GRADES 2–5. HIGH ADDITIONAL.
Five puppets are given to two young sisters by their uncle, and each of the puppets faces challenges before they come back together in this unusual novel for those moving into chapter books. The puppets are a boy with a bow and arrows, a girl, an owl, a king, and a wolf. The heightened storytelling style suits the Victorian setting and time period, with somewhat formal language. The chapters include spot artwork every few pages, done in pencil, which helps distinguish the historical setting and shows the characters as white. Teachers will find this a great readaloud, and the class can reenact the puppet show that occurs near the end of the book. The first in the Norendy Tales, this series of original fairy tales will be written by DiCamillo but will be illustrated by different artists.
Penny Peck—SJSU iSchool