Book cover of The Puppets of Spelhorst
Book cover of The Puppets of Spelhorst in paperback
The Puppets of Spelhorst by Kate DiCamillo and Julie Morstad
The Puppets of Spelhorst by Kate DiCamillo and Julie Morstad
The Puppets of Spelhorst by Kate DiCamillo and Julie Morstad

The Puppets of Spelhorst by Kate DiCamillo and Julie Morstad

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Format Hardcover
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Local Illustrator

Ages: 7–10 years

A New York Times bestseller!

“Kate DiCamillo's dazzling first title in the Norendy Tales trilogy is brimming with wit, whimsy, and heart as it follows five puppets fulfilling their thrilling shared destiny.” – Shelf Awareness

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.

Kate DiCamillo’s writing journey has been a truly remarkable one. She grew up in Florida and moved to Minnesota in her twenties, when homesickness and a bitter winter led her to write Because of Winn-Dixie — her first published novel, which became a runaway bestseller and snapped up a Newbery Honor. The Tiger Rising, her second novel, was also set in Florida and went on to become a National Book Award finalist. Since then, the best-selling author has explored settings as varied as a medieval castle and a magician’s theater while continuing to enjoy great success, winning two Newbery Medals and being named National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. She now has over 40 million books in print worldwide.

Julie Morstad is the author and illustrator of Today, How To and Time Is a Flower, which was a New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children’s Book, winner of the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award and the Christie Harris Illustrated Children’s Literature Prize, and a finalist for a Governor General’s Literary Award, among other honors. She has illustrated many other beloved stories for children, including Kate DiCamillo’s The Puppets of Spelhorst. In 2018, she illustrated a stamp for Canada Post. Julie lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.

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About the Illustrator

Julie Morstad

Julie Morstad is the author and illustrator of Today, How To and Time Is a Flower, which was a New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children’s Book, winner of the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award and the Christie Harris Illustrated Children’s Literature Prize, and a finalist for a Governor General’s Literary Award, among other honors. She has illustrated many other beloved stories for children, including Kate DiCamillo’s The Puppets of Spelhorst. In 2018, she illustrated a stamp for Canada Post. Julie lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.

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