Noah is only eight and still innocent enough to believe that running away from problems will rid him of the problems. We are given a vivid picture of him quietly leaving the house, walking down the road, and taking one last look back at home and that is when normalacy ends. The reader is slowly, yet convincingly thrust into a world that is not ordinary as Noah travels through villages where apple trees walk out into the sun each morning, where apples disappear from his pocket, and when the road slowly becomes a path and then disappears in the midst of a dense wood. Meeting a talking dachshund and ever-hungry donkey, Noah finds nothing unusual about that until he comes upon a toy shop that is every child's dream. While becoming lost in the multitude of unique wooden toys, Noah begins to notice their magical qualities: ever watchful puppets, scurrying wooden mice, and a clock that eats. To top it off, there is an unusual toymaker who offers Noah lunch and ultimately a story to tell. It is a story that deeply affects Noah, a story of adventure but also regret as the Toymaker relates how he wasn't there when his father ultimately dies. It is then that the author gently leads his young readers to the realization that Noah's problem is that his mother is dying and through the gently guidance of the old Toymaker, Noah returns home to be with his mother.
The author has taken the story of Pinocchio and has continued the story of the puppet's adventure, and consequence, of being a real boy who makes real-life mistakes. Within this story's construct, the author provides gentle lessons for young readers about responsibility, love, and family. A delightful surprise of a book, young readers will find this story engrossing with its magical overtones, balanced by a real life drama that is sadly, all too true for many young children.
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