Puppet by David Almond

Puppet by David Almond

From Hans Christian Andersen Medal-winning author David Almond comes a heartwarming story that shows anything is possible with imagination and trust.

What should a puppet master do when he’s old and alone, and all his puppets are gone? Sylvester makes one last puppet. But this one is different. When the old man speaks to him, Puppet speaks back. And then he walks…

While Sylvester shows Puppet the town, the playground and the wonders the world holds, Puppet in turn helps Sylvester to make a new friend, and share his puppet-making skills with the next generation in this wonder-filled story of creation and the circle of life.

Illustrated with sequences of wordless spreads by an award-winning artist, this is a modern-day classic.

A magical, rittly-rattly tale… A gentler story that avoids whittling into the darker themes of Pinocchio to stay closer in tone to Pixar’s UpBut thanks to Almond’s idiosyncratic style it has the same creeping sense of a life hanging in the balance that makes Skellig such an electrifying read 26 years on… Lizzy Stewart’s drawings are pitch-perfect, giving the story the feeling of having been as lovingly handcrafted as Silvester’s green-eyed lad. -- Lucy Bannerman * Children's Book of the Week, The Times *
I think it’s simply wonderful. The language is so clean and beautiful. And I found the relationship between Sylvester and Kenneth/Puppet so pure and fragile it brought me to tears. CONGRATULATIONS to David on writing such a gorgeously hopeful book (despite the sadness in it). * Sarah Crossan *
Just like a puppet-maker, David Almond can create a story from the world all around. He takes the simplest pieces of life and rebuilds them into something quite magical. Puppet is a masterpiece. * Katya Balen *
"David Almond understands our needs for community. This theme, and his insights into community, is evident in all the wonderful books he has written over the years. In Puppet we too as readers feel the reassurance he has created within the story. As powerful as any he has written, poignant and heart-warming and telling. David Almond has excelled himself yet again." * Michael Morpurgo *
Inspired by Pinocchio, David Almond has created another timeless classic… It’s tender, very moving and the delicate black-and-white drawings reflect the joy and sadness at the beginning and end of lives. * Daily Mail *

David Almond OBE is the acclaimed author of many award-winning novels for children such as Skellig, Kit's Wilderness and My Name Is Mina, and has collaborated with artists such as Polly Dunbar, Dave McKean, Alex T. Smith and Oliver Jeffers on fiction for younger readers. David's books sell all over the world, and in 2011 he was the recipient of the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Award. David lives in Northumberland; for more info visit www.davidalmond.com Lizzy Stewart is an illustrator and author currently based in London. She has written and illustrated three picture books for children and three illustrated books for adults.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781529523706
ISBN 10	1529523702
Title	Puppet
Author	David Almond
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Walker Books Ltd
Year published	2025-07-03
Number of pages	240
Prizes	Long-listed for UKLA Book Award 2025 (UK), Nominated for The Carnegie Medal 2025 (UK)
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.