The Little Toymaker

September 19, 2022
In this philosophical picture book of emotional generosity and meeting people where they are, the Little Toymaker, who is portrayed with light skin and dark hair, and wears a red and yellow robe, makes toys not for children, but “for grandparents, for older people.” The Little Toymaker doesn’t create new playthings; instead, he repurposes the objects that elderly people bring him “into something new—something magical.” Min (Shy Willow) uses swirls of rainbow hues and stars to conjure up an otherworldly atmosphere, in which people with varied abilities and skin tones engage outside the Little Toymaker’s tower. When a grandmother, shown with white hair and light skin, brings the toymaker a small candy tin, his first attempts fail to please (“Ack!” and “Oh dear,” she says), but after the two drink tea and eat mooncakes together, and he listens to the woman’s stories, his final attempt touches her heart. “How did you know?” she asks. Many themes intersect in this dreamlike tale, including giving as a source of joy, listening to elders, and making old things new again. Ages 4–8. Agent: Maria Vicente, P.S. Literary.

September 1, 2022
A magical toymaker creates wondrous toys not for children but for grandparents and older people. Min's fantastical imagination is once again on full Technicolor display in this fairy tale-like story about a toymaker who lives "in a faraway land, on top of a rainbow mountain." The twist? The Little Toymaker is a small boy, wearing a red and yellow robe adorned with tiny stars. Older people bring him toys from their childhood, and he rebuilds them into "something new--something magical." One day, a particularly tough case arrives at his door. A woman has brought a small tin that she played with as a girl. She and the Little Toymaker chat as he tries in vain to revamp her tin, turning it into a flying bird, a train, a music box, and more. But none are just right--until she reveals a story from her past of a special man in her life. Over several lush double-page spreads incorporating fiery explosions of color, sound effects, and romantic memories, the Little Toymaker weaves together elements from the woman's stories; finally, the toy hits its mark. Though the message might, like the toys themselves, be best suited toward adult readers, the vibrant illustrations, rendered in watercolor and colored pencil, will entice young and old alike. The Little Toymaker presents as Asian, with pale skin and dark hair; the woman he helps is light-skinned and white-haired; and the children and adults depicted near the Little Toymaker's home are racially diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.) An ode to late-life nostalgia that will nonetheless be visually enchanting to all ages. (Picture book. 4-8)

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October 1, 2022
Grades K-2 In a shop that stands alone atop a steep slope, the Little Toymaker--depicted as a child--makes toys, but these are magical and made especially for older people. The story centers on a white woman (""Imagine your grandmother,"" says the narrator to readers), who climbs to the shop with the help of hiking poles. The toymaker transforms her favorite childhood toy, an old tin box, to renew its magic. First, the box produces an origami bird, then lovely music, and then a colorful cascade of jewels, but nothing connects for the woman. As he works, the Little Toymaker invites her to talk, listening to the woman's stories of her youth--depicted visually through romantic vignettes of her and a young man--and finding inspiration. After he creates the perfect toy for her, she is energized and journeys home joyfully, the walking aids no longer needed. By illustrating the toymaker as a child, Min delivers an understated, effective message about appreciating the lives and experiences of older people and the value they can share with the young.

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