The Little Toymaker

by Cat Min

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

Cat Min's debut Shy Willow gave us a delicate, thoughtful and wholly original story. Her follow up, The Little Toymaker, follows in those footsteps for another beautiful work of art. Every year, towards the end of the Gregorian calendar, toys are given to the children of the world. But what's often overlooked are the gifts made for the older generations. The parents, grandparents and friends who have taken care of us and the world for so long. That's where The Little Toymaker comes in. With a focus on the magic of giving gifts instead of receiving them, Cat Min's fable is a perfect alternative to traditional holiday stories, but one that can and will be embraced by all.

We all know about the guy in the red suit at the North Pole. But what if the world’s toymaker was a little boy?

From the author and illustrator of Shy Willow comes the adorable little Toymaker, who makes wonderful toys… not for children, but for their grandparents and other older folk. (People often forget that they, too, like toys!) But it isn’t always easy.

One morning, an old woman brings the little Toymaker a candy tin she played with as a girl.

The little Toymaker takes the tin and TA-DA! comes back with a sparkling new toy for the old lady. But it seems that what she truly wants was lost a long time ago. And it will take all the Toymaker’s skill, magic, and empathy to bring it back for her.

A new holiday classic for a new generation, The Little Toymaker is the perfect story to share between generations young and old(er).

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781646141807
Publisher:	Levine Querido
Publication date:	11/01/2022
Pages:	48
Sales rank:	214,312
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Cat Min is an illustrator, animator, and writer. Cat grew up as a shy kid in Hong Kong, where she spent most of her childhood drawing and making comic books out of printer paper and staples with her best friend. She studied animation and film at New York University, Tisch School of the Arts, and completed the Illustration & Visual Storytelling Summer Residency Program at the School of Visual Arts in New York. She is also a member of SCBWI. Her (not so) guilty pleasures are: McDonald's french fries, sappy romance comics, mobile escape game apps, visual novels, and all things cheese.

 

Editorial Reviews

Min’s fantastical imagination is once again on full Technicolor display in this fairy tale–like story… the vibrant illustrations, rendered in watercolor and colored pencil, will entice young and old alike. An ode to late-life nostalgia that will nonetheless be visually enchanting to all ages.” —Kirkus

“Min (Shy Willow) uses swirls of rainbow hues and stars to conjure up an otherworldly atmosphere… Many themes intersect in this dreamlike tale, including giving as a source of joy, listening to elders, and making old things new again.” — Publishers Weekly

“Min delivers an understated, effective message about appreciating the lives and experiences of older people and the value they can share with the young.” — Booklist

From the Publisher

2022-08-17
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)

Kirkus Reviews