'An exquisite little book… With lovely retro images and wisdom about friendship and adventure.' Children’s books of the year, The Sunday Times
'This is a polished little gem… Atmospheric black and white drawings add to the short but absorbing drama.' Daily Mail
'This story is like a perfectly polished pebble. While other writers for children build extravagant worlds and create exhausting quests, Kate DiCamillo has done the opposite with her latest book, The Puppets of Spelhorst, taking all the big themes — love, loss, longing — and distilling them down, down, down to the beautiful, bare bones of a fairytale… It is quite unlike everything else. DiCamillo is a puppetmaster extraordinaire and such an effortless storyteller that you can barely see the strings… A playful, poignant and peculiar story that might just “break your heart and also heal it”.' The Times
'An exquisite little book about five puppets in which a play they perform overlaps with their experience. With lovely retro images and wisdom about friendship and adventure.' The Sunday Times
'A captivating and magical tale… The book has a fable-like quality, touching on ideas of belonging and destiny, it’s beautifully presented, too, with enchanting black and white illustrations throughout.' Juno
'Kate DiCamillo is a master storyteller - always weaving her words with a moral intertwined in the tale. […] The book has wonderful, detailed black-and-white illustrations by Julie Morstad which bring the characters to life. The tale is full of hope and love and will be loved by adults and children alike.' NetGalley Reviewer
'Absolutely loved this story. Although written very recently it feels like an original fairy tale. DiCamillo’s writing is just perfect.' NetGalley Reviewer
'This book made me cry so much. I love it, and will more than likely use it in my class […] The story is structured like a Russian Doll. It reminds me of "Clockwork" by Philip Pullman.' NetGalley Reviewer
'Beautifully illustrated throughout by Julie Morstad, this is a very special book.' Armadillo Magazine
'Wondrous and wonderful too, is this hauntingly illustrated novella of desires, belonging and identity that demonstrates the power of stories and their role in living one’s life and fulfilling one’s dreams. The author’s ending elegantly puts all the pieces together, and I found myself reaching for tissues.' Red Reading Hub
'As always DiCamillo’s limpid prose reads easily, and it is accompanied by enchanting pencil drawings from Julie Morstad.' Books for Keeps
'“This is a special little book for children to read on their own but it would also make a lovely read-aloud tale to share with adults… A word of praise too for the illustrator, Julie Morstad who has provided excellent black and white illustrations throughout.' The Letterpress Project