The Wooden Prince

January 1, 2016
Pinocchio embarks on a journey to protect the magical island Abaton in Bemis' reimagining of this classic tale. The automata Pinocchio arrives at San Baldovino in a wooden box, weary from the journey and excited to meet his new master, Geppetto. Geppetto and the magical cricket Maestro notice that the new servant behaves differently. He thinks independently, makes facial expressions, and asks a lot of questions. Who is the mysterious stranger that sent him to Geppetto? Why is Geppetto on the run from the authorities? How will they save Abaton from the magic-hungry Venetian doge? As they journey to the near-mythical island of Abaton, Pinocchio discovers the hidden secrets within Abaton and himself. Bemis successfully renovates Pinocchio's story with layered worldbuilding. Venice's inhabitants, politics, and history with the island of Abaton form a solid foundation. The various fantastical creatures are explained and revealed at a steady pace, without overwhelming readers. The main characters develop with the story, each propelling the other forward in a natural rhythm. The last few chapters unfurl to a surprising yet satisfying finish, giving readers a real ending but leaving a taste of the adventures to come. Young readers will find this reimagined adventure an exhilarating and insightful journey, fresh despite its familiar bones. (Fantasy. 8-12)

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January 1, 2016

Gr 4-7-Flying lions, fiery salamanders, chimera, sylphs, gnomes, men with wings, and an enormous sea monster all play roles in this fantastical retelling of Pinocchio. Pinocchio, a wooden automaton, has been secretly sent by the immortal ruler of the magical kingdom of Abaton, Prester John, now imprisoned in the Venetian Empire, to serve the alchemist Geppetto Gazza. For failing to deliver the Ancientmost Pearl, source of immortality, Geppetto is on the run from the doge of Venice, who has murdered Geppetto's wife and son. Fleeing with Pinocchio and the musical cricket, Maestro, Geppetto realizes he must return to Venice to rescue Prester John, even as he and Pinocchio are recognizing that the automaton is turning into a real boy. But before they can get too far, Pinocchio is abducted and forced to perform in the Grand Marionette Theater, where his "seven league boots" literally raise him to stardom as the Magpie. With the help of the chimera Wiq, the sylph Princess Lazuli, and Mezmer, a warrior fox, he escapes and begins a perilous journey to rescue Geppetto and Prester John and to find a home in Abaton. Bemis has created an alternative world rich in fantastical detail with a touch of steampunk, filled it with multiple characters both human and otherwise, and devised a complex, nonstop action-filled plot that may challenge and strain credulity in all but the most devoted high fantasy readers. A glossary extends the story, and a sequel is planned. VERDICT A good choice for collections where high fantasy is popular.-Marie Orlando, formerly at Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2016
Grades 3-7 All Collodi's original Pinocchio wanted was to be a real boy, and Bemis' steampunk retelling pays homage by making him a robotlike automaton. Geppetto is a felon in hiding, cast out of the castle and the city of Venice for mysterious acts that Pinocchio doesn't fully understand. Along with talking cricket Maestro, they set off on an adventure to rescue the immortal Prester John, in hopes of learning more about Pinocchio and his strange new life. Along the way, they meet up with Abatonian Princess Lazuli, who is on a quest for the same immortal. Lazuli is a brave, impetuous girl, and she may be more trouble than she is worth, as Geppetto soon finds. Pinocchio's growth is sometimes uncomfortable, sometimes heartwarming, and bound to entrance readers. Fairy-tale retellings are saturating the market, and while this original attempt tackles a tale that rarely gets its due, it might languish on a smaller collection's shelves.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2017
Pinocchio was a mindless wooden "automa," but ever since a mysterious prisoner fiddled with his gears, he's started transforming into a human boy. He joins Princess Lazuli, a fairy, on a quest across the Venetian Empire, into the air, and beneath the sea. The plot rockets along in this steampunk alternate-history retelling, entrancingly packed with Italian Renaissance details and alchemical magic.

(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)