The Three Toymakers

This book is a prequel to Williams' The Toymaker's Daughter. It was written afterward, but it tells the story of the adults in the first book. In the first book, a creation of the evil toymaker Malkin was carried over the mountains by eagles to the Anders family's home. Marta's secret was that that she was not a real gril, but a doll -- and her challenge was to rid herself of the evil ways she learned from her maker and grow the heart of a real little girl. In this story, we learn that the Anders patriarch was once a toymaker himself, and once upon a time he and Malkin were rivals in a royal toymaking contest. The story follows the journey the toymakers take through the woods, which involves avoiding the traps set for them by the insidious Malkin. The results of the contest make for a predictable ending, but the journey is fun to read about. All in all, it's not as good as "The Toymaker's Daughter," but it's well worth reading for those who know and love the original story and want to learn more about the characters.

My five year old son and I were spell bound from beginning to end of this wonderfully written story. The plot harkens back to a simpler time but is full of amazing twists and turns and a cast of well drawn and varied characters. If you believe that "they don't make 'em like they used to, utilize the out of print book find service and grab this one