The Little Toymaker

by Cat Min

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).

Type: Picture Book
Pages: 48
Format: Hardcover
Publication: November 15, 2022
ISBN: 978-164614-180-7

pRAISE

“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’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 Reviews

“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

About Cat Min

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.