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The Toymakers
The Three Toymakers
A modern folk tale of good and evil toymakers of the Black Forest and how they prepare for a competition at the king's palace, striving to create the perfect toy and win the king's prize of a thousand gold pieces.
This engrossing tale includes a wicked talking doll and an adventure over the snowy mountains.
This engrossing tale includes a wicked talking doll and an adventure over the snowy mountains.
- GenresChildrens
156 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 1971
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 23, 2016
An overly long fairy tale. I wanted to love the fable of the wonderful doll who, in behaving badly, did good, but I just couldn't. As a child I would have, absolutely. But now I wanted it to be either richer or more concise and couldn't quite appreciate it for what it was.
It almost got interesting near the beginning, when we learn about the wickedly self-centered toymaker Malkin, and the appeal his 'naughty' toys have for children. "Can't I have just one bad doll, Mother? All mine are so terribly good!" But, though the author does include a mischievous child, he learns to be good. There's no nuance here.
It almost got interesting near the beginning, when we learn about the wickedly self-centered toymaker Malkin, and the appeal his 'naughty' toys have for children. "Can't I have just one bad doll, Mother? All mine are so terribly good!" But, though the author does include a mischievous child, he learns to be good. There's no nuance here.
May 6, 2014
In the Black Forest village of Drussl lives Peter Toymaker, who is asked by an orphan boy named Rudi to become his apprentice. Rudi brings his crippled sister Elsa, a seamstress, and five brothers Martin, Victor, Maurice, Hans, and Anders, to live with him in Drussl. Several years pass. Rudi becomes a toymaker and falls in love with a girl named Margaret. Martin and Victor become soldiers. Maurice becomes a blacksmith’s apprentice in a neighboring community. Hans becomes a law student. And little Anders seems to get into a lot of trouble. The King announces a contest for all toymakers in the kingdom with the prize of a thousand gold pieces. Old Peter makes a wonderful doll house, and Rudi is carving a marvelous music box. Rudi hopes to win it so that he can marry Margaret.
However, an evil toymaker named Malkin in the nearby village of Pils has created a life-like, talking, walking doll named Marta to enter in the contest. To keep Rudi and Peter from winning, he concocts a potion that will draw wolves to attack and kill them on their journey, and he secretly puts it in Rudi’s coat when he comes to buy clothes from Elsa for Marta. Will Rudi and Peter make it safely to the contest? What will happen to their toys? And who will win the prize? The Three Toymakers is a modern, almost fable-like, folk tale of good and evil that includes an adventure over some snowy mountains. There are a couple of references to drinking wine, but the book has a wonderfully written plot, full of twists and turns, with a sympathetic cast of characters. One of author Ursula Moray Williams’s best-known books is The Toymaker’s Daughter, and this is said to be a “prequel.”
Ursula Moray Williams (1911 – 2006) was an English children's author of nearly seventy books for young people. Her classic stories often involved brave creatures who overcome trials and cruelty in the outside world before finding a loving home. She was greatly admired for her many acts of kindness and an instinctive Christian faith. I am a little confused about the dating of the books. One source said that The Three Toymakers was written after The Toymaker’s Daughter but tells the story of the adults in the first book. However, another source talks about the trilogy that began with The Three Toymakers and ends with The Toymaker's Daughter, giving a date of 1946 for The Three Toymakers (though my copy gives a 1970 copyright date for the book), 1948 for Malkin's Mountain, the middle book of the trilogy, and 1968 for The Toymaker's Daughter. But it also mentions a 1935 book Anders and Marta. The confusion may be due to different publishing dates and titles in England and the United States. Regardless of all that, I enjoyed reading The Three Toymakers.
However, an evil toymaker named Malkin in the nearby village of Pils has created a life-like, talking, walking doll named Marta to enter in the contest. To keep Rudi and Peter from winning, he concocts a potion that will draw wolves to attack and kill them on their journey, and he secretly puts it in Rudi’s coat when he comes to buy clothes from Elsa for Marta. Will Rudi and Peter make it safely to the contest? What will happen to their toys? And who will win the prize? The Three Toymakers is a modern, almost fable-like, folk tale of good and evil that includes an adventure over some snowy mountains. There are a couple of references to drinking wine, but the book has a wonderfully written plot, full of twists and turns, with a sympathetic cast of characters. One of author Ursula Moray Williams’s best-known books is The Toymaker’s Daughter, and this is said to be a “prequel.”
Ursula Moray Williams (1911 – 2006) was an English children's author of nearly seventy books for young people. Her classic stories often involved brave creatures who overcome trials and cruelty in the outside world before finding a loving home. She was greatly admired for her many acts of kindness and an instinctive Christian faith. I am a little confused about the dating of the books. One source said that The Three Toymakers was written after The Toymaker’s Daughter but tells the story of the adults in the first book. However, another source talks about the trilogy that began with The Three Toymakers and ends with The Toymaker's Daughter, giving a date of 1946 for The Three Toymakers (though my copy gives a 1970 copyright date for the book), 1948 for Malkin's Mountain, the middle book of the trilogy, and 1968 for The Toymaker's Daughter. But it also mentions a 1935 book Anders and Marta. The confusion may be due to different publishing dates and titles in England and the United States. Regardless of all that, I enjoyed reading The Three Toymakers.
February 15, 2013
This is a super-easy read; it's a children's book. It brings back so many memories because it is one of my favorite childhood books, and one of my mother's as well.
It takes place in the village of Drussl when Old Peter Toymaker takes in a young apprentice named Rudy. Years later, the king holds a contest for the best toymaker in the kingdom. Peter and Rudy, who is no longer an apprentice, enter in hopes of winning. But Malkin, the corrupted toymaker of Pils, is in the running as well.....
It takes place in the village of Drussl when Old Peter Toymaker takes in a young apprentice named Rudy. Years later, the king holds a contest for the best toymaker in the kingdom. Peter and Rudy, who is no longer an apprentice, enter in hopes of winning. But Malkin, the corrupted toymaker of Pils, is in the running as well.....
June 28, 2018
Oh this was just the most delightful read ever! This has all the innocence and beauty of the traditional childrens' tale complete with a good dose of terror and darkness well beyond the bounds of more modern childrens books. This is perfect to curl up with, young or old, as you follow the exploits of Rudi, Anders and Black Martha.
April 1, 2024
156 pages
An interesting story about a contest to make the best toy, but the story also had some strange parts, such as a doll that was very human-like and demanding. The deceitful toymaker who created the doll also made weird toys that could play nasty pranks. Further, he tried to kill his competitors by creating and planting a black pill on the coat of another toymaker that would draw wolves out to devour the young toymaker. That same conniving toymaker didn't even try to save his own doll who pleaded for him to help her. After someone else saved her, the toymaker lied and reclaimed the doll for himself.
In the end, justice prevailed, but overall, I didn't care for this story.
An interesting story about a contest to make the best toy, but the story also had some strange parts, such as a doll that was very human-like and demanding. The deceitful toymaker who created the doll also made weird toys that could play nasty pranks. Further, he tried to kill his competitors by creating and planting a black pill on the coat of another toymaker that would draw wolves out to devour the young toymaker. That same conniving toymaker didn't even try to save his own doll who pleaded for him to help her. After someone else saved her, the toymaker lied and reclaimed the doll for himself.
In the end, justice prevailed, but overall, I didn't care for this story.
October 4, 2018
The illustrations and old-fashioned, charming writing awakens the child in me, which doesn't take too much as it is almost always surfaced. The book is a quick read, sometimes scary and always magical. Honesty, good sportmanship, and strong family bonds are present within the plot and characters. I think this would make for a good read aloud.
December 23, 2017
Ok so some found this book to be a little on the dark side and yes I would agree with that to some extent but overall still loved this story!!!!
April 27, 2018
It was really cute. I loved the characters. It is everything I expect a fairytale to be.
February 11, 2019
Sweet, but a little creepy at times. One of my selections from the "Weekly Reader Book Club".
March 26, 2024
This was a random find at an antique mall. I loved it!
January 1, 2026
Nice little story!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews