A king adopts a family of orphans who try to impress him with gifts and their talents, but it is the one willing to spend time with him who wins his approval.
When several Wemmicks try to outdo each other to come up with the best gift for Eli the woodcarver on Maker-Day, Punchinello's simple song saves the celebration.
When Punchinello tries to prove his worth by getting more boxes and balls than the other Wemmicks, he learns that his maker, Eli, loves him because of who he is and not what he possesses.
Punchinello learns that it can be difficult, foolish, and even dangerous to try to keep up with the latest fads and that Eli, his maker, gave each Wemmick different characteristics on purpose.
Punchinello, a wooden Wemmick, goes through life believing what people say about him--that he is not special or good enough--until he meets his maker and learns that he is loved despite any flaws.
In a village where everyone has been carved from wood, an uppity Miss Bess Stovall claims her maple "ancestree" is superior until the day a shunned willow fellow saves her life.
A lamb who has always felt different and sad because of his black spots and his limp, feels his true worth when he is called upon to help keep the baby Jesus warm.
