In the city of Bainu in the country of Babina, identical twin boys were born to a poor cobbler and his wife. In twelve interconnected medieval tales, Laurenzo and Jiacomo's travels and travails are delightfully penned, appealing especially to the 8-12 year old set.

Inseparable as young boys, penniless after their parent's death, each boy must embrace a trade. How to choose? Traveling together, they approach a fork in the road. Lorenzo wants to work with his hands, to make something out of silver or gold. Perfect! By having taken the right fork in the road, he meets Master Philippo, the most famous goldsmith in Bainu. This chance encounter will result in an apprenticeship as a goldsmith. Laurenzo has a good eye, a quiet demeanor and is methodical. The left fork will lead Jiacomo to Jannos, a hunter of valuable game. "My trade is for skillful, intelligent resourceful people...come with me and I'll teach you my trade...You could become a decent robber and an excellent thief." Jiacomo had hoped to travel the world in search of awesome adventures. Jannos's words were certainly enticing. Was thievery Jiacomo's calling?

Despite their distinct personalities and different mind sets, Laurenzo and Jiacomo were always there for each other. There were challenges and many escapades including opportunities to seemingly be in two places at the same time. They would become prisoners in a castle, solve complex riddles, and impersonate a knight to get the girl.

"The Goldsmith and the Master Thief" by Tonke Dragt is a lovely read, a throwback to simpler times, with tales of brotherly love, loyalty and devotion. Each tale might be read as a bedtime story, used for classroom listening, or read as a complete novel. Tonke Dragt's wonderful tome is a joy to behold.

Thank you Pushkin Children's Books and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

The Goldsmith and the Master Thief is a beautifully woven, adventurous story that pulls you in from the start.
Jiacomo and Laurenzo are identical twins but are completely different personality wise from each other.
This book has twelve stories full of adventure from start to finish.
Each story was so picturesquely worded and set, that I felt like I was there as I read along.
If your looking for a story full of adventure and escapism this is definitely a book you need to check out.

My thanks to Pushkin Press and NetGalley for a review copy of this one.

A few years ago, I chanced upon the Dutch film version of The Letter for the King by children’s author, Tonke Dragt (with subtitles) and soon after found the English translation of the book on NetGalley, both of which I ended up enjoying very much. So of course when I spotted this, another Dragt title in translation on NetGalley I had to jump at the chance.

The Goldsmith and the Master Thief is Dragt’s first novel published originally in 1961. The translation is by Laura Watkinson, who also translated The Letter for the King.

This is the story of twins Lorenzo and Jiacomo, born to a cobbler and his wife in the city of Bainu, the capital of the country of Babina. The boys are identical as two drops of water but their personalities are completely different. In interesting circumstances surrounding their birth, they each grow up with a pigeon, a cat, and a dog—though it is mostly the dogs that accompany them on their adventures. Laurenzo and Jiacomo have a happy childhood playing about and when the time comes to start school, have a bit of fun tricking the monks there. But then tragedy strikes as they lose their parents, and they must make their own way in the world. Their ties with each other being strong, they do not wish to part but are soon made to realise that they will have to in order to find work that suits each. They separate promising to meet again in a year. Lorenzo goes on to meet and train with Master Philippo, a famous goldsmith, for he always wished to make something. But, Jiacomo can’t really make up his mind what he wants to be. He runs into Jannos who turns out to be a thief and trains Jiacomo in his trade. Jiacomo goes on to be very good indeed but he certainly does not want to be a thief. But agreeing to take up one task for his master, he sets off. He accomplishes his task using his intelligence and skill but still ends up in a fair bit of trouble, from which only Laurenzo can rescue him. Thus begin a series of adventures, which take the brothers to different places and involve them in little mysteries and troubles, some putting them in danger and others simply requiring them to pit their wits against others.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one (in fact I was wishing I had read this as I child because I know I would have found it a great deal of fun back then as well). Set in a fantasy kingdom (though with no magic or magical elements as such), the twins have a range of adventures from school-pranks to theft, solving riddles to the mystery of a haunted inn, involving themselves in politics to falling in love. And their adventures don’t just keep them in Bainu/Babina, they travel for work (Laurenzo receives various commissions) and for fun, by land and by sea. While each story is complete in itself, the collection ties together well as a book too.

What I enjoyed most about the stories was how the fact that Laurenzo and Jaicomo are twins plays a role in each of them—whether it is to rescue each other from a tight corner, or teach two warring factions a lesson or catch a ‘ghost’—it is their identical appearance that helps them and ends up baffling more than one opponent.

I loved the brothers (both very likeable—even Jiacomo who seems to spend much of his time doing nothing in contrast to the hard-working Lorenzo) and their relationship; as twins, they are expectedly tied deeply to each other and are always there to support and help the other. Sometimes, by circumstance, at others more actively looking for the other when they are apart, they are always there for the other. There is a brief falling out however, but not an unexpected one, and it is resolved fairly soon.

This was a fun and entertaining read, which I enjoyed very very much.

I had such a great time reading this book! It was my first time reading Tonke Dragt's work, as well as my first time reading a dutch book. The story of the two brothers is so well written. It was easy to visualize the scenery and to engage in the twins' adventures. I love the places they visited and the lessons they learn through their journey, and more so the impact they have in other people's lives. No one is left the same after their paths crossed Jiacomo and Laurenzo.
Even though one can tell it was a book created in different times, it's an amazing tale and I wish it was more popular worldwide. I'd be very please to see it translated to Portuguese as well.

The arc was provided by NetGalley.

Twins Jiacomo and Laurenzo want to work together, but everywhere they ask, only one position is open, so they decide to each go a different path and meet again in a year.

This reads like a fairy tale. It's starts off with their parents being visited by a pair of dogs, a pair of kittens and a pair of pidgeons shortly before their child is due to be born, and then - surprise! - instead of one child, twins are born.

You could read each chapter as it's own, there are only minor details that are relevant for the future story. I think this would be perfect as a good night story, one chapter each day.

I liked this, the only problem I had was that it's quite repetitve with the plans the twins come up with. It's not meant to be read mostly in one sitting, which I had planned to do. But that is my fault, and my planning, not this book.

Regarding the content matter: This is set in a world that feels Italian, with the names and all, but this is <i>not</i> fantasy. There is no magic in this, apart from the story telling.

The arc was provided by the publisher.

I love the characters in this story! They are now a part of my life, and I want to read more! And it reminded me how I miss and need fairy tales in my life! I'll definitely read more from Dragt. Excellent book!

Twins Jiacomo and Laurenzo are identical in everything except in their choice of profession: one becomes an accomplished goldsmith, the other a trained but reluctant master thief. Their adventures are recounted in a series of a traditional style folk tales, all with a message typical of the genre. Stories of mistaken identity, romantic rivalry and devious rulers are all underpinned by themes of loyalty, familial love and the ultimate triumph of goodness and honesty over wickedness and deceit. Thoroughly enjoyable, and, as a series of separate but linked stories, easy to dip into for bedtime reading.

A wonderful set of traditional tales following the adventures of identical twins, Laurenzo and Jiacomo. The stories follow their lives as the twins seek to find purpose, love and adventure. Starting in childhood, it plots the boys' course from school into the world of work, and addressing their need to act together. The boys travel to faraway lands, meet powerful people and build a bond strong enough to withstand the greatest pressure. Throughout, their friendship remains and holds them strong to their principles and beliefs.
This book would be ideal for exploring issues of fairness, justice and morality in a PSHE session, for example, as well as acting as an excellent basis for a sequence of English lessons.