The Goldsmith and the Master Thief

The first English translation of a classic adventure involving two very different twins by the celebrated author of The Letter for the King

Laurenzo and Jiacomo are identical twins, as alike as two drops of water. No one can tell them apart (which comes in very handy for playing tricks on their teachers). And no one can split them up.

But when tragedy strikes their carefree young lives, they must make their own way in the world. As each brother chooses his own path - hardworking Laurenzo to make beautiful objects from gold and silver, and fearless Jiacomo to travel, explore and become an unlikely thief - it is the start of a series of incredible escapades that will test them to their limits.

Along the way they will face terrible danger, solve cunning riddles, become prisoners in a castle, sail across the ocean, fall in and out of love, stay at an enchanted inn, help save a priceless pearl, even become kings by mistake. They must use all their talents, wiles and wisdom to survive.

Are you ready to join them?

'Wonderful... such a joy' Wall Street Journal

'Like a fairy tale up dream of but have never found' New Statesman

Laurenzo and Jiacomo are identical twins, as alike as two drops of water. No one can tell them apart, and no one can split them up. But when tragedy strikes, they must make their own way in the world.

Each brother chooses his own path - hardworking Laurenzo learns to make priceless golden treasures, and fearless Jiacomo decides to travel and becomes an unlikely thief. So begins an incredible adventure that will test them to their limits. The twins will face terrible danger, be imprisoned in a castle, sail across the ocean, fall in and out of love, and even becomes kings by mistake.

They must use all their talent and wit to survive. Are you ready to join them?

Part of the new Pushkin Children's Classics series of thrilling, magical and inspiring stories from around the world, which young readers will return to time and again.

Translated by Laura Watkinson.

Tonke Dragt was born in Jakarta in 1930 and spent most of her childhood in Indonesia. Her family moved to the Netherlands after the war and, after studying at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague, Dragt became an art teacher. She published her first book in 1961, followed a year later by The Letter for the King, which won the Children's Book of the Year award and has been translated into sixteen languages. Dragt was awarded the State Prize for Youth Literature in 1976 and was knighted in 2001. She died in 2024.

Laura Watkinson is a full-time translator from Dutch, Italian and German. She has translated many titles for Pushkin Children's Books, including Jan Terlouw's Winter in Wartime, Tonke Dragt's The Letter for the King and Annet Schaap's Lampie. She lives in Amsterdam.

• | Author: Tonke Dragt, Laura Watkinson
• | Publisher: Pushkin Press
• | Publication Date: Dec 04, 2025
• | Number of Pages:
• | Language: eng
• | Binding: Paperback / softback
• | ISBN-13: 9781782695059
• | ISBN-10: 1782695052