When the gentle woodcarver Geppetto builds a marionette, Pinocchio, to be his son, a fairy brings the toy to life. But Pinocchio is not yet a human boy. He must earn the right by proving that he is brave, truthful, and unselfish. But even with the help of Jiminy, a cricket who the fairy assigns to be his conscience, Pinocchio goes astray. He joins a puppet show instead of going to school, he lies instead of telling the truth, and he travels to Pleasure Island instead of going straight home. An astonishing work of fantasy, this beloved classic was first published in 1883 and was brought to life by Walt Disney in 1940.