“A tender, transformative novel for all who sometimes feel they don’t fit in. A terrific story.”
— Naomi Shihab Nye, Young People’s Poet Laureate of the United States (2021) and author of The Turtle of Oman.
Junior and his family live in a junkyard, where his father creates pieces of art from the junk surrounding them. When Junior’s father falls ill and dies, Junior and his mother are left with few resources, other than what his mother brings in from her job as a waitress. The junkyard is threatened by encroaching development, and just when Junior thinks all is lost, he finds that a tin man, gifted to him by his father, begins to speak to him. The junkman provides advice in the form of enigmas. Are they clues? Or is it nonsense? Junior and his best friend, Isaac, embark on a journey to find out. Can a man made of junk parts teach Junior about art and friendship and overcoming the loss of a loved one? Only if Junior believes it can.