In Neralia, a dreamlike city built on water, people walked on stilts. The houses were supported on stilts and the streets were rivers... Leopoldo had the tallest stilts, made of red poplar wood. He walked near the rooftops, lost in his thoughts, reaching up to the clouds, and occasionally spoke with the jay. Only when he felt lonely did he bow his head and look at the city at his feet. The people needed his help for the Great Winter Festival...

A touching story about courage and the importance of following one's own path. Eric Puybaret's The Red Stilts is more relevant than ever and an important addition to world children's literature.