Do you know about Steampunk? Steampunk is an elaborate arts and crafts movement creating art based on the never world of Victorian times powered by steam but with our technology. It typically incorporates elements like gears and clockwork, tophats and waist coats, goggles and gas masks, and locomotives and airships. Some authors whose writings are associated with Steampunk are Mary Shelley, Jules Verne and Lemony Snicket with his Series of Unfortunate Events series.

Steampunk Softies: Scientifically-Minded Dolls from a Past That Never Was from authors Sarah Skeate and Nicola Tedman, and published by Andrews McMeel, presents plushies that tap into the steampunk zeitgeist. Steampunk Softieshas pages which look “aged” and the plushies are set up in interesting settings that assist in providing the reader with the appropriate feel for each one. The authors give you the know-how to craft your very own little characters, each with a fascinating story of their very own. There are helpful tips on assembling, along with advice on how to do things like age the fabric to give the authentic steampunk look.

Every softie has complete instructions with an illustration for each step. Steampunk Softies starts with the simplest softies and moves towards the more complex and detailed ones. My children were quite taken with Minerva Dupine whose magnifying glass monacle is the perfect accessory for her profession as a detective. It helps her to find stolen items, from “husbands to jewelry”. Geronimo Bore boasts a drill arm that he uses to “prospect” all kinds of rocks and metals. Fathomless Tilt wears an “oversized diver’s helmet” from which his sweet little face peers out of. There are eight interesting characters altogether in Steampunk Softies: Scientifically-Minded Dolls from a Past That Never Was, a delightful book for fans of the movement, as well as people who love to make soft toys!