With Father in Australia and Mother in Ireland, Clarrie and her younger brother Will live with Uncle Len – a ventriloquist on the music-hall stage with his puppet, Frozen Billy. But although Len loves his act (almost as much as he loves his beer), Top Billing (and Top Money) are out of his grasp until Will comes up with an idea to help with the patter.

It’s a grand idea, hatched in hope and excitement, but it soon begins to turn terribly sour. For the more applause there is at the theatre, the more the life begins to drain out of Will, almost as if Frozen Billy is becoming the real boy and Will himself is turning into a wooden puppet. Can Clarrie save her brother and find a way to bring her family back together again?

A beautifully observed tale of a young girl who needs all her determination and courage to realize her dreams.