This cycle of piano pieces occupies an exceptional position among the other compositions from Bohuslav Martinu's early period. In view of the musical and aesthetic challenges this work presents, the cycle Puppets goes beyond the other pieces from this period which, broadly speaking, are didactic in nature and designed for the purposes of study. Martinu wrote the cycle between the years 1912-1925 and, during this time, he reworked and changed the pieces to the extent that Puppets I chronologically comes after Puppets III, which is the earliest in the series. The third book (Puppets I) dates from 1925 and contains five short pieces: Columbine Dances, The New Puppet, The Shy Doll, Fairy Tale and, finally, The Puppets' Dance. Puppets I-III are a joy to play, while providing a worthwhile source of study material, and are an essential part of the repertoire of young pianists. All three books are published by Editio Bärenreiter in new, revised Urtext editions edited by Ales Brezina.