Picture Book Monday: "The Girl in the Castle inside the Museum" by Kate Bernheimer and Nicoletta Ceccoli

I’m very excited about this week’s book. I couldn’t wait to put my hands on it since the day I saw the cover on the internet and immediately order a copy. And it took ages to come in! Now, finally I have it and I have to say I’m not the slightest disappointed. On the contrary, I’m stunned but the beauty of it. I wish I had a poster of every single page of it so I could decorate my room with them.
If you love Nicoletta Ceccoli’s art, of just simply beautiful, dream-like illustrations, this book will leave you breathless.

The story is about a little girl, who lives in a castle inside a glass globe, in a toy museum. People says she has lived inside the castle forever, and children visiting the museum try hard to take a peek of her. What they don’t know is that she feels very lonely when they go home, and she is left in the castle with no one to play with. So, at night, she dreams of boys and girls who come to visit her, and keep her happy. Sometimes the girl in the castle even dreams about you. But there’s something you can do to help her. You can place a picture of you on her wall, so that she won’t miss you at all!



The magic of these illustrations is extraordinary. You can find it in the faces of the children, like porcelain dolls, so ethereal and yet so palpable. In the little girl’s hair, which looks like golden candy floss. In the choice of dresses, accessories, decorations. They belong in the world of dreams and fairy tales.
The toys and the little creatures that live in the castle have a surreal quality, that could be creepy but it’s not: a wind-up flying dice-doll, a button-eyed cuckoo clock, a winged doll hanging from the ceiling. They are all part of this incredibly imaginative dimension. It’s made of colourful buttons, stars, skittles, toy windmills, balls and spinning tops, and so much more.
I love the pins on the girls’ hair. I love the warm colours, the children’s dresses, and the fact that there’s buttons everywhere.
I could talk about this for ever, but I will never be able to convey what you need to see with your own eyes.
I really hope this will get all the recognitions it deserves.

Carl at Stainless Steel Droppings payed a tribute to Nicoletta Ceccoli in one of his Friday favourite posts. If you haven't seen it yet, go and take a look! You'll know what I mean.

other blog reviews:
Jill at the well-read child
Jen Robinson's Book Page
BookBuds
Strollerderby
Cheryl Rainfield