The Girl in the Castle Inside the Museum

I gave this book to my four and a half year-old granddaughter. After we had read it a few times over a few days, her mother asked her, "Is that a good book?" Caitlin replied in her matter-of-fact way, "It is a WONDERFUL book." I agree, but I was more interested in what she thought. I now give the book regularly as a gift to other families.

This is a picture book unlike any book I've ever read. The premise is that there is a girl who lives in a castle inside a museum. The castle is encased in a glass globe, and when children come to the museum, they press their noses against the glass globe and get a glimpse of the girl in the castle. When the children leave at night, she gets lonely even though she is surrounded by beautiful things. At night she dreams of children her own size visiting her, and "sometimes the girl in the castle even dreams about you." Her solution for overcoming her loneliness is to hang a picture of you, the reader, on the wall beside her bed. The last line of the book, "Do you see her? She sees you." EEEK! I really like it because it is different, and has an ethereal, dream-like aura that takes me to another world. Nicoletta Ceccoli's soft clay model, acrylic, and digital media illustrations are absolutely gorgeous, and in fact, they are the most beautiful illustrations I've seen in a picture book yet. They, along with the story, will captivate the reader. Kate Bernheimer has hit a home run with her first children's book, and I will definitely look for more from her in future.

I ordered this book because I love the artwork of Nicoletta Ceccoli. This book does not disappoint. The illustrations are absolutely beautiful with fantastical details. The story is very imaginative. It would be a wonderful book for a child. However, this one I'm keeping for myself.

My new favorite picture book! The story is simple and sweet, thank goodness because you won't be able to tear your eyes away from the artwork long enough to really appreciate any more than that. It's a story about a legend of a girl who lives inside of a castle that is on display at a museum. I really loved that, as I am a big advocate of children patronizing museums from an early age and learning to appreciate and admire exhibits. In the end, the child can leave a part of themselves in this story. Enjoy!