Description

In a wise and magical follow-up to the critically acclaimed The Puppets of Spelhorst, Kate DiCamillo revisits the land of Norendy, where tales swirl within tales – and where every moment is a story in the making.

At the Hotel Balzaar, Marta’s mother rises before the sun, puts on her uniform and instructs her to roam as she will … but quietly – invisibly – like a mouse. While her mother cleans rooms, Marta slips down the back staircase to the grand lobby to chat with the bellman, study the painting of an angel’s wing over the fireplace, and watch a cat chase a mouse around the face of the grandfather clock, all while dreaming of the return of her soldier father. One day, a mysterious countess with a parrot checks in, promising a story – in fact, seven stories in all. As the stories unfold, Marta begins to wonder: could the secret to her father’s disappearance lie in the countess’s tales?

Publisher Review

Featured, The Bookseller November Children’s Previews * The Bookseller * One thing is always certain. A book by Kate DiCamillo will always be captivating…Kate has once again crafted a story that will draw children in, and provide them with much to consider and reflect upon about longing, hope and belief. It goes without saying this is a 5 rating for another splendid fable. * Just So Stories *