The Hotel Balzaar

In March of that year, Marta and her mother arrived at Hotel Balzaar. They were given an attic room that contained a bed, a sink, and a battered chest of drawers. 

In her new "home" Marta is to be quiet as a mouse and disturb no one. But the insatiable curiosity of the young girl is stronger than her will to be silent. 

If that little snippet doesn't pique your interest, I feel sure the introduction to Norman Francis Binwithier (the sleeping bellman), or Alfonse (the exceedingly straight-edged desk clerk), or the flamboyant countess and her General-turned-parrot companion, just might. 

If those characters also fail to draw you in, well then you may be nigh hopeless.  But I'm certain no one can resist being mesmerized by Julia Sarda's exquisitely detailed illustrations, (my poor quality snapshot does not convey the full glory of her images)

The Puppets of SPELHORST

The Puppets of Spelhorst are filled with a longing they can’t name.  Each one has a unique characteristic by which they define themselves, but in the absence of purpose they can only boast of their uniqueness and downplay each other’s.  

• The Owl boasts of his real feathers.  His longing to pontificate wisely masks his truer longing to FLY.
• The King boasts of his crown.  His longing to command others masks his truer longing for MUSIC.
• The Wolf boasts of her sharp teeth.  Her longing to destroy masks her deeper longing for FREEDOM.
• The Boy boasts of his arrows.  His longing to do important deeds masks his truer longing for LOVE.

As their journey progresses, each gets a taste of The Thing they longed to do, but they end up abandoned and alone, missing one another and unsatisfied by their momentary experience.  Their true glory and the fulfillment of their deepest longing only comes when they experience The Thing in community with one another and for a greater purpose.

Kate has done it again.  She has woven a tale that captivates a child's imagination, while tapping deep into the soul of the adult reader. It is, as I've come to expect from her, both delightful and insightful.