The Hotel Balzaar

Kate DiCamillo

Hardcover

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2024 The New York Times Best Seller

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In a wise and magical follow-up to The Puppets of Spelhorst, Kate DiCamillo revisits the land of Norendy, where tales swirl within tales--and 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 Marta to roam as she will but quietly, invisibly--like a little 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 the while dreaming of the return of her soldier father, who has gone missing. One day, a mysterious countess with a parrot checks in, promising a story--in fact, seven stories in all, each to be told in its proper order. As the stories unfold, Marta begins to wonder: could the secret to her father's disappearance lie in the countess's tales? Book two in a trio of novellas bound by place and mood--with elegant line art by Júlia Sardà--The Hotel Balzaar masterfully juggles yearning and belief, shining light into every dark corner.

Book Details

Publisher: Candlewick Press (MA)
Publish Date: Oct 1st, 2024
Pages: 160
Language: English
Edition: undefined - undefined
Dimensions: 8.00in - 5.50in - 0.55in - 0.72lb
EAN: 9781536223316
Recommended age: 07-10
Categories: • Family - Parents• Fantasy - General• War & Military

About the Author

Kate DiCamillo is one of America's most beloved storytellers. She is a former National Ambassador for Young People's Literature and a two-time Newbery Medalist. Born in Philadelphia, she grew up in Florida and now lives in Minneapolis.

Júlia Sardà is the illustrator of many books for young readers, including The Queen in the Cave, which she also wrote, and Moving the Millers' Minnie Moore Mine Mansion: A True Story by Dave Eggers. She lives in Barcelona.

Praise for this book

In this follow-up to The Puppets of Spelhorst, DiCamillo showcases the capacity for storytelling to soothe and inspire hope in a pithy, nuanced tale peppered with gentle humor and enduring grace. Striking illustrations by Sardà recall woodcutting and elegant art deco line art.
--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Generous, rich, and inviting.
--The Horn Book

A delightful, thoughtful escape to a magical world.
--Kirkus Reviews

This second entry in DiCamillo's 'Norendly Tales' trilogy features charming black-and-white drawings from Sardà that bring the magic to life. Tied to the first volume with shared themes of love and loss, hope and despair, and darkness and light, this original fairy tale tells its own unique story, ultimately leaving readers with a hopeful message. . . . Enthusiastically recommended.
--School Library Journal

Kate DiCamillo is one of our best storytellers. . . . Norendy is an almost mythical, but quite real setting (somewhere near Ruritania, I imagine). It's tinged by magic and stories are just better there. Last year brought an instant classic with The Puppets Of Spelhorst. Now DiCamillo has done it again with The Hotel Balzaar, a charming tale about a little girl in a big hotel, a talking parrot, a sad mother, a missing father (the war, you know, will do that at times, misplace people), a wealthy countess, a kind bellman and the stories they tell. It's a delight.
--Parade Magazine

A slim and elegant book in which stories both enthrall and exasperate a young girl. . . Júlia Sardà's line drawings have a cool, amused Art Deco feel, adding visual charm to this wise and gentle second volume of Ms. DiCamillo's "Norendy Tales" series for readers ages 7-10.
--Wall Street Journal

In this magical companion to The Puppets of Spelhorst, two-time Newbery Medalist revisits the land of Norendy in an original fairytale about a lonely girl and a mysterious countess.
--Pioneer Press

Even longtime fans will be unprepared for the magic, mystery and lyricism of The Hotel Balzaar.
--Montreal Gazette

DiCamillo manages a tender concept while avoiding twee sentimentality, instead capturing the power of stories to not only reflect reality but also shape it.
--The Bulletin

DiCamillo's writing is lyrical, as usual, and equal credit has to go to Sarda's exquisite, detailed illustrations of the hotel lobby, the furniture and the Countess' deco robes and huge hats that capture vibes of the 1920s.
--Pioneer Press

Kate DiCamillo weaves a story within a story about hope alive, even amid despair. . . A delightful book featuring Júlia Sardà's line art illustrations.
--WORLD Magazine

DiCamillo's spare story and Júlia Sardà's black-and-white drawings conjure the atmosphere of a fairy tale and the yearning of a family divided by war.
--Christian Science Monitor