The Girl in the Castle Inside the Museum

Kate Bernheimer has written novels for adults, and is the editor of the literary journal Fairy Tale Review. She is an assistant professor of creative writing in the MFA program at the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa. She lives in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, with her husband and daughter.

Nicoletta Cecolli is the illustrator of many acclaimed picture books published around the world, including The Barefoot Book of Fairy Tales, retold by Malachy Doyle. She lives in San Marino, Italy.
From the Hardcover edition.

The title may be rather unwieldy but it’s certainly accurate. Inside a large snow globe, inside a toy museum, is a castle, and  children who press their faces against the glass can spot a tiny girl in the tower. The castle is lovely, and the girl has her own toys inside, but she’s lonely when the children leave. Her dreams take her to visit a boy in the deep woods or in search of a friend waiting to play: Sometimes she even dreams about you. The story, which on its own seems thin and even odd, is elevated by the breathtaking illustrations executed in acrylic, featuring clay models that give the artwork depth and weight. Digital nhancements provide the pictures with an airbrushed smoothness that is expecially effective in the close-ups of the children, and the use of unusual perspectives adds to the feelings of mystery and longing in the book. Enticed by the art to enter this dreamy world, children will contemplate the nature of reality evoked by the girl’s life. Preschool-Grade 1. --Ilene Cooper