The Hotel Balzaar

Gr 2-5–A return to Norendy in this enchanting follow-up to The Puppets of Spelhorst. At the Hotel Balzaar, every day is the same for Marta. While her mother works as a cleaner, Marta quietly and invisibly explores. She enjoys chatting with the bellman, watching the cat and mouse run in circles on the grandfather clock, and daydreaming in front of the painting over the fireplace featuring a single angel’s wing. Her explorations just barely take her mind off of her father, a soldier who’s been missing for over a year. One day, a glamorous and mysterious countess checks into the hotel with her parrot, and Marta’s days find new excitement. The countess has stories to share, but these often leave Marta with more questions than answers. She begins to wonder: is the mystery of her father hidden within these tales? Will she ever see him again? Marta must simply listen patiently to find out. 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 that “there must be more light.”