Original Fairy Tales that Beg to Be Read Aloud

Titles: The Puppets of Spehorst and Hotel Balzaar

Author: Kate DiCamillo

 

Kate DiCamillo occupies a special place in our hearts for a host of reasons, not the least of which is that she calls Minnesota home. With both Newbery Medal and National Book Award honors, DiCamillo is a master at crafting prose both simple and profound, challenging young readers with stories that invite them to embrace the darkness while following it through to a better place. 

 

To celebrate the publication of her newest work, Hotel Balzaar, we chose it as our monthly selection along with the first book in this series, The Puppets of Spelhorst. On the slim chance she'd be available to join us, we dispatched Margy Ligon, our charge d'affaires, to make the invitation. (Oxford Languages defines charge d'affaires as "a state's diplomatic representative in a minor country.) She was kind enough to answer us, but the answer was no. Our country is way too minor.

DeCamillo's kind refusal.

The Puppets of Spelhorst is an original fairy tale that tells the story of five puppets, shut up in an old sea captain's trunk, where they bicker and brag and keep each other company in the dark, imagining a future in which they will all play an important role. Their day comes when they find themselves on the mantel in the home of two little girls. The black and white illustrations by Julie Morstad add dimension and magic to these pages that demand to be real aloud.

 

While Hotel Balzaar is marketed as the second work in a trilogy, it bears little connection to the first other than in mood and place. There are no shared characters or story elements. 

 

In the Hotel Balzaar, Marta's mother arises every day, puts on her maid's uniform, and tells Marta she's free to wander around the hotel, but must be quiet and invisible. She spends her days chatting with a dozing bellman, watching a cat chase a mouse around the face of the clock, and studying a painting over the fireplace. She dreams that her soldier father, who is missing, will return. Then, an elderly countess with a parrot checks in, promising seven stories, told one at a time. As she listens, Marta hopes the stories will lead to the answer of her missing father.

Insights and Opinions

+ In acknowledgement of the fact that these two parts of a purported trilogy bear little connection to each other, Margy observed that both are about the power of story. The play written by Emma in Puppets creates a starring role for each of the puppets and finally bring their world to life after endless years of yearning. The stories told to Marta by the countess in Hotel Balzaar fill her boring life with wonder and lead to her father's return.

+ We posed the question: are these two stories about choosing home and love over seeking greatness out in the world? Or are they about following your dreams? Steve believes they are about both, and Chris pointed out that the two are not mutually exclusive.

+ Our readers universally loved the puppet characters in The Puppets of Spelhorst. Each has a finely drawn personality with quirks that are equal parts endearing and annoying. The king is obsessed with doing king things, the wolf can't stop talking about her teeth, the owl dreams of flying, the boy and the girl yearn to see the world outside the box.

+ We spent some time trying to decide the appropriate age for readers of these two books. Each is too long to be a bedtime story and Liz felt both would be difficult for an anxious child unless the resolution could be reached in one sitting. We decided that both would be best for a child of 10. DiCamillo herself says she writes for children and their parents.

+ Overall, we agree these are lovely stories that hold your attention to the end, delight with engaging illustrations that support and illuminate the text, and introduce us to characters whose lives, while difficult, can teach us about the value of hope, yearning, humor, and belief.

Now, On to a Different Topic Altogether

The second half of our meeting was spent sharing our answers to the question "what are your favorite three books from our many years of book clubs?" Without preamble, here are the choices.

 

Chris: The Sentence, Let the Great World Spin, The Golum and the Jinni

 

Jocey: Bel Canto, A Gentleman in Moscow, The Night Watchman

 

Margy: The Overstory, The Hare with the Amber Eye, This Is Happiness

 

Steve: The Covenant of Water, The Overstory, The Sentence

 

Linda: The Overstory, The Covenant of Water, A Tale for the Time Being

 

Liz: The Overstory, The Covenant of Water, Matrix

 

Lois: Bel Canto, On Sal Mal Lane, The Great Circle 

 

Blanche:  Being Mortal, The Overstory, The Night Watchman (tied with The Sentence)

Our Next Book

In a departure from the usual, we will meet in December to continue our ongoing attempt to cheer ourselves up.

Title: Orbital: A Novel (Booker Prize Winner)

Author: Samantha Harvey

Date/Time: 1 pm, December 16

Location: Liz's house