48. The Three Golden Keys by Peter Sis

 

I loved learning the old stories of Prague. I dream of going there some day soon!

From James Mustich:

In this book’s fairy-tale narrative, a young man’s hot-air balloon is blown off course and lands him in an ancient town, which he recognizes as Prague, the city of his youth. He makes his way to his old home, but the house is dark, the door secured with three rusty padlocks. A black cat appears to lead him through silent streets in search of the keys that will unlock the gate to his lost childhood. Sís’s images, crowded with detail and decoration, create an exhilarating cityscape that spreads like a map over the large pages. They are washed with colors both muted and luscious, colors that coat the illustrations with the mystic, tentative, tantalizing affections of remembrance. One falls into his marvelous memory palace like a thought tumbling into sleep—and dreams. Disguised as a children’s book in format and style, The Three Golden Keys will nourish the imagination of any reader. It is a gift, humble and noble, and a loving legacy, which illustrates that the child is not only father to the man, but muse as well.

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