Spoiler-free summary: Two little girls take a short residence in the Hotel of the Golden Basket in Bruges along with their father. They get into some small adventures with the other residents of the hotel, but ultimately, this is not a book with much of a plot. Still, it is a charming read filled with cute moments.
Discussion: What an interesting little book. I knew the author from the Madeline books, which I didn’t read as a kid myself, but I have now that I have my own kids. This came out before that series, and actually has a very clear predecessor to it – one chapter has Madeleine and her twelve schoolmates who walk in two straight lines. As can be seen from the cover, the art style is very similar.
Like I said in the summary, there’s not really a plot here. Things happen in each chapter, but they don’t link into a full narrative. Which I think is fine — this is a book all about little details and setting a particular mood. Some of the chapters, like when Monsieur Carnewal shows the kids what’s in his pockets, gave off almost a Wes Anderson vibe. It’s also the perfect length for this sort of book. It looks like this one is out of print – I did buy a copy, and it was a bit more expensive than most – which is a shame. Get it from a library, it’s worth reading.
I’m excited for the next one on my list: The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin.
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