The Witch in the Tower - (Three Sisters) by Júlia Sardà (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Everything is changing for Carmela. Her older sister Franca has new, mean friends, and Carmela is feeling lost and lonely. So she decides to go for a walk--to walk until she can't anymore, then walk a bit more. Her walking takes her to a strange tower, and what she finds there will transform her life forever. In this companion to The Queen in the Cave, her authorial debut, ... illustrator Jâulia Sardáa ventures into a mesmerizing world where mermaid grease washes away envy, a giant's hair helps you face bullies, a circular library holds all your secrets, and a dome of crystal prisms opens a view to the cosmos"--

Book Synopsis

"Not merely a modern classic but one for the ages. . . . Utterly spellbinding." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Gorgeous illustrations are the star of this fantastical adventure about hidden magic, growing up, and braving the unknown to find yourself.

Everything is changing for Carmela. Her older sister, Franca, has new, mean friends, and Carmela is feeling lost and lonely. So she decides to go for a walk--to walk until she can't anymore, then walk a bit more. Her walking takes her to a strange tower, and what she finds there will transform her life forever. In this companion to The Queen in the Cave, her authorial debut, renowned illustrator Júlia Sardà ventures into a mesmerizing world where mermaid grease washes away envy, a giant's hair helps you face bullies, a circular library holds all your secrets, and a dome of crystal prisms opens a view to the cosmos. Dreamlike and filled with whimsy, the artist's kaleidoscopic patterns, decorative borders, glowing colors, and layered, elaborately detailed imagery will bewitch young readers as readily as the title character does Carmela--and beckon them to return for many a visit.

Review Quotes

Sardà's intricate artwork reflects Carmela's inner journey as much as her outer one, truly letting loose as Carmela gleefully unlocks her own free-spirited magic. A wild rumpus of sorts and a love letter to the outcasts, "the lonely, the lost, and the different ones"--and that is a beautiful, empowering thing.
--Booklist (starred review)

With the second installment in her Three Sisters trilogy, Sardà has struck gold. Both narrative and aesthetic ooze style, coolly occupying the intersection between cautionary folktale and coming-of-age fantasy epic. . . . The result is singular, not merely a modern classic but one for the ages. . . . Utterly spellbinding.
--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

With this companion to The Queen in the Cave, Sardà offers a heartfelt invitation to unconventional, lonely kids of all ages. . . .The ebullient digital art complements and expands the verbal story, with maximalist detail and folk-art-esque motifs backgrounded by ample white space. . . .Sardà proves to be a master of composition, grounding visual abundance in carefully balanced geometric arrangements.
--Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review)

This mythical book shines due to the amazing illustrations, folksy charm infusing the pages with floral and faunal details. . . . A nearly psychedelic sensory experience of feminine power and peace.
--School Library Journal (starred review)

About the Author

Júlia Sardà is best known as the illustrator for such books as The Hotel Balzaar by Kate DiCamillo, Moving the Millers' Minnie Moore Mine Mansion by Dave Eggers, The Treasures of Barracuda by Llanos Campos, Rose Campion and the Stolen Secret by Lyn Gardner, Mary Who Wrote Frankenstein by Linda Bailey, an illustrated gift edition of Mary Poppins, and Sweep by Louise Greig. The Witch in the Tower is set in the same world as her author-illustrator debut, The Queen in the Cave. She lives in Barcelona.