Balcony

Melissa Castrillon studied at the Cambridge School of Art where she earned a first class honors degree in illustration and a master’s degree in children’s book illustration. She is the illustrator of If I Had a Little Dream by Nina Laden. She is also the author-illustrator of The Balcony, which received the Society of Illustrators Gold Medal. Her book Dear Little One, by Nina Laden, was a School Library Journal best picture book of the year. Her books have been published all over the world. She lives in Cambridge, England, with her husband.

The girl who stars in this nearly wordless tale by Castrillón (If I Had a Little Dream) has rosy cheeks and short dark hair and lives blissfully in the countryside. Castrillón’s lush spreads of her house and its surroundings recall early modern woodcuts and traditional folk art. Movement is everywhere: curtains sway, smoke curls. Then the girl’s parents tell her that her mother has gotten a new job and they must move to the city (“Goodbye,” hand-lettered text reads). Their new brick walk-up has a balcony, and from it the girl stares forlornly at the hills where she used to play. But she’s brought a pot with her, in which she plants seeds (“Hope,” the letters read). A large, artichokelike plant soon springs forth, growing by leaps and bounds, and slowly, the girl transforms her balcony into a wild garden. Tendrils and flowers reach the balcony below; neighbors rejoice. She spots a child with dark skin and curly hair across the way, and their families become friends. Castrillón offers riotous sprouting life through soft forms, stylized shapes, and bright colors. “Bloom where you’re planted,” the adage goes, and that’s just what this girl does. Ages 4–8. (Sept.)