#236 of 1001 · March 24, 2021

Sometimes the treasure at the end of the road isn’t quite as important as the wisdom one might glean along the way. This is certainly the case in Ivan Gantschev’s Moon Lake, a call for humility and temperance in the face of desire. Deep in the mountains lies a bright, sparkling lake, its shores littered with gleaming silver stones. These mystical gems (scattered, according to local lore, by the moon itself) are highly sought after, but no one knows the route to this secret spot except an old shepherd who lives in a cottage nearby. After his death, his grandson Peter stumbles upon the lake, and learns from a talking fox that anyone who fails to leave by sunrise will be blinded by the dazzling light. When Peter innocently takes a few stones to the market to sell, a greedy king demands to be taken to the lake. However, he ignores Peter’s earnest warnings...to his grave misfortune. Gantschev’s illustrations recall folk art in their gentle simplicity. Added for the English-language edition (translated from German by Marianne Martens) are shiny patches of foil stamping on the moon and the ethereal lakeside stones. #moon #lake #mountains #stones #light #magic #book #books #childrensbooks #beautifulbook #beautifulbooks #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #picturebookillustrations #picturebookart #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks