#363 of 1001 · July 29, 2021

The book of the day is Meghan Collins and László Gál’s The Willow Maiden. Lost in the Whispering Woods, Denis discovers the hidden world of the Willow People. There, he encounters Lisane, daughter of the Willow King, who professes her love for him and protects him against the dangers of the mysterious fairy troupe. The two young lovers wish to be together, but the king reveals that the Willow People live inside willow trees, and Lisane will have to return to her tree and remain inside it for half of every year. When Denis feels his time with his bride slipping away, he comes perilously close to chopping down her tree in a misguided attempt to break the binding magical law. However, at the last moment, he comes to his senses and resolves to let his beloved go. Fascinatingly, Collins chooses to end her narrative in medias res, with Denis rushing home to collect Lisane and return her to the tree before it wastes away. Gál’s art, executed in watercolor washes, gouache, and colored pencil, depicts the mystique and rustic natural beauty of the fairy world. #willow #tree #trees #woods #forest #fairy #fairies #season #seasons #magic #book #books #childrensbooks #beautifulbooks #picturebook #picturebooks #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks