The Silk Dress

The story of the moving relationship between a little girl and her grandmother, in a poignant text about family secrets and the upheavals brought about by the war.

 

In the big red house, at the end of the black corridor, was a wardrobe. Hidden at the back of the wardrobe was a cardboard box. And in this box, was a bright red Chinese silk dress, carefully folded away. It was so beautiful that the little girl wanted to try it on.

 

“Nonna, look what I found!” “How dare you touch that dress? Take it off now!” her grandmother shouted. The little girl started to cry… What ghosts of the past had she awoken by trying on this dress? The talented multi-award winning duo of The Inside Outside Garden.

 

Also available :

by the same author & illustrator: The Garden of Inside-Outside

by the same illustrator: Fechamos, We're Closing (2022 BOLOGNA RAGAZZI AWARD 2022, Special mention, Fiction)

 

 

IN THE MEDIA

 

"a moving, authentic work that highlights the importance of passing on family memories in order to reconcile with the past and pave the way for a future of resilience and hope." - Ricochet, Institut suisse Jeunesse et Médias

 

THE AUTHOR

 

Chiara Mezzalama is an Italian author, translator and psychotherapist, internationally renowned for her adult novels, as well as her picture books for children, including Le Jardin du dedans dehors, critically acclaimed in France and abroad.

 

THE ILLUSTRATOR

​

Régis Lejonc is a French illustrator. He has published sixty or so books. He was awarded the a Bologna Ragazzi Award mention in 2022 for his picture book Fechamos, published by Editions des Elephants.