author/illustrator: Charlotte Gastaut
ages: 7+
56 pages
29 x 32 cm
hardback with gold pantone and die-cuts
French
Amaterra
Rights sold: Italian, Dutch, Korean, English (UK), Polish
Giselle
Giselle is the symbol of romantic ballet. Illustrations in die-cut paper by Charlotte Gastaut, with transparent book leaves symbolizing fog to reproduce dreams and poetry.
The Ballet : libretto by Théophile Gautier and Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges, from a poem by Heinrich Heine
Music by Adolphe AdamsThe Story : Giselle, a young country girl, loves Albrecht. She dies in his honour, flouting her mother’s protests, which reminds him of the story of the wilis, those sad young girls transformed into ghosts for having danced too much. As a love-sick lover turned away by Giselle, Hilarion the gamekeeper discovers that Albrecht is no other than the duke of Silesia, engaged to the daughter of the duke of Courland. In front of everyone he reveals the identity of his rival. Giselle loses herself over it and collapses lifeless. Venus in turn gathers her thoughts by night over Giselle’s grave, while Hilarion and Albrecht are prey to the wilis and their queen, the implacable Myrtha, who condemns them to dance till death. Coming out of her tomb, Giselle, now a new wili, attempts to intervene. Albrecht will only be saved by the first rays of the dawnwhich bring the wilis back home.
IN THE MEDIA
"Gastaut transforms the classic ballet into a visual feast, creating a book that dances as gracefully as its tragic protagonist.(...) Newcomers will be mesmerized by both the timeless themes and Gastaut’s innovative presentation. Her retelling, translated from French, is faithful to the source material, but her innovative paper engineering makes this version distinctive. Her technical mastery transforms storytelling into something as much about movement as narrative—curtains billow across the page in gossamer transparency, flowers appear to sway and bloom, and delicate clouds drift through the spirit world as intricate paper cuts create exquisite details that draw readers into Giselle’s world. (...) A stunning, timeless marriage of story and craft. (Picture book. 6-9) " - Kirkus Starred Review
BY THE SAME ILLUSTRATOR
THE ILLUSTRATOR
Charlotte Gastaut was born in Marseille, France, in 1974. She graduated from the École Supérieure d’Art Graphique (ESAG) and works in women’s magazines and children’s publishing (Père Castor, Flammarion, Thierry Magnier, Gallimard Jeunesse, Gautier-Languereau, Amaterra...).
She also works for Fendi - one of her dresses was exhibited at the MET New York Karl Lagerfeld exhibition, Van Cleef for whom she decorated the 5th Avenue, and other jewelry and fashion designers. Charlotte Gastaut also started her own silk scarves line in 2017.
Her works was exhibited several times in Paris (Galerie Robillard) and she received two Italian awards:
- 2019 Gold Romics, 2019
- Premio nazionale Nati per Leggere, Special Mention, Torino Book Fair.
Her books published by Amaterra have been translated into 10 languages.
By the same author: Swan Lake, The Firebird, Sleeping Beauty