A gorgeous modern classic from Italy - a stunning tale of friendship, beauty and mortality.

' The perfect stocking-filler for thoughtful children... Beautiful' The Times, Children's Book of the Week
'Lyrical, magical, tender and true, and deeply mysterious' Michael Morpurgo, BookTrust Best Children's Books of the Year
'A tale of life, death, love and beauty that by the storyteller's art makes those things true, fresh, real and important. I hope this unforgettable story finds all the readers it deserves' Phillip Pullman

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Long, long ago, a boy lies confined by sickness to his windowless bedchambers. He can never breathe fresh air or feel the warmth of the sun on his skin, so his doting father summons a painter to embellish his rooms with beautiful murals.

Soon there is a fabulous world on the walls, a colourful, shifting landscape peopled by shepherds and lovers, criss-crossed by armies and pirate ships. Can the artist show this child the richness and beauty of life with nothing but paints and brushes?