To James and Melanie, the Château of Chantilly is not just another beautiful French chateau, it is the most beautiful one. Life at its gatehouse with their guardian Papa-do is idyllic so they have mixed feelings when they learn that it is time to return to their mother in London.


A book to bring the glittering universe of nearly a thousand years of history alive for other children, and to keep their home close forever, is their way to try and convince their mother to let them remain.


Divided into six chapters encapsulated in the title MR GARD, each one starts with the letter of a period in history: M – Medieval, R – Renaissance, G – Great Century, A – Age of Enlightenment, R – Revolution and D – Duc d’Aumale.


Readers learn:


Why the chateau came to be


How it evolved through the centuries


What great people lived there


Why it is the most beautiful chateau in France


Punctuated by delightful illustrations, colourful anecdotes, a fun quiz, and a children’s guide to the Condé Museum, readers are carried through Chantilly’s past to present day by the infectious enthusiasm of the young narrators.

Illustrated by: Barnard