Sic transit gloria mundi. Le cose del mondo sono effimere, lo sa bene Pierre Le-Tan che decide per questo di immortalare venti eccentrici personaggi incrociati sul suo cammino. Con tono ironico e delicato, rievoca le atmosfere delle sale d'asta, le sfarzose feste nelle ville di Tangeri o gli incontri inusuali in qualche vagone ferroviario dove, per la prima volta, ha avuto il privilegio di conoscerli. Spinti dallo stesso impulso, individui dal gusto raffinato e con il pallino del collezionismo hanno accumulato oggetti ai limiti dell'insolito: dalle statuette di animali in vetro, alle teste di criminali in cera con capelli veri applicati, ai pezzi di carta stropicciati catalogati come in un museo. La principessa di Brioni, Umberto Pasti e Le-Tan stesso, simili a quegli uccelli che decorano il proprio nido con i sassolini, rispondono a un istinto antico e primordiale, del tutto estraneo alle logiche di mercato che guidano i collezionisti più illustri e affermati. Liberi dalle mode e dalle speculazioni, esplorano e raccolgono per il puro piacere di essere circondati da oggetti che hanno scelto e che amano. Di loro, probabilmente, rimarrà testimonianza solo in queste pagine con i commoventi disegni di un curioso artista franco-vietnamita, e nelle evanescenti tracce di un tempo ormai tramontato impresse sulle pareti delle loro dimore.

The first book on the eclectic and whimsical work of fashion designer Olympia Le-Tan. An admitted bookworm, designer Olympia Le-Tan is best known for creating one-of-a-kind handbags resembling literary classics such as Catcher in the Rye, Doctor Zhivago, and For Whom the Bell Tolls. Olympia Le-Tan—designed to look like a bag that looks like a book—invites the reader to discover the scope of the multifaceted French designer’s creations from her signature minaudières to her quirky ready-to-wear line and seemingly endless collaborations with fellow artists and designers. Born in London and raised in Paris, Le-Tan, whose father and sometimes collaborator is celebrated illustrator Pierre Le-Tan, got her sartorial debut at the age of nineteen. After working with Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel, Gilles Dufour at Balmain, and deejaying for the likes of Kirsten Dunst, Yves Saint Laurent, Balenciaga, and Purple magazine, she has earned the image of a prolific designer and worldly collector with a finger on the pulse of fashion.This book offers a playful and autobiographical glimpse into the world of Le-Tan and the inspirations behind her eclectic designs. Filled with candid photographs and charming illustrations, Olympia Le-Tan presents a whimsical look into one of the most creative designers on the scene today."

Claude, the youngest son of Miller, feels short-changed when his dearly departed father leaves him nothing more than a retired tomcat. However, when Claude decides to do away with his feline inheritance, the cat devised a clever plan to save his own skin by promising to transform his dim-witted owner into a noble prince. This is a splendid adaptation of the classic French fairy tale.

This one-of-a-kind collection reminds weary adults not to lose sight of the values and virtues they learned as kids. Here are over three hundred quotations from over two hundred well-loved children's books, such as Charlotte's Web, Peter Pan, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Eloise, Sounder, Number the Stars, and Goodnight Moon, organized by topic, among them Acceptance, Goodness, Family Woes, and Growing Old. On Silence: 'I assure you that you can pick up more information when you are listening than when you are talking.'--E. B.White, The Trumpet of the Swan. On Reverence: 'Dying's part of the wheel, right there next to being born. . . . Being part of the whole thing, that's the blessing.'--Natalie Babbitt, Tuck Everlasting.

With clever illustrations from Pierre Le-Tan, here is a book to share with a friend or keep by your own bedside. It's the perfect gift for your sister, your mother, your brother, your nephew, your kid's teacher, your daughter away at college, your son in the Navy, your mailman, your priest, for the old lady next door, or for the baby just born. Most importantly, give it to yourself. It will help you remember why you loved reading in the first place.