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The Three Golden Keys
In this book, World-renowned artist Peter Sis brings to life the magic of Prague and it's legends.
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1994
3 people are currently reading
639 people want to read
About the author
Peter Sís
111 books231 followersPETER SÍS is an internationally acclaimed illustrator, filmmaker, painter and author. Born in 1949 in Brno, Czechoslovakia, and grew up in Prague. He studied painting and filmmaking at the Academy of Applied Arts in Prague and the Royal College of Art in London. His animated work is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art. He came to America in 1982, and now lives in New York's Hudson Valley with his family. Peter Sís is the first children's book artist to be named a MacArthur Fellow. In 2012 he won The Hans Christian Andersen Award.
His many distinguished books include Starry Messenger: Galileo Galilei, Tibet: Through the Red Box, Madlenka, Rainbow Rhino, The Tree of Life: Charles Darwin, The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain, and The Conference of the Birds.
His many distinguished books include Starry Messenger: Galileo Galilei, Tibet: Through the Red Box, Madlenka, Rainbow Rhino, The Tree of Life: Charles Darwin, The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain, and The Conference of the Birds.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
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November 9, 2024
Mysterious and magical, Peter Sís brings the Prague of his childhood and the Prague of myths alive in gorgeous artwork and whimsical storytelling in The Three Golden Keys.Blown off course in a hot air-balloon, a man find himself wandering desolate streets of Prague as whispers of memory float through the streets oddly devoid of any other life aside from a black cat they may have been his childhood pet. Using keys to unlock memory and myths, Sis takes us through an extraordinary look at old tales of Czech legends and an intimate encounter with the city he loves. It is an absolute delight.
While The Three Golden Keys is a children’s picture book—Sís wrote it for his daughter, Madeleine, who is living in New York and he includes a very lovely letter to her in the beginning—this is such a magical little read that adults will certainly enjoy as well. If not more. It is such a loving depiction of Prague and a rather haunting examination of memory that, especially for those now far from their childhood homes, will hit hard.
I really love how the book moves into the legends with each being told in an array of photos around each key. The text can be a bit difficult to read, but its pretty cool:
As this is a Peter Sís book, the artwork is just fantastic as usual. I love the book librarian:
And just all of it really:
A beautiful story of Prague, memory, and a celebration of returning home, Peter Sís’ The Three Golden Keys is a gorgeous work of art.
⅘
While The Three Golden Keys is a children’s picture book—Sís wrote it for his daughter, Madeleine, who is living in New York and he includes a very lovely letter to her in the beginning—this is such a magical little read that adults will certainly enjoy as well. If not more. It is such a loving depiction of Prague and a rather haunting examination of memory that, especially for those now far from their childhood homes, will hit hard.
I really love how the book moves into the legends with each being told in an array of photos around each key. The text can be a bit difficult to read, but its pretty cool:
As this is a Peter Sís book, the artwork is just fantastic as usual. I love the book librarian:
And just all of it really:
A beautiful story of Prague, memory, and a celebration of returning home, Peter Sís’ The Three Golden Keys is a gorgeous work of art.
⅘
May 28, 2020
I love the symbol of golden Keys in the story. Keys are given to special people. Janus, Roman god and St Peter were keep of golden keys.
We start out with a man taking a hot air balloon up in the sky from one city, a storm blows him off corse and then he lands in a deserted looking city. We are in the boyhood memories of Peter Sis of his life in Prague. He runs through the empty city filled with ghosts of his memory collection keys so he may enter his house. We see the city in great details and all the things he used to love about the city and the seasons of the city. The man is lead through the city by his old black cat.
It's an odd sort of ghost story where the ghosts are but memories welcoming you home. It has a hollow, eerie feeling about the story and then such joy at coming home once again. The author does miss his home. It's a fascinating story and I like it. It makes me want to visit Prague.
Nephew loved that black cat, but he thought the empty city was creepy. He enjoyed the mythical figures coming out of the walls in one scene, but mostly he found the story sort of boring. Who wants to be in a deserted city, he asked. He gave this 2 stars.
We start out with a man taking a hot air balloon up in the sky from one city, a storm blows him off corse and then he lands in a deserted looking city. We are in the boyhood memories of Peter Sis of his life in Prague. He runs through the empty city filled with ghosts of his memory collection keys so he may enter his house. We see the city in great details and all the things he used to love about the city and the seasons of the city. The man is lead through the city by his old black cat.
It's an odd sort of ghost story where the ghosts are but memories welcoming you home. It has a hollow, eerie feeling about the story and then such joy at coming home once again. The author does miss his home. It's a fascinating story and I like it. It makes me want to visit Prague.
Nephew loved that black cat, but he thought the empty city was creepy. He enjoyed the mythical figures coming out of the walls in one scene, but mostly he found the story sort of boring. Who wants to be in a deserted city, he asked. He gave this 2 stars.
December 18, 2016
I find it hard to believe that this book has only 300 ratings on here, when its been around for 15+ years. Such is the unfortunate case tho, I guess, with picture books on a literary social media site. Novels and collections and non-fiction get 90% of the attention. No matter tho; that has no bearing on this one!
I am glad to have finally read this tonight for multiple reasons:
1- it's an excellent story. Some big words strewn about the minimal text give it more depth, the pictures are wonderful, I will probably never tire of looking at them in the years to come. They seem to be the type that you can find something new in every time you look.
2- I will be able to change the name of the "audience" in this story SO easily to be my daughter's (!!) name when I read it to her someday. This story is being "told" to a Madeleine, which was actually sort of the inspiration for my little girl's name. I can't outright tell it to whoever reads this tho, since my husband is a stubborn turd who insists we keep it secret til she's born. And some people I know in real life might actually read this. Smh...
3- have I mentioned the pictures?? They're incredible!!! The kind that make you really appreciate picture books and think of them as another art form in itself, if you ever didn't notice them before or have to be reminded every few years. I can see why this author has won multiple awards +Caldecott honors for his work and I won't hesitate to pick him up in the future.
4- there's a brief mention of Christmas times and December days and wintery things, and I'm all about it (right now) as Christmas is in a week. But it's also charming how on his journey through the city and quest for the keys, -which reminds me of #5- Peter's memories sort of go through all of the other seasons too. It's a little bit magical and a nice touch in the bigger picture.
5- somewhere toward the end I decided I should have one of these pretty little keys made as a gift for my little girl someday. There are a number of good sized illustrations of the sorta simple shape of them so getting something made (or making it myself??) shouldn't be too difficult. But that's also assuming she even likes the story. Maybe if I can pass on my love of books and read it to her enough times with her name in it instead, she'll like it Just enough that a key necklace will be a great idea. Or maybe 3 of them at different "key" points in her life!! Now I'm getting too excited about it... calm yoself, Mel.
Anyway- excellent story. Highly recommended for the imagery, illustrations, and general warmth.
I am glad to have finally read this tonight for multiple reasons:
1- it's an excellent story. Some big words strewn about the minimal text give it more depth, the pictures are wonderful, I will probably never tire of looking at them in the years to come. They seem to be the type that you can find something new in every time you look.
2- I will be able to change the name of the "audience" in this story SO easily to be my daughter's (!!) name when I read it to her someday. This story is being "told" to a Madeleine, which was actually sort of the inspiration for my little girl's name. I can't outright tell it to whoever reads this tho, since my husband is a stubborn turd who insists we keep it secret til she's born. And some people I know in real life might actually read this. Smh...
3- have I mentioned the pictures?? They're incredible!!! The kind that make you really appreciate picture books and think of them as another art form in itself, if you ever didn't notice them before or have to be reminded every few years. I can see why this author has won multiple awards +Caldecott honors for his work and I won't hesitate to pick him up in the future.
4- there's a brief mention of Christmas times and December days and wintery things, and I'm all about it (right now) as Christmas is in a week. But it's also charming how on his journey through the city and quest for the keys, -which reminds me of #5- Peter's memories sort of go through all of the other seasons too. It's a little bit magical and a nice touch in the bigger picture.
5- somewhere toward the end I decided I should have one of these pretty little keys made as a gift for my little girl someday. There are a number of good sized illustrations of the sorta simple shape of them so getting something made (or making it myself??) shouldn't be too difficult. But that's also assuming she even likes the story. Maybe if I can pass on my love of books and read it to her enough times with her name in it instead, she'll like it Just enough that a key necklace will be a great idea. Or maybe 3 of them at different "key" points in her life!! Now I'm getting too excited about it... calm yoself, Mel.
Anyway- excellent story. Highly recommended for the imagery, illustrations, and general warmth.
December 10, 2012
Not sure how I've managed not to read any of Peter Sís's work before. His drawings are amazing...surreal, whimsical, and engrossing. I just love his style, which also happens to capture the essence of Prague so well. I felt like I was there again.
Sís references a few of Giuseppe Arcimboldo's paintings, which is amusing. It's kind of a sneaky way to insert some art history, although he doesn't go further than saying he recognizes the character from an "old painting". An enterprising parent could of course take it further than that :) Although I'm not a kid, nor do I have any kids, this is the kind of book I would've loved as a child and one I would definitely read to my own kids.
The only visual thing I can complain about in this book is that the folktales are cramped in their formatting. This isn't a small book (it's a children's picture book...so it's big!) but the way the folktales are laid out on the page and the way they're written makes them a little difficult to read. Not sure if this is the case in the Czech version also, or if it's just the English version. Wish I could compare them.
Overall it's a cute, whimsical story. I think the illustrations are what really carries it along, but that doesn't bother me at all.
Sís references a few of Giuseppe Arcimboldo's paintings, which is amusing. It's kind of a sneaky way to insert some art history, although he doesn't go further than saying he recognizes the character from an "old painting". An enterprising parent could of course take it further than that :) Although I'm not a kid, nor do I have any kids, this is the kind of book I would've loved as a child and one I would definitely read to my own kids.
The only visual thing I can complain about in this book is that the folktales are cramped in their formatting. This isn't a small book (it's a children's picture book...so it's big!) but the way the folktales are laid out on the page and the way they're written makes them a little difficult to read. Not sure if this is the case in the Czech version also, or if it's just the English version. Wish I could compare them.
Overall it's a cute, whimsical story. I think the illustrations are what really carries it along, but that doesn't bother me at all.
February 24, 2018
I picked this up thinking it was something different. It was just ok for me.
May 15, 2017
I found this book in peter sis's former house in Prague (Which is now a lovely tea house - the front door has been inscribed with "Tea is not dead") which added to the magic if anything. At the time I read through it and considered picking up a copy (I don't even know if they sold them there and we had very few crowns on us).
The book evokes so much of prague, it's windy old town streets, the buildings that have been tacked on to buildings, the legends that have grown up in the city and even the confusion you first feel at looking at a map of the place.
Also annoyingly out of print at the moment so i can't buy a damn copy.
The book evokes so much of prague, it's windy old town streets, the buildings that have been tacked on to buildings, the legends that have grown up in the city and even the confusion you first feel at looking at a map of the place.
Also annoyingly out of print at the moment so i can't buy a damn copy.
June 17, 2018
První Sís, kterého jsem si téměř naplno užil. Trošku neočekávaně - dcera si ho sama přinesla z knihovny. Ale pak jsme to četli s mladším synem.
Kniha je jakýmsi mysticko-nostalgickým návratem do Prahy, návratem do dětství. My dospělí víme, že ta cesta zpět v čase, do idealizovaného času nevinnosti, není možná. Ale Peter Sís má, jako autor, licenci pomocí fantazie odemknout to mystérium pomocí tří zlatých klíčů.
Každý klíč je za jednu ze stěžejních pověstí českých dějin. Sám jsem si vzpomněl, jak jsem v dětsví miloval příběh o Bruncvíkovi, snil o Golemovi a byl pohnutý příběhem mistra Hanuše.
Nebyl by to Sís, kdyby chronicky známé pověsti nepojal trochu po svém, jak graficky, tak příběhově. Zpracování o pražském orloji je možná už moc velký úlet (a syn se před spaním trochu bál), ale jinak to byl společný požitek.
Asi je to těžké přijmout, ale když nad tím zpětně přemýšlím, tak pro rodiče je ta krásná nostalgie a pro děti ty nádherné příběhy.
Kniha je jakýmsi mysticko-nostalgickým návratem do Prahy, návratem do dětství. My dospělí víme, že ta cesta zpět v čase, do idealizovaného času nevinnosti, není možná. Ale Peter Sís má, jako autor, licenci pomocí fantazie odemknout to mystérium pomocí tří zlatých klíčů.
Každý klíč je za jednu ze stěžejních pověstí českých dějin. Sám jsem si vzpomněl, jak jsem v dětsví miloval příběh o Bruncvíkovi, snil o Golemovi a byl pohnutý příběhem mistra Hanuše.
Nebyl by to Sís, kdyby chronicky známé pověsti nepojal trochu po svém, jak graficky, tak příběhově. Zpracování o pražském orloji je možná už moc velký úlet (a syn se před spaním trochu bál), ale jinak to byl společný požitek.
Asi je to těžké přijmout, ale když nad tím zpětně přemýšlím, tak pro rodiče je ta krásná nostalgie a pro děti ty nádherné příběhy.
August 26, 2018
This book, written when Sís's daughter was a mere toddler, is dedicated to her so that she can look back on part of the rich heritage that he has transmitted to her. Peter Sís was born in Czechoslovakia and left his beloved city of Prague in 1968. Here he tells the tale of a man in a balloon, who lands in the middle of Prague and sets out to find his childhood home. When he finds it, there are three padlocks keeping the front doors locked. A cat greets him and encourages him to follow her as she takes him to three important landmarks, where the man is handed a scroll and a golden key. Each of the scrolls contains a legend taken from the rich cultural history of Prague. The illustrations are simply gorgeous, and this books was especially meaningful to me since I visited Prague in the late 90s and was forever transformed by this trip; the book brought me right back to this beautiful and unique place, and I can attest that it is an excellent way to discover Prague right from your living room.
December 13, 2015
I picked this up on my way through glorious Prague as a memento, thinking it would be a fun introduction to Czech folklore for my class of seven-year-olds. It kept them mesmerised as I read it, but I don't think any of it sunk in. It's a little dark and the concepts of reflection and regret are too high for young children. This is a picture book for adults, or perhaps older children than what I teach, littered with hidden hints and detail, and the references to the folk stories are really for someone who is familiar with them. I think if I knew the tales the text would be more meaningful. I do realise it's a translated text, but the prose is still graceful. I am very glad I brought this home with me.
July 12, 2008
Check out this artist. Peter Sis has written and illustrated numerous gorgeous picture books. And...he designed the tile work at the subway stop ot 86th and Lexington in NYC. Check that out, too!
February 13, 2016
A beautiful, intricately illustrated book. Explores themes of loss, homecoming, and cultural identity. And fairy tales. Wonderful fairy tales.
March 11, 2018
There are 3 folktales embedded in the story of this man who has lost his way in time.
December 4, 2009
Interesting story written by the author for his daughter Madeline, to tell her about the history of Prague, Czech Republic and the author's stories and memories from the city he grew up in. He has been in the US since 1982, before the fall of Communism in Prague. The author was traveling in a balloon when it falls down into the city. He finds his old house, but it has three locks on the outside preventing him from getting inside. His old black cat suddenly appears and leads him around the city, where he remembers what he did as a child in the different seasons and at each landmark he goes to, he remembers another story about the city and is rewarded with a key. At the end of the book he opens up his house and he really is "home". As always, I loved his detailed illustrations, although some of these in this book were pretty surreal looking.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 6, 2009
Take a walk through the Prague of Peter Sis's childhood and learn of some of the folktales/myths with which he grew up.
I'm really getting sucked into Sis's artwork, even though I hated it in The Wall. I don't really know who his intended audience is, besides an adult daughter, but this certainly isn't a children's book. This falls under the "picture books for adults" genre, I'd say (although it's not a graphic novel).
After reading these picture books, I think, "Well, that was interesting." And that's about it. However, I feel like I know a little bit about Prague, now. A LITTLE bit.
I'm really getting sucked into Sis's artwork, even though I hated it in The Wall. I don't really know who his intended audience is, besides an adult daughter, but this certainly isn't a children's book. This falls under the "picture books for adults" genre, I'd say (although it's not a graphic novel).
After reading these picture books, I think, "Well, that was interesting." And that's about it. However, I feel like I know a little bit about Prague, now. A LITTLE bit.
July 21, 2014
So fun. Excellent illustrations. This makes me yearn to walk the streets of Prague which was entirely my goal, as I'll be there a week from now! I have a ritual of reading a book set in the city that is my destination when I go on a trip. I have really enjoyed that as it helps solidify things in my mind and makes me feel more excited to travel and more connected. I was disappointed that life's craziness and procrastination didn't allow for me to read a 'book' this time. But this was perfect (and, let's be honest, I've fallen behind on my "to read in 2014" goal).
December 31, 2017
The illustrations are really intricate, and they're full of cats in some really clever ways.
Part of the problem I had with this book is that it contains three additional picture books within the frame story, which has a weird effect on the pacing. It also makes this a really difficult read-aloud. The three embedded stories were in cursive in the center of one page with small illustrations bordering the page. (The cursive text is split into numbered sentences/phrases/paragraphs, corresponding to the pictures.)
Part of the problem I had with this book is that it contains three additional picture books within the frame story, which has a weird effect on the pacing. It also makes this a really difficult read-aloud. The three embedded stories were in cursive in the center of one page with small illustrations bordering the page. (The cursive text is split into numbered sentences/phrases/paragraphs, corresponding to the pictures.)
September 18, 2008
Sis tells the story of a man rediscovering Prague. As he walks the streets, he searches for keys that will open the door to his childhood home. With each key he is reminded of a story associated with the city. I enjoyed this book because I love walking the streets of Prague myself. I'm not sure if I would have been as engaged if I hadn't had that personal connection.
August 31, 2009
I hesitate to put this in my children's category, although it is definitely a picture book. It was really cool for me to read, but my pre-schooler would get impatient as I searched the details, or read the story (each of which was long) behind each key. He did enjoy looking for the cat motifs in each page. I would recommend it for older kids.
December 31, 2017
In my opinion, this is a picture book for adults, not for children.
It contains 3 traditional stories about Prague within a frame story of a dream trip to Prague.
The illustrations are amazingly intricate with lots of detail that isn't always obvious at first. My favorite is the picture of the streets of Prague from above, showing the outline of a cat.
It contains 3 traditional stories about Prague within a frame story of a dream trip to Prague.
The illustrations are amazingly intricate with lots of detail that isn't always obvious at first. My favorite is the picture of the streets of Prague from above, showing the outline of a cat.
August 2, 2010
This is Peter Sis at his finest, weaving memoir and legends from his childhood in Prague into one glorious picture book. The illustrations are quintessential Sis, gloriously complicated and beautiful.
November 11, 2013
Equal parts Prague travelogue, personal memoir and fairy tale, this is a beautifully whimsical tale that reminds me of the film MirrorMask. Loved the transformation of the city into a giant cat. Clever and captivating. I look forward to visiting Prague one day and discovering it for myself.
March 31, 2013
it reminds me of Pamuk's accounts of Istanbul. Interspersed with mysterious imagery and a narrative that whispers the tales of a long-left homeland,this book is an exquisite work of love,longing and things in between...
March 18, 2017
I think that this book is beautiful, but I didn't understand it. It's more like a fairy tale, than a fable. A story of adventure framing the story of a homeland. I think that I struggle with it because I can't define it. What exactly is it? A heartfelt tale of home.
May 28, 2020
This was an intriguingly deep book, exploring the journey of the author back to his childhood home of Prague. Rich in story and design, I am not sure that this is a book for children. At least not the shallow storied children that I know.
November 22, 2007
Another incredible winner by Peter Sis.
December 20, 2007
The perfect book about Prague and golden keys for anyone who likes traditional illustrations
February 16, 2009
Beautiful allegorical tale. Loved some of these images, such as, the librarian made of books. My only gripe is that some of the illustrations are too dark to see clearly.
April 16, 2015
Fascinating illustrations and an intriguing story.
January 16, 2014
Peter Sis again tackles the subject of his childhood in Prague (also the subject of The Wall: Life behind the Iron Curtain), but this time focussing more on the positive, on the magical atmosphere that Prague with all its history and winding streets has. Part memories, part fairytale and all magical, it is a fantastic book that for me has more signifigant meaning. I purchased my copy in a little bookshop off of Wenslas square after staying a summer to teach English in Prague. I love seeing the landmarks I had been daily walking through the fantastical lens of his artwork.
August 14, 2008
As always, the pictures do not disappoint in this work by Peter Sis. What a great idea to write this as a way for his daughter to have something of her culture in Prague. Students could use this as a way to begin thinking about what they might tell their children about their own childhood customs.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews