'Beautiful' THE TIMES, Children's Book of the Week'Lyrical, magical, tender and true, and deeply mysterious' MICHAEL MORPURGO'Unforgettable' PHILLIP PULLMAN __________ 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. Before long, the walls come alive with a vibrant world-a kaleidoscope of sherherds 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?

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

'I don't think I have read anything like this before - 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.' Philip Pullman

Madurer is the son of a great lord, with untold wealth, but he is also the victim of a mysterious disease that means he cannot be exposed to sunlight or fresh air. He is confined to three windowless rooms inside a palace, but his doting father summons a famous artist to cover the walls of the rooms with paintings showing the world his son cannot experience for real.

As the painter works on his murals, his relationship with the boy begins to deepen until they forge a firm friendship. How can he show this child the beauty of the world with only his paintbrush to work with? Glowrushes is a heartbreakingly beautiful classic of Italian children's literature, published here in English for the first time.