The Ornaments — Matty Selman

The Ornaments is an illustrated children's story inspired by a unique and wonderful gift store tucked away on a side street in New York City. That store, Domus, is owned by two caring individuals, Nicki and Luisa, who are featured in the book. After the holidays each year, Nicki and Luisa travel the world, often meeting with craftspeople, artists, and especially women in business. Their travels frequently take them to tiny villages in Europe, Africa, and Asia. When they return with their curated wonders, the shop becomes a United Nations of Gifts! Entering Domus, you walk under a large willow branch that spreads across the shop's entire ceiling. From this spreading branch hang dozens of enchanting and charming ornaments that move in a breeze like a Calder mobile. The Ornaments is a story for children and adults, and its message of empathy, inclusion, community, hope and kindness is so urgent in today's world.On the night before Christmas eve, the Ornments and gifts in a little gift shop named Domus become the victims of a fierce wind that accidentally blows open the transom window above the shop's front door. The ornaments, suspended on a large maple branch at the center of the store become airborne and nearly everything in the shop is destroyed - except for one little glass duck ornament named Persephone Plankton who has miraculously slept through the entire ordeal. It becomes her responsibility to help restore the shop before the following morning when the shop keeps, Nicki and Luisa return. With a nod to holiday magic, the little duck is able to summon all the artists and artisans, sculptors, writers and weavers from around the world to arrive at the shop in the middle of the night to repair their creations. Included in this menagerie is a maroodi - an African elephant from Kenya whose tail holds the little hairs that will repair a selection of African bracelets. By evening's end, the gifts and ornaments are repaired and returned to their positions for sale. However, the little duck, Persephone loses her balance and falls from the maple branch breaking into into many pieces. When the owners arrive the next morning the shop is immaculate except for the little priceless duck that is in pieces on the floor. Using the Japanese art of Kintsugi, the owners are able to restore little Persephone, gluing her little body together with specs of real gold, bringing her back to life just in time for Christmas.