A journey through a child's room in the world of toys, from the late XIX^th century through the present. Staged in settings specifically designed for this book, more than 500 toys – among the most beautiful and rare in the collection of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris – become actors in sketches ranging from comical and funny to unsettling and poetic.

Along with an original essay by Alberto Manguel, these photos evoke childhood imagination, the intimacy of the bedroom and play, and the magic of make-believe, all while echoing the evolution of society, technical and scientific progress, as well as other highlights of XX^th century history.