Dear viewers,

Years ago I wrote a letter to Sinterklaas and the Pieten asking if I could visit them. They had to think about it for a long time, but then I was allowed to stay for one week on the estate in Spain. I drew the big house, the workshop, the steamboat, the Sint-Nicolaas school and the courtyards of the Thuispieten. It became a picture book with a thousand stories.

Since so much has changed since then, I went to Spain again on the 2:15 train. In Madrid, I was picked up by a brand new Piet bus. I stayed in the same old house next to the big house, with a view of the sea. It turned out that all the Piets now live in a Piet flat that they designed themselves, complete with a climbing wall. The attic has been converted into a library and there is a huge flat screen to watch movies or play games. The steamboat has also been improved. Most of the Piets now sleep on the upper deck, except for those who don't want to. The coal will soon be replaced by electricity or hydrogen. The solar panels have already been installed. I suspect that everyone has a mobile phone, even Sinterklaas! But I didn't dare ask.

In our country, a lot has changed in all those years: more cycle paths, cargo bikes, electric bikes and renovated houses. There are also more people. The training day for Helper Piets is completely new! Adults can sign up for this day. After a solid training, completed with an exam, they can obtain a Temporary Helper Piet diploma (valid for 3 years!). Everything I have seen, I have drawn. The result is this picture book.

With festive greetings,
Charlotte Dematons

PS: Do you see Witje, Santa's cat? He's on every page, except when he's staying with us.