Local artist Ben McCarl made a donation of a life-size sculpture of the Paper Bag Princess to the Guelph Public Library Tuesday, following nearly 10 months of work on the piece – with help from numerous community members – in his home studio.

“When this project started, it involved building a tribute to Robert Munsch. But, as I talked with the people building the princess, I realized we were building memories,” McCarl said in a news release.

The sculpture involved about 157 hours and a total of 60 artists of all ages who were welcomed into McCarl’s studio to help with the project.

Among the contributors was eight-year-old Sofia Ciaravella, the daughter of the real-life Elizabeth who inspired the character in Munsch’s beloved story.

The 1.2-metre princess replica now stands in the second-floor children’s department, but it is hoped that it will one day greet people at the entrance to a new main library.