The Skull

A Tyrolean Folktale

by Jon Klassen

£12.99

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Caldecott Medalist and #1 New York Times best-selling author-illustrator Jon Klassen delivers a deliciously macabre treat for folktale fans.

In a big abandoned house, on a barren hill, lives a skull. A brave girl named Otilla has escaped from terrible danger and run away, and when she finds herself lost in the dark forest, the lonely house beckons. Her host, the skull, is afraid of something too, something that comes every night. Can brave Otilla save them both? Steeped in shadows and threaded with subtle wit – with rich, monochromatic artwork and an illuminating author’s note – The Skull is as empowering as it is mysterious and foreboding.

ISBN: 9781529525908
Age range: from 6 to 9
Length: 0 pages
Price: £12.99

Publication date: 4 April 2024
Imprint: Walker Books
Weight: 400.00gr

Jon Klassen is the creator of the New York Times bestselling I Want My Hat Back and its companions This Is Not My Hat, which won a Caldecott Medal and a Kate Greenaway Medal, and We Found a Hat, along with standalone The Rock from the Sky. He is also the illustrator of Extra Yarn, Sam and Dave Dig a Hole, Triangle, Square and Circle, all by Mac Barnett, and House Held Up by Trees by Ted Kooser. Originally from Niagara Falls, Ontario, Jon Klassen now lives in Los Angeles, USA. Find him on Instagram as @jonklassen and Twitter as @burstofbeaden.

A dark, delectable adventure. ~Emily Bearn, The Daily Telegraph

A mysterious, exquisitely presented gothic tale about a runaway girl and a talking skull, who befriend each other, and a threatening headless skeleton. Klassen’s images make astonishing use of light and dark, especially in his rosy-fingered dawn. ~Nicollette Jones, The Sunday Times

Beautiful, heartwarming, funny, and only very mildly spooky. If anyone can turn an obscure Middle-European folk fable into a bestseller, it’s Klassen. ~Tristram Saunders, Daily Telegraph

Klassen’s deadpan humour and shadowy illustration combine to darkly chilling effect as he harnesses the power of traditional storytelling. Brilliant. ~Sally Morris, Daily Mail

“This is a delicious little horror, inspired by a Tyrolean folk tale, about a lonely, abandoned skull who plays host to a very brave little girl. It has surprises, a clever wit and some knockout illustrations.” ~Big Issue

British Book Design and Production Awards - Children’s Trade (2024) - Short-listed
California Independent Booksellers Alliance Golden Poppy Awards (2023) - Winner
Blackwell's Book of the Year (2023) - Long-listed
The Carnegie Medal (2024) - Short-listed
Books Are My Bag Readers Awards (2023) - Short-listed
Kirkus Prize for Young Readers’ Literature (2023) - Nominated