Walker Books
The Skull: A Tyrolean Folktale | Hardcover | Children's Book on Fairy Tales & Folklore
The Skull: A Tyrolean Folktale | Hardcover | Children's Book on Fairy Tales & Folklore
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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.
Awards: Kirkus Prize for Young Readers’ Literature (2023)
Books Are My Bag Readers Awards (2023)
The Carnegie Medal (2024)
Blackwell's Book of the Year (2023)
California Independent Booksellers Alliance Golden Poppy Awards (2023)
British Book Design and Production Awards - Children’s Trade (2024)
Connecticut Nutmeg Children’s Book Award (2026)
“A dark, delectable adventure.”
“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.”
“Beautiful, heartwarming, funny, and only very mildly spooky. If anyone can turn an obscure Middle-European folk fable into a bestseller, it’s Klassen.”
“Klassen’s deadpan humour and shadowy illustration combine to darkly chilling effect as he harnesses the power of traditional storytelling. Brilliant.”
“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.”
Reading age: 6 years or older
Ideal For: Perfect for 6-8 year olds who like a shiver with their stories, and Klassen's deliciously strange Tyrolean folktale.
Details: Hardcover | 112 pages | 20.6 × 15.4 × 2.0 cm
About the Creators: Jon Klassen is the author-illustrator of I Want My Hat Back, We Found a Hat and This Is Not My Hat , the only book to ever win both the Kate Greenaway and Caldecott Medal. He also illustrated Triangle , Square, The Wolf, the Duck and the Mouse , Extra Yarn and Sam and Dave Dig a Hole, all written by Mac Barnett, as well as Ted Kooser's House Held Up By Trees. Before making picture books, he worked as an illustrator on the animated feature film, Coraline. Originally from Niagara Falls, Canada, Jon now lives in Los Angeles, California with his wife and son. Find Jon online at burstofbeaden.com, on Twitter as @burstofbeaden, and on Instagram as @jonklassen.
Publication details
- Published
- 2023
- Publisher
- Walker Books
