Review by Hooria Bilal
Candlewick Press, July 2023
105 pages, Paperback, $25.99 CAN, 978-1536223378
Picture Book, Ages 6-8
Fantasy, Horror/Thriller
One night,
in the middle of the night,
while everyone was asleep,
Otilla finally ran away.
***
They looked out over the forest.
“You said you ran away,” said the skull.
“Yes,” said Otilla.
“You don’t want them to find you.”
“No,” said Otilla, “I don’t.”
The skull waited to see if she wanted to say any more, but she didn’t.
In Jon Klassen’s retelling of a traditional Tyrolean folktale, The Skull, a brave young girl named Otilla embarks on a journey that defies the bounds of imagination.
Otilla is on the run, fleeing from a shadowy danger that haunts her every step. Lost in a dark and unforgiving forest, she stumbles upon an abandoned house perched on a desolate hill. It’s here that her path crosses with an unlikely companion—a living skull with its own fears and secrets —and they forge a peculiar friendship. Otilla’s past remains shrouded in mystery, and the skull harbors its own dark past. They share a common fear: something that emerges with the night, lurking in the shadows of the house. Together, they must confront their fears and outwit a headless skeleton that pursues them relentlessly.
One of the book’s striking features is its ability to evoke suspense with the dark, gritty art-style. From the very first page, an ominous atmosphere permeates through the illustrations, and I couldn’t help but shiver with anticipation when encountering certain spreads. The art progressively darkens as it surrounds Otilla, the young protagonist, in the dark forest. But when her path crosses with the enigmatic Skull, the style shifts from splotchy paint illustrations and a limited, cooler color palette to brighter, warmer hues. The moment when the headless skeleton makes its ominous debut is a spine-tingling experience, the art amplifying the terror. This story is also not afraid to take readers into borderline horrific territory as Otilla’s courage is put to the test in her final confrontation with the headless skeleton.
These instances of horror showcase Klassen’s ability to push the boundaries of children’s literature, creating a tale that not only entertains but also challenges readers’ emotions and expectations. The evocative yet simplistic writing style further conveys sense of dread throughout the story and makes this book great for younger readers interested in exploring scarier stories. I also appreciate the subtle humour depicted that is reminiscent of Klassen’s picture book I Want My Hat Back. It adds an unexpected layer of charm to the simple story.
Overall, Klassen weaves together a captivating story with an eerie atmosphere, haunting prose, and chilling artwork. A tale of suspense, resilience, and humour, The Skull is a wonderful story for emerging readers willing to delve into the horror genre.
Hooria Bilal is an undergraduate at UBC majoring in Biology and minoring in Creative Writing. She enjoys reading middle grade and YA books in her spare time and her favourite genre is fantasy-adventure.
YOUNG ADULTING 