Dark and spooky fairytales are totally my jam, so when I saw this story based on Tyrolese folklore previewed in one of my librarian newsletters (I think Publishers Weekly, possibly) I knew I had to pick it up. The Skull revolves, expectedly, around a skull who is trapped in a castle and beset by a skeleton who is determined to collect a full set of bones. To the skull’s rescue comes a young girl who has run away from her village, setting the stage for a classic fairytale style rescue with dark stylings. I was intrigued by the background of the story - what travesty is happening in this land of ruined villages, abandoned houses, and aggressive skeletons - but the story stays decidedly vague, as is often expected with traditional folktales. Author/illustrator John Klassen focuses instead simply on the events surrounding the skull’s castle - building a gothic melancholy as the skull tours Otilla through its empty castle and building to a crescendo of horror as the girl destroys the skeleton. Unfortunately for me, I never quite settled into the story (not being drawn in by either the narration or illustration), but the potential for deep themes and imagery is ripe within this tale. It’s possibly presented in too simply of a manner, as some quiet poetics in the language would have been well placed, as would a slightly more robust style of illustration. This definitely wasn’t a bad read, by any means, but it definitely didn’t meet my expectations or its own potential. ( )

Otilla has run away from terrible danger and has now found a big abandoned house in the middle of the dark forest. Her host, the skull, is afraid of something that comes every night. Can brave Otilla save them both? Filled with rich, monochromatic artwork, The Skull is a retelling of a traditional Tyrolean folktale.

I wish that I had these types of books as a kid - a bit spooky and dark, but still with a good story to it.

I absolutely loved the artwork of this story. The words were sparse but the art was amazing.

The author’s note at the end was also amazing - as a librarian myself, I love when others speak of our superpowers 🙂

Overall, this isn’t just a children’s book by any means. I think those of all ages will enjoy it. It’s a quick, quirky read that doesn’t really sit on horror, but definitely gives off spooky vibes. ( )

I love this for the full commitment to weirdness and for the sheer thoroughness of Otilia dismembering the headless skeleton. It's very fairy tale and very satisfying. ( )

My review of this book can be found on my YouTube Vlog at:

https://youtu.be/M9IeySwNsFI

Enjoy! ( )

The original story is in A Book of Ghosts and Goblins written by Ruth Manning-Sanders and illustrated by Robin Jacques (1969) and turns out to be rather different from what Mr. Klassen remembered after reading it before he did a presentation in a library in Alaska. In the Author's Note, he explains that this is the way folktales work.
I started reading this with a couple of 5th graders, who decided that it was maybe too scary/creepy to continue. We read I Want My Hat Back instead---not sure if this isn't ultimately more disturbing. ( )