The Skull

It's no surprise that we love Jon Klassen. You can line up all of his projects, and we'd gleefully spend the day trying to rank which is best (and then go back and rearrange that list). So when he has a new project, our baseline is unbridled enthusiasm. However, after being slowly teased out by the Caldecott Medalist on social media in 2019, The Skull opens a new chapter of our Klassen fandom. This Klassenian retelling of a Tyrolean folktale will satisfy your storytime needs, and his author's note will open your mind to the beautifully mysterious world you didn't know you needed to explore.

A #1 New York Times bestseller!
A Kirkus Book Prize Finalist!
A New York Times Best Children’s Chapter Book the Year
A Wall Street Journal Best Children's Book of the Year

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

Jon Klassen's signature wry humor takes a turn for the ghostly in this thrilling retelling of a traditional Tyrolean folktale. 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.