A little girl runs away. Deep into the night she runs, through a forest carpeted in snow. Otilla runs until she can run no more. Now she cries, lying in the snow.

Finally she gets up and begins walking. The endless forest suddenly stops and a huge house sits in a clearing. There is no smoke from the chimney or faces at the windows – at least until she gets closer.

Inside, looking down at her from a windowsill is the last thing she expects – a curious, talking skull. The skull opens the front door.

Getting to know each other is an easy path, with no judgement or difficult questions. They are just themselves. That’s how the best friendships are made.

Otilla is running from something, but so is Skull. And he is finding it harder every night to hide.

But this night, Skull has Otilla. When Skull’s nightmare arrives, Otilla is beside him, and she fights back. Not only does she help Skull, she makes sure that his nightmare will never return. In doing so, she finds a haven from her own.

This story was based around a Tyrolean folktale found in a book by the author in a library in Alaska. Or what he thought he remembered of the reading. However, going back to that story he’d read, he realised he’d remembered it completely differently.

This marvel of our brain, imagination and own stories interweaving within our consciousness, brought about a different ending from the original.

With Jon Klassen’s distinctive illustration style on almost every page, The Skull is a real treat for Klassen fans, spooky stories and folktale fans alike. It’s a tale of courage, friendship, and acceptance – simple and clever at the same time. 

Author / Illustrator – Jon Klassen

Age – 8+ (Not for sensitive readers)

See more reviews for other books illustrated by Jon Klassen here

Listen to an interview with Jon Klassen about The Skull here

(2023, Walker Books, Folktale, Retelling, Friendship, Courage, Clever, Large font, Snow, Forest, Fleeing, Running away, Creepy, True self, Nightmare, Skeleton, Spooky, Eerie)