The Skull: A Tyrolean Folktale by Jon Klassen
Caldecott Medalist and New York Times best-selling author-illustrator Jon Klassen delivers a macabre treat for folktale fans.
Jon Klassen 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.
After studying animation at Sheridan College, Ontario, Klassen worked on various animated movies such as Kung Fu Panda and Coraline before finding widespread acclaim in 2011 with his delightfully deadpan picture book I Want My Hat Back. Tracing a bear’s investigations into his missing headgear, the story was praised for its dark ending and quickly became a cult classic. Two years later Klassen scooped both the prestigious Caldecott and Kate Greenaway Medals for the sequel This Is Not My Hat, and the closing part of the trilogy We Found a Hat arrived in 2016. His retelling of a Tyrolean folk tale The Skull was published in 2023. Klassen has illustrated numerous picture books for Mac Barnett, including the Shape trilogy and How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney? as well as providing the artwork for Lemony Snicket’s The Dark.
Caldecott Medalist and New York Times best-selling author-illustrator Jon Klassen delivers a macabre treat for folktale fans.
Jon Klassen 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.
After studying animation at Sheridan College, Ontario, Klassen worked on various animated movies such as Kung Fu Panda and Coraline before finding widespread acclaim in 2011 with his delightfully deadpan picture book I Want My Hat Back. Tracing a bear’s investigations into his missing headgear, the story was praised for its dark ending and quickly became a cult classic. Two years later Klassen scooped both the prestigious Caldecott and Kate Greenaway Medals for the sequel This Is Not My Hat, and the closing part of the trilogy We Found a Hat arrived in 2016. His retelling of a Tyrolean folk tale The Skull was published in 2023. Klassen has illustrated numerous picture books for Mac Barnett, including the Shape trilogy and How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney? as well as providing the artwork for Lemony Snicket’s The Dark.
Caldecott Medalist and New York Times best-selling author-illustrator Jon Klassen delivers a macabre treat for folktale fans.
Jon Klassen 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.
After studying animation at Sheridan College, Ontario, Klassen worked on various animated movies such as Kung Fu Panda and Coraline before finding widespread acclaim in 2011 with his delightfully deadpan picture book I Want My Hat Back. Tracing a bear’s investigations into his missing headgear, the story was praised for its dark ending and quickly became a cult classic. Two years later Klassen scooped both the prestigious Caldecott and Kate Greenaway Medals for the sequel This Is Not My Hat, and the closing part of the trilogy We Found a Hat arrived in 2016. His retelling of a Tyrolean folk tale The Skull was published in 2023. Klassen has illustrated numerous picture books for Mac Barnett, including the Shape trilogy and How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney? as well as providing the artwork for Lemony Snicket’s The Dark.