Published by Candlewick

Summary:  Otilla is running away and lost in the forest.  She stumbles upon an old house that looks abandoned but turns out to be inhabited by a skull.  The skull shows her around: there are creepy masks, a dangerously high tower, and a bottomless pit.  He invites her to stay for the night but warns her of a headless skeleton that chases him every night, and “I am not as fast as I used to be.”  Sure enough, the skeleton shows up in the middle of the night, but Otilla is ready.  By the time the story ends, that skeleton will not be bothering anyone ever again, and the skull and Otilla have decided that she will stay in the house.  Includes an author’s note about how he came to write this folktale retelling which gives a pretty interesting spin on the oral tradition.  112 pages; grades 1-4.

Pros:  As usual with Jon Klassen, expect the unexpected.  This book, which looks more like a chapter book than a picture book, is told in five parts, but can probably be read in one longish sitting.  It’s creepy and funny and just dark enough to give kids the shivers.  Perfect for the Halloween season, with the distinctive Klassen illustrations that I’m sure will be considered for a Caldecott. The author’s note, featuring a wise Alaskan librarian, would make a good addition to folktale units.

Cons:  I’m always worried that Jon Klassen books are too dark and/or too weird for early elementary. Yet they never are.