Return to Event page for Jon Klassen at CBW on October 3, 2023

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

“The Skull,” an old Tyrolean yarn distilled to its droll essentials and marvelously reimagined by the Caldecott medalist (and national treasure) Jon Klassen … The pared-back, ocher-tinted illustrations are well suited to the folk-tale form, and pair perfectly with Klassen’s deceptively simple storytelling.
— The New York Times Book Review

[A] droll and delicious tale. . . Any disquiet that children ages 6-10 might harbor about a talking skull will dissipate in the light of the skull’s friendly attitude and gracious manners.
— The Wall Street Journal

This is a book sure to be read over and over and over again. Even the most reluctant reader will be eager to keep these pages turning.
— The New York Journal of Books