The Wolves in the Walls

I've always known myself to be an eclectic reader, but one genre I love, which I don't spotlight very often on this blog, is books for young readers.  As the saying goes, "We all have to grow older, but we don't have to grow up," there are few things that make me feel more like a kid again than a really great picture book.  Knowing this, and knowing how much I enjoy the writing of Neil Gaiman, my husband gave me the book The Wolves in the Walls as a Christmas gift!

The story follows a young girl named Lucy who hears some strange sounds late at night and is convinced there are wolves in the walls of her house.  Her parents and brother wave away her worries with theories of mice or rats or bats and reiterate to her that, "If the wolves come out of the walls, it is all over."  Despite the unbelief of her family, Lucy is right about the wolves and they do make it out of the walls, displacing Lucy, her brother, and her parents from their home.  Though it does seem to be "all over", Lucy comes up with a plan to get their house back!

I really enjoyed the cute and funny but slightly scary story told in Neil Gaiman's signature fashion.  Equally enjoyable were the illustrations crafted by Dave McKean.  I was first exposed to McKean's work through the feature film MirrorMask and have been a fan of his unique style ever since.  Though the wolves may be a bit frightening for very young readers, I think this is an exceptionally charming tale for grade school audiences.  And of course, it can be equally appreciated by much older readers as well.
Are you an older reader that is still a fan of picture books?  Have any great titles to recommend?

2 Response to "The Wolves in the Walls"

  1. Amy says:
    January 8, 2012 at 8:03 PM

    I'm a huge fan of children's books! I've so enjoyed reading to and with my daughter as she's grown up. She's 8 now and has been reading chapter books for about a year and half. I read the Percy Jackson series because she loved it, and I really enjoyed it. I'm also a huge fan of the Little House Series. I have such fond memories of looking at picture books with my daughter when she was younger! Great post!

  2. Anonymous Says:
    January 9, 2012 at 3:28 PM

    I also love Neil Gaiman's books no matter the genre or the age.

    Have you read Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke? (http://manoflabook.com/wp/?p=4383), it reminded me very of a Gaiman book.

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