The Wolves in the Walls

Truth be told, Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean's picture book The Wolves in the Walls is terrifying. Sure, the story is fairytale-like and presented in a jaunty, casually nonsensical way, but it is absolutely the stuff of nightmares. Lucy hears wolves hustling, bustling, crinkling and crackling in the walls of the old house where her family lives, but no one believes her. Her mother says it's mice, her brother says bats, and her father says what everyone seems to say: "If the wolves come out of the walls, it's all over." Lucy remains convinced, as is her beloved pig-puppet, and her worst fears are confirmed when the wolves actually do come out of the walls.

Up to this point, McKean's illustrations are spectacular, sinister collages awash in golden sepia tones evocative of the creepy beauty in The City of Lost Children. The wolves explode into the story in scratchy pen-and-ink, all jaws and eyes. The family flees to the cold, moonlit garden, where they ponder their future. Her brother suggests they escape to outer space where there's "nothing but foozles and squossucks for billions of miles". Lucy wants to live in her own house...and she wants the pig-puppet she left behind.

Eventually she talks her family into moving back into the once-wolfish walls, where they peek out at the wolves who are watching their television and spilling popcorn on slices of toast and jam, dashing up the stairs and wearing their clothes. When the family can't stand it anymore, they burst forth from the walls, scaring the wolves, who shout "And when the people come out of the walls, it's all over!" The wolves flee and everything goes back to normal...until the tidy ending when Lucy hears "a noise that sounded exactly like an elephant trying not to sneeze". Adult fans of this talented pair will revel in the quirky story and its darkly gorgeous, deliciously shadowy trappings, but the young or faint of heart, beware. The book is recommended for ages nine and above. --Karin Snelson, Amazon.com

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Dark and Very Funny - Rated
This is one of those very rare books which manages to satisfy every reader. It's a picture book, which is great to read to smaller children (ones who like being frightened I might add). It has a sophisticated text, and the pictures are really detailed, which makes it great for older readers, and it's hilarious, well written and nicely tense, which makes it perfect for parents.

The artwork is more reminiscent of a graphic novel than the usual standard of illustration in kids' books. It adds a real air of menace to the story, which revolves around a family who find that wild wolves and their evil, partying ways are gradually breaking into the house from the cavities in the walls and taking over, forcing the family to retreat and come up with a plan for reclaiming their house.

It is very, very funny and has some lovely twists. Highly recommended. My four year old loves it, although she is rather macabre, so ordinarily I'd go for six and ups for this one.

Dark & disturbing, just how kids (might) like it. - Rated
The prospect of exposing my 5 and 8 year-olds to the writing of Gaiman and the graphical beauty of McKean was one that was far too good to miss, so I bought this book, despite the protestations of my son who was really wanting a book about robots instead. I'm extremely glad I stuck to my guns, though not for the reasons I first intended.
In many ways this book is more of a parent's choice than a kid's choice, as the quality of the artwork is almost too good for children, with Dave McKean's stunning photo-collage style used to typically jaw-dropping effect; I found myself poring over page after page, wondering just how exactly he had put them together them, and where he gets such imagination and compositional skill from. No matter, the art combines with a relatively slight yet sinister tale to create a whole that seemed to me much greater than its parts. There are better stories out there for sure, but few have given me as much continued enjoyment as reading and re-reading this book.
As for my robot-loving son, I've yet to read this with him for fear of the nightmares it is sure to inspire. I'm at last enjoying uninterupted nights' sleep, and having spent years convincing my children there are no monsters in their room at night I'm not sure I am ready to have it undone by this story. Maybe when they're older...

Wolves in the Walls - Rated
Neil Gaiman is fantastic at imagination. This fascinating tale is perfect for children or adults who appreciate graphic novels. It is also very dark, and so I would not recommend it for sensitive children who may find it disturbing, however for any adult/less sensitive child it is an absolute delight.

Brooding & dark - Gaiman at his best. - Rated
This has all the elements of a good, jolly 'join-in' story for children: lots of repetition of words and themes; eye-catching illustrations with bold colours; lots of silly ideas such as the wolves "singing & dancing & telling jokes"; and a heroine with only a trusted toy to help her sort things out.

Yet it is the stuff of the scariest & most sinister fairy tales - forget the Grimm Brothers, this is a truly scary tale with eye-poppingly scary illustrations to match.

Just delightful! - Rated
First of all let me say I love Neil Gaiman's work, but I have to state that this book is very much a work for children. Okay, maybe children of all ages, but still I would say this one is more suitable for a younger market. Saying that it is a lovely book, well illustrated and great fun for a dark fairy tale. I didn't personally see where it was at all frightening and it had me laughing more than anything. I don't personally know of any children who would have been frightened by it either - more like delighted!