
Blackie Books, 2024
105 p.
ISBN 978-84-10025-86-8
Age 8 and older
Post hau ingelesez dago.
Today I bring you a recommendation that I think is perfect to enjoy with the whole family: The Skull by Jon Klassen, a picture book that is published in Spanish, Catalan and English.
It´s an adaptation of a Tyrolean legend made by the author and illustrator himself. A little girl manages to run away and hide in the forest where she finds a castle and a skull… It’s a story where the illustrations dominate but the text is essential to understand the details.
Although in theory it´s a story for children, as usually happens with legends, adults will also enjoy it a lot. I loved the aesthetics and the original ending thought up by Klassen. A story that could be scary, and you can definitely sense something a bit sinister behind its origin, but with the changes made by the author turns out to be tender and pleasant.
A perfect read to share between family members of different ages. Will you find a moment this Christmas to read it with the little ones at home?
Children might have many questions about the story. So, if you feel like talking more about it with them, here are some issues you might ponder on together:
The Skull is a folktale and folktales often have an element of surprise. What was the element of surprise, for you, in The Skull?
How does the author build suspense in this book? Why is the book divided into Parts with titles like: “The Secret”?
Why do you think the author, Jon Klassen made the two main characters a young girl and a skull? The young girl is a more traditional character but the skull is not. In your opinion, what is the backstory of these characters? The author gives us a few hints in the book, but what do you think happened in their past lives?
Folktales and fairytales often contain a message that the author is trying to get the reader to believe or think about. What is the author’s message in this story?
One of the themes in this book is friendship. How do you know that the skull and Otilla are friends? Can you trace their acts of friendship from the beginning of the book until the end of the book? What do Otilla and the Skull both need?
The book ends with Otilla asking the skull if he wants her to stay and he says that he does. What do you think will happen next?
(Questions are taken from: https://forestofreading.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Activity-1-The-Skull-Reading-Assignment-.pdf )