The Skull: A Tyrolean Folktale

Jon Klassen brings his signature atmospheric style to this retelling of a Tyrolean folktale, perfect for readers aged 4-11. The story follows Otilla, a young girl who runs away from home and finds refuge in a deserted house. There, she encounters a friendly, yet unsettling, skull who guards a chilling secret. As Otilla and the skull form an unlikely bond, she slowly uncovers the truth behind the skull's existence and the dangers lurking in the woods. This book gently explores themes of loneliness, bravery, and the comfort found in unexpected friendships, all wrapped in Klassen's distinctive, muted illustrations.

"This is an old story. It is about a girl named Otilla who runs away. It is also about a house in the woods, and a skull who lives there, and a secret the skull has, and the night that Otilla finds out what that secret is."--