Madly inventive, madly funny. Some will find it creepy; for the rest it will offer the sustaining jam of life. The Guardian (UK)

Some may think this book will frighten children, but it seems more like a healthy lesson in showing how silly such fear can be. The book is more about defeating fear, as the family was able to get rid of the wolves so easily. In the end the things that seem so scary (monsters under the bed, etc) are silly things that can be defeated with a simple look. And it doesn't hurt that this book is written cleverly and with wonderful style.

One aspect that I really enjoyed was the way stories shape our understanding of reality. Throughout the book nobody believes Lucy but continuously quotes an old saying about when the wolves come out, it’s all over. Yet nobody has a good answer to when Lucy asks “who” says that, why or what “it” means. I had a teacher in high school who, whenever someone would say something to the effect of “well they say that…”, would ask “who is ‘they’?” It was a good reminder to question why something has been decided as a truth and stop and consider what it all really means. It also makes me think about old sayings we use without really knowing the etymology (just the other day I looked up why the old saying “from soup to nuts” exists when a patron used it) and how that is a form of myth making in a way. It’s used quite effectively here and instantly embeds you into what feels like a pre-established tale despite it being a Gaiman original. It also has been adapted into an interactive movie where, as Lucy’s imaginary friend in addition to Pig-Puppet, you can help her find clues and battle the wolves. This story just inspires creativity and fun. The next evening, the family is still hesitant to enter the house, but Lucy invites everyone to go and spend the night there by walking inside the walls. The family does just that, seeing what the wolves are doing in the house (they watch TV at full volume, eat jam, throwing leftovers everywhere, dance). Unable to stand it, Lucy and her family take chair legs and chase away the wolves, who are horrified that people have come out of the wall. While I don’t think this picturebook has all that much in common with Lovecraft’s story, there are some tropes common in horror: One evening, the girl Lucy hears strange noises coming from the walls in the house. She believes that wolves live in the walls and talks about it to her mother (who fills jars with homemade jam), her father (who plays the tuba), her younger brother (who plays video games). All of them, however, do not believe Lucy: mother says that they are mice, father that they are rats, and brother that they are bats. In addition, they are all sure that “when wolves crawl out of the walls, that’s all!”.

The metaphysical question of what reality is also playing a big role in this book, as the reader begins to wonder whether what Lucy’s parents say is more believable than what her brother or Lucy says is true. Lucy believes that there are wolves in the walls, while her parents dismiss the noises as simply indicating the presence of mice or rats. When Lucy confronts her parents about the sounds, they scare her by repeating the saying, “If the wolves come out of the walls, then it’s all over.” This ethical issue is one that all children can connect with. Every child has experienced an adult threatening a child not to do something by reminding them of the bad things that will happen as a result. Many of the popular sayings can be viewed in this light, and it is important for children to begin questioning the validity of such statements simply because something is asserted as the truth does not make it any less of a belief. Through connecting the use of the saying, “If the wolves come out of the walls, then it’s all over” with how Lucy’s parents interacted with her concern about the wolves, a discussion about how we know what we claim to know and the manner in which we blindly accept them as unquestionable truths or facts can easily occur. A palette knife tool is used to suggest movement and also that a character is an inextricable part of the setting. In the picture above we see the knife applied to the girl’s hair. Do you always understand what a saying like, “a stitch in time saves nine” means or what it is trying to tell you?

Bestselling author Neil Gaiman has long been one of the top writers in modern comics, as well as writing books for readers of all ages. He is listed in the Dictionary of Literary Biography as one of the top ten living post-modern writers, and is a prolific creator of works of prose, poetry, film, journalism, comics, song lyrics, and drama. The illustrations are amazing. And, like every good scary story, there’s an unexpected twist at the end. Washington Post The illustrations are amazing. And, like every good scary story, there’s an unexpected twist at the end.”— Washington Post

When colour is added, it’s not necessarily in sync with the ink outlines. For example, a wolf rendered in outlines has a yellow splodge of paint in the eye area, and a square of semi-transparent green overlaid on its body. The wolf is neither square nor green; why this artistic choice? The wolves are coming out of the walls in the same way the colour is coming out of its rightful place. Worlds are blurring together. Is it ever right to keep something from someone, and if so, how do you know when to tell them the truth?Madly inventive, madly funny. Some will find it creepy; for the rest it will offer the sustaining jam of life." The Guardian(UK)

Spectacular…atmospheric, sinister, scary, and funny…This is a book for cool kids who will grow up to be fearless.”— Sunday Times (London)

Relaxed Performances are provided for people who would benefit from a more relaxed environment, or are uncomfortable with sudden lighting changes or loud noises, including those with an Autistic Spectrum Condition, sensory or communication needs or a learning disability. Find out more here. Though Lucy lives in a modern, suburban house, the long shot of the house at midnight shows us it’s perched atop a bit of a hill and now it looks like a castle. We can well imagine that this house has a vast, labyrinthine basement full of terrors.