- Hardcover: 56 pages
- Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers (Aug 2003)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 038097827X
- ISBN-13: 978-0380978274
- Product Dimensions: 26.1 x 26.2 x 1.1 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,418,058 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
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 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
'[Gaiman] is, simply put, a treasure house of story, and we are lucky to have him in any medium' Stephen King 'An extraordinary novel by a very gifted storyteller. Adults find it terrifying; children lap it up. It's utterly original, and written with elegance and power.' Philip Pullman, Observer Books of the Year 'It is a masterpiece' Terry Pratchett
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
Lucy walked around the house. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
Lucy walked around the house. Read the first page
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Concordance
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Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
22 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Perhaps an even better plot than Gaiman's wonderful "Coraline" - not a single word wasted or idea which isn't used more than once. Very funny, great positive heroine and other characters, wonderful internal logic and a couple of excellent twists. And its scary too.
Dave McKean seems to have added a new depth to his illustrations, adding a richer feel to his near-perfect synergy with Neil Gaiman's texts. He echoes the economy of the words, with a small number of key images defining the world perfectly with no superfluous crowding - this is not to say it is sparse - the place is vidily rich - with hints of wolves and perhaps even an elephant if you look hard enough.
The typography is also wonderful for young readers because it virtually scores how to read the text out loud, it is near impossible to read without moving your lips.
The plot is firmly in the world of make-up stories with kids - a ordinary (ish) family in a real house . . . and a little turn of phrase that comes to transform their world. Once you've said "everyone knows that when the Wolves come out of the walls . . . " everything that follows makes perfect sense and generates heaps of giggles too.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I bought this for my new born son to one day enjoy. Dark and funny, he will have to pry it from my cold dead hands. Dave's art is as hot as it has ever been and Neil's writting will give children well earnt nightmares for years to come.
A fantasy family tale with wicked undertones, it will enthrall and entertain ALL family members. The final few frames had me laughing like a drain.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I am the headteacher of a primary school. I passed the door of the assembly hall as this book was being read to the school by one of the teachers. I could see the children were transfixed, sitting with mouths open in disbelief as the disturbing story unfolded. I crept in to join them and was immediately caught up in the story of the family, driven from their house by the wolf yobs appearing from the walls and helping themselves to clothing, musical instruments and jam sandwiches. They took over the house like a gang of hungry teenagers, whilst the family skulked in the garden. Lucy, the feisty young daughter, was determined to reclaim her beloved pig puppet and her house. She led the family back through the walls of the house, from where they all charged to chase the wolves away. There is a wonderful twist at the end of the story that had the older children laughing and clapping and left the younger ones slightly worried. All seemed to be resolved until Lucy thought she heard elephants in the walls and found squashed jam sandwiches left around the house.
All 115 of us in the hall loved the book. It was frightening, funny and full of surprises. The illustrations were beautiful; dark and slightly threatening but also full of humour, for those who could uncover their eyes and look.
All 115 of us in the hall loved the book. It was frightening, funny and full of surprises. The illustrations were beautiful; dark and slightly threatening but also full of humour, for those who could uncover their eyes and look.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
wolves in the walls
The story is brilliantly written by Neil Gaiman and the illustrations are fantastic. However, I was very disappointed that the CD was damaged and I couldn't use it. Read more
Published 2 months ago by hcrowe
Horrific illustrations, good for creating nightmares.
I bought this book for a child who has a great interest in Wolves but sent this back when I saw what it was like. Read more
Published 6 months ago by fabmama
Scary and funny - a good combination
My 8 year old and I listened to the CD as we turned the pages, both shivering with the exciting chill of the noises from the walls. Read more
Published 13 months ago by SChubb
The Wolves in the Wall
yet another excellent book to capture the imagination of a class or children, or any child. First class.
Published 21 months ago by Mrs. C. M. Carter
Surreal and Wonderful
Beautiful artwork by Dave McKean combined with the kind of surreal writing that there should be more of in the world. Read more
Published on 6 Jun 2009 by A. Nottingham
THE WOLVES IN THE WALL
This is a great book for the slightly older child who likes their stories to be a little bit scary. Neil Gaiman is a brilliant writer for adults and his children's books are a good... Read more
Published on 2 Jun 2009 by Y. J. Fielding
Graphic Art and Story Telling at its best.
Gaiman is one of the best storytellers that I have come across. One of my favourite authors. This book is imaginative and ingenious. The images bring the story to life. Read more
Published on 2 April 2009 by Misty Fied
Wolves in the Walls
Quite a good book but my 7 year old didn't like the images - however, my 2½ year old loved it.
Published on 17 Mar 2009 by Mrs H
what a winner!
I have a problem where I tend to go for the pictures before the words, and this was no exception. At the time i discovered this absolute marvel of a book I was just learning about... Read more
Published on 31 Oct 2008 by K. Davies
Dark and Very Funny
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... Read more
Published on 23 May 2008 by Mrs. K. A. Wheatley
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