Illustrated by Gris GrimlyRating: Additional
HarperCollins, 2008, $17.99
HarperCollins, 2008, $17.99
ISBN: 9789960783334
Age/Grade Level: Ages 8 and up
Not for the faint of heart, Gaiman and Grimly do what they do best with The Dangerous Alphabet, a creepy book stuck somewhere between beginning alphabet and teen gore. Each letter (with two purposely switched, can you catch which?) tells a piece of a story as two siblings and their pet gazelle explore an odd sewer-like world of monsters and gore. Sepia toned illustrations follow their journey while in the background, children are eaten by gooey creatures, a girl is chained to a wall, and body parts float in jars. Readers will be inspired to read mulitiple times, once for the text and many more to explore the pictures. Though the inside flap indicates that the book is for children 5 and up, I would be hesitant to put the eerie book in the hands of a kindergartner, as nightmares could surely follow. This would be a fascinating title for a middle grade book club; plot, pictures and even appropriateness could be topics of interest. More for 8+ children who want something very spooky to mull over, adults or the coffee table than the picture book area.
Reviewer: Jacqueline Barry, Orange County Public Library/Villa Park Branch
