The Wolves in the Walls: Dave McKean, Neil Gaiman

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Is it ever right to keep something from someone, and if so, how do you know when to tell them the truth?

In the story the protagonist, Lucy, hears wolves in the walls of her family's house, but her family does not believe her until one day when the wolves come out of the walls. If you want a story that is both action-packed and scary, then read Neil Gaiman’s other books such as, “Coraline” and “The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish. While this bizarre tale is certainly one worth reading, it's the artwork that really carries the book. A surreal tale of wolves that lived within the walls and then took over the house and temporarily forced its inhabitants out. However, the story falls flat on the scare factor as the wolves are only perceived as the usual unwelcome guests in the family’s home and the story is slow-paced as it took time for the family to decide to rush back to their home.In 2006 The Wolves in the Walls was adapted for stage, as a "Musical Pandemonium" of the same name, with music by Nick Powell to which Neil Gaiman contributed some lyrics. This book is brilliantly illustrated by Dave McKean with a combination of hand-drawn art, photographs and computer graphics that captures the aura of imagination with both a playfulness and unsettling atmosphere. It is quite a simple story to follow, but please have a look at our visual story before booking if your child is younger or you think they might find it scary. We laugh at the same jokes, flinch at the panting raggedy wolves, and leave the theatre asking the same dazed questions.

It is just the kind of story that should be read aloud, too, full of the rhythms and repeated refrains that fit with oral story telling. When Lucy hears noises from behind the walls, she tries to warn her family that there are wolves lurking inside their house.The VR adaptation was well-received, and in August 2019, Wolves in the Walls won a Primetime Emmy for outstanding innovation in interactive media, [25] and a Peabody Award in 2022. McKean's spiky art, with its imaginative use of photography is the real star turn here and has to be seen to be believed. Throughout the book nobody believes Lucy but continuously quotes an old saying about when the wolves come out, it’s all over.

It was co-produced by the National Theatre of Scotland and Improbable theatre, [1] [14] and premiered at the Tramway in Glasgow in March 2006, [15] [16] before touring the UK for the rest of the year, winning TMA Best Show for Children and Young People for 2006. One of a number of children's book collaborations between author Neil Gaiman and illustrator Dave McKean - other titles include Coraline, The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish and Crazy Hair - The Wolves in the Walls features an engrossing and somewhat creepy story, and mixed media artwork that perfectly captures the atmospheric thrills of Gaiman's text. She hears scratching and nibbling in the walls and is convinced that the noises are coming from the wolves. Once again, Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean combined their skills and created a lovely little illustrated book with a satisfatory plot.Through looking at how Lucy confronts her and her family’s fear within the story, children can begin to consider what things are worthy of fear and why. PBS Kids’ set of resources for talking to young children about race and racism might also be useful for educators.