Gaiman, Neil. Illustrations by Dave McKean. The Wolves in the Walls. Harper Collins. 2003.
The eerily decorated jacket and pitch black endpapers, along with just the title The Wolves in the Walls, attracted me to this book. Each page looks as if it has been pasted together using multiple mediums in a charmingly awkward way. The dark and mismatched illustrations work to create a haunting atmosphere of suspense. Even the words on each page are sized and arranged in an uncomfortable way…just as the family in the story must feel as they are forced to leave their home in the hands of the unruley wolves. Small words are used for creeping and sneaking, huge cascading words for running and screaming, and some space between for the horrible silence. This book can show students how expressively and flexibly language can be used to create a mood. It’s also packed with onomatopoeias, a lesson in itself.
I just found this book recently. The kids seem to love it at all levels.