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The Wolves in the Walls

The Wolves in the Walls

List Price: $16.99
Your Price: $11.55
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Gaiman is a good children's author.
Review: I have read Gaiman's past childrens' works(and all his adult too), and he knows his reader. The Day I Swapped My Dad For Two Goldfish is along the vien of this one, and I enjoyed it a titch better than I did Wolves. Coraline is for children around the age of middle school or so, and he did an excellent job with that as well.

Wolves is about a girl who hears noises in the walls, and is told that is Wolves. The wolves come out and the rest of the story is up to you to read.

If you have children, or like to read childrens books, this book is for you, and pick up Gaiman's other childrens books.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Clever, striking, great for ALL ages
Review: I recently read this book outloud to my cousin and he LOVED it! The book is so intuitive and allows so much expression and voice intonation. The characters are distinct individuals and I could instantly find their voice. The art is simply amazing - I've been a fan of McKean for years. I really don't think kids should be underestimated in their intelligence to appreciate the interesting art that mixes striking artwork and snippits of pictures of real-life objects. There is more to the artwork than that, but that's another review.

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 seems 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.

I could go on and on about this book, but I will just sum up by saying: art is great, writing is great, story is fun and interesting and great for dramatic outloud readings, and the story is an excellent lesson in the silliness of childhood fears.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: The monsters aren't under the bed---they're in the walls
Review: I've been a fan of Gaiman's work since discovering "Neverwhere" a few years back. After reading "Coraline, " another excellent work, I picked up this one for a quick read.

"The Wolves in the Wall" is a well-written and equally well-illustrated picture book intended for elementary school children (grades 2-4). However, it's an equally satisfying read for adults. Quirky, creepy, funny in spots, and as disjointed as any nightmare, the book tells the story of a child who overcomes her fears to save the day for her oblivious, helpless family. Just as in Sendak's best works ("Where the Wild Things Are," for instance), a hefty dose of psychological reality underlies the fantasy here. What child's parents ever REALLY understand the monsters in the closet or under the bed? Gaiman and McKean obviously do and manage to domesticate them at least a little for their young readers.

The only reason I gave this book 4 stars instead of 5 was the ending-it seemed a little pat to me. Nonetheless, I highly recommend the book and look forward to having it on my shelves to reread for years to come.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: It's all over
Review: It's too beautiful to be a children's book. Inspired by a nightmare of one of his daughter's, author Neil Gaiman has developed a wonderful terrifying tale. Lucy can hear wolves in the walls of her home. She's quite certain of what she's hearing, but her family doesn't seem to believe her. When the wolves come out, it is (as the family has always said) all over. Lucy must find a way for her family to retake their home from the nasty, jam-eating, video game playing, tuba thumping wolves.

The pairing of Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean on this book is inspired. Gaiman has often said in interviews that he sees this book less as a picture book and more as a graphic novel. The distinction is slight. In some cases the pages are separated into four panels (something you'd see in a comic book and not, necessarily, a story for children). But I disagree with Mr. Gaiman. This is a picture book and it shows. McKean has taken Gaiman's wonderfully twisted tale and created pictures that combine such a huge amount of different media, it could blow your mind. A single panel might have a gigantic wolf drawn in pen and ink with photos of socks on its feet and fabric beneath him for the bed.

Is the story too scary for children? Well, sure. For some children. I'm not going to grab the your two year-old and force them to read it. But kids with a healthy sense of humor and intelligence will like this book. It will not give them nightmares. It will not make them afraid of wolves for the rest of their little lives. But it will peak their interest and curiosity. I recommend it. It's a one in a million book.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Another Gem from Gaiman and McKean
Review: Like "The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish", this childrens' book is filled with oddball humor and sweetness. McKean's artwork has a very distinct flair that's just *fun* to look at, and the text by Gaiman is... well, written by Gaiman. Those who have read some of his other books are familar with the way he writes. For those who aren't, it's like nothing else.

And, as is normal for childrens' novels, "Wolves in the Walls" contains a moral-of-the-story, although it is never outright stated or shoved in your face. Rather than having the condesending tone of most childrens' stories which lecture the reader on how to behave, this book illustates by having the characters act out the lesson, the essence of which the children are allowed to reach for themselves.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Fun Story + Original Artwork = Success
Review: Lucy is a young girl living with her family in a house that manifests odd sounds in its walls. Her father -- preoccupied with his tuba playing -- swears the noises are caused by mice or rats. Her mother -- busying herself with bottling jam -- agrees that it is an insect or animal. Lucy's little brother -- the high score champ on all the houses' video games -- thinks it might be bats. But Lucy is sure that the bumps and bangs behind the walls are caused by wolves. "Not possible," they all say. "Because if it were wolves, IT would all be over."

It is soon discovered, however, that there ARE wolves in the walls, and they erupt into Lucy and her parents' house one night, chasing them out of their home and taking over the residence. The only item to make it out of the house was her father's primary tuba. Lucy's pig puppet, her mothers jams and foodstuffs, and her brothers video games are still in the house. And Lucy sneaks back up to find the wolves taking advantage of all these items (and even abusing her father's 'secondary' tuba).

The family soon tires of spending nights out in the garden and decide to take back their home. The ending is fun and enjoyable.

The story is light, non-bloody, and very enjoyable. Depending on your childrens level of understanding, this might be a very fun book for them. Mainly for two reasons...

One, it shows how a child can have power within her family and become a hero (even though this story is fictional). Two, the graphic images portrayed by artist Dave McKean are intersted, fresh and original.

I've read other reviews from readers here at Amazon and someone said that this story might be 'Too scarey to read to a child.' I disagree. There's no bloodshed, or gore, or excess violence. I think a child would be more frightened by what they read in a newspaper or see on the nightly news, rather than THIS book.

A+ children's story and graphics.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Lucy is a character every reader will love.
Review: Lucy knows that there are wolves living in the walls of her house. She can hear them hustling and bustling, creeping and crumpling. She tries to warn her family, but no one believes her. "You have an overactive imagination," says her father. "You must be hearing mice, I suppose," says her mother. "Bats," says her brother. Lucy however knows better, and everyone who's anyone knows that when the wolves come out of the walls, it's all over.

When the wolves do come out of the walls, as Lucy has told everyone they would, her family doesn't know what to do. They take up residency at the bottom of their garden, and while they're debating as to whether to live in a hot-air balloon or a tree house, Lucy decides to confront the wolves and reclaim the family's house.

Don't be fooled by the picture-book format; this is most definitely a book for older readers. The many different art techniques, from photo collages to paintings to pen-and-ink drawings, give a bizarre air to the book, yet it's one that is effective due to the quirky nature of Lucy's story.

Lucy is a character every reader will love: she is resilient, brave and thoughtful, and she does not tolerate anyone or anything terrorizing her family. Her attitude toward getting the wolves out of her house is inspiring and ingenious, because everyone who's anyone knows that when the people come out of the walls, it's all over.

--- (...)

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: OFF THE WALL ILLUSTRATIONS!!!!!!
Review: Natalie(3 years old) loves this book even though the illustrations arent as bright as other childrens books.
BUY this book you wont be disappointed!!!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Gaiman and McKean spin another exciting tale
Review: Neil Gaiman is one of my favorite authors. Often working in the realms of science fiction and fantasy in his writing for "adults," Gaiman has successfully carried his creativity, masterful storytelling, respect for his audience, and of course, his charming British wit, into his children's stories. Following "The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish," and "Coraline," Gaiman brings children and adults alike an adventurous tale in "The Wolves in the Walls."

Our heroine, Lucy, is convinced that wolves live in the walls of her house. Her mum, dad, and brother brush off her assertions, until the wolves finally come out. Driven from the house, Lucy takes it upon herself to solve her family's dilemma.

The best thing about Neil Gaiman as a children's author is his clear respect for kids. He knows kids aren't stupid, and his stories make children the heroes, using their unique point of view to conquer their own fears and rescue their loved ones. Lucy in "Wolves" is no exception: she's definitely a kid - she consults with her pig puppet frequently - but she's not helpless - she saves the day in the end.

Gaiman's longtime collaborator, Dave McKean, makes this story truly special. His unique artistic notions have made him famous in the comic book world (especially for his cover art for Gaiman's "Sandman" series) and his work in "Wolves," covering a wide range of styles, makes this story visually exciting.

The vivid story and art might scare the youngest of children, but nobody is put in real danger, and most children (and adults, too!) will find this exciting tale a pleasure to read aloud.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Being Stalked
Review: Neil Gaiman writes really spooky kid's books. If you like stories that make you see things in your peripheral vision in the dark shadows of your room at night, he's the man to look to. Just like with Coraline, his voice is as distinctive and cool here as with his more adult pursuits.


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