The Dangerous Alphabet by Neil Gaiman and Gris Grimley

HarperCollins2008
ISBN: 978-0060783334
Format: PictureBook
Rating: excellent
Grade: 3rd Grade and up
CurriculumFramework: English
A is for always, that’s where we embark…
Two children, treasure map in hand, and their pet gazelle sneak past their father, out of their house, and into a world beneath the city, where monsters and pirates roam. Will they find the treasure, and more importantly will they make it out alive? Let me first say that I absolutely LOVED this book. Neil Gaiman and Gris Grimley make a delightfully demented team who serve up plenty of thrills and chills in this wonderful book. The creepy illustrations perfectly accompany the text and leave the reader avidly turning the pages to see what monstrosity is going to pop up next. That said, there is one word of caution. This is definitely not a book for young children. The illustrations are way too scary, and the text is too far over their heads. As a matter of fact, I’m not sure exactly where to put it as of yet. I would definitely recommend it to 3rd graders and up, and I even think some YA’s would get a kick out of it, especially those who enjoy manga and anime.
Reviewer: Kim Barker
LibraryCity: PIL/Dan
Reviewdate: 7/9/08