Stripes ISBN: 9781788951043 £6.99
This is the second book in the Skeleton Keys series. Skeleton Keys is a talking skeleton who has keys instead of fingers that can open doors to secret worlds. Luna mourns the death of her grandfather, Old Man Moon. The rest of the family are delighted that he has gone. Then there is a strange occurrence. Aunt Summer vanishes and reappears as a painting in the Horridor.. What is going on? Is Old Man Moon haunting them from beyond the grave, or is it the work of “unimaginaries”, imaginary friends who have become real. Skeleton Keys is determined to solve the mystery.
This is an exciting, strange, Gothic story with twists, humour, magic, “fantabulant questions and fantabulant answers”. The book itself is like an ancient volume with blackened page edges and fabulous illustration reminiscent Gorey. As Skeleton himself says in his introduction, which whets the appetite, it is “a hum-dum-dinger of a tale set to send your thoughts running for cover.” Highly recommended for children aged 7-9.
Brenda Marshall