Ottila runs away from home and discovers a castle where a lonely skull lives. The skull needs help making tea, lighting a fire and escaping from a headless skeleton who wants to kidnap him. These two lost souls gradually form a bond through their shared fragility. The illustrations are beautiful, with a limited colour palette that creates a delicate, slightly eerie atmosphere. The author explains that he first heard this traditional story while travelling in Alaska, but when he read it again a year later, his brain had completely invented the ending. The result is a wonderfully strange and unexpected twist on a traditional tale.
“They went into a room.
“This is the fireplace room,” said the skull. “I come here to drink tea by the fire in the evenings.”
“You can make tea?” said Otilla.
“No, not anymore,” said the skull.”
