A powerful and thought-provoking text, illustrated in graphic novel-style, which will enable children to explore the beauty and dangers of nature as well as the importance of boundaries and self-restraint. Almond’s words and McKean’s artwork blend brilliantly to create a book that is like no other, the words and illustrations seem to dance with one another on the page, they have a fluidity about them that is enchanting, guiding the reader deeper within the story and giving Mouse Bird Snake Wolf its phenomenal power and in my opinion makes this a truly captivating and beautiful read. The imagination of three children takes on unexpected life in a creation tale from the dream team of David Almond and Dave McKean. There is the fable like quality to Mouse Bird Snake Wolf which can be found in many of Almond’s works – in particular I found it interesting that the last thing that the children create given that they were free to make anything they wanted was a monstrous wolf. That’s until Harry, Sue and Little Ben begin to fill the gaps of the world: with a mousy thing, a chirpy thing and a twisty legless thing.

You could say that this is Almond and McKean's most beautiful effort yet, but just know that beautiful has its own dark and wondrous meaning in their hands.In my opinion Mouse Bird Snake Wolf is a precious gift to the world – a quick read but one you will never forget. Aber die Geschichte, die mit Langeweile und Ausprobieren beginnt und dann eben - trotz des Eingreifens der Götter - nicht wirklich ein happy-end hat, sondern wo die Früchte des eigenen Tuns, in diesem Fall Erfindens bzw.

The narrative alone is a delight to read aloud but the combination of story with illustrations make this work remarkable. I'd recommend it to any junior school pupil, and I'd certainly recommend it to colleagues and friends who are teachers. The dream team of David Almond and Dave McKean bring us a complete story set in an incomplete world. That’s until Harry, Sue and little Ben begin to fill the gaps of the world: with a mousy thing, a chirpy thing and a twisty legless thing. Along the way, they'll be dazzled by the lush lyricism of the tale and the wild emotional swings from page to page, as well as McKean's creative use of mixed materials and compositional space.As the children’s ideas take shape, the power of their visions proves to be greater than they, or the gods, could ever have imagined. But as the children's ideas grow bolder, the power of their visions proves greater and more dangerous than they, or the gods, could ever have imagined.

Harry, Sue and Little Ben when faced with these empty spaces and realising that the Gods are taking a well earned nap or a cup of tea and cake or boasting about their accomplishments the group decide to fill these gaps. With days spent boasting about their creation and sleeping in the clouds, they leave their creation to fend for itself, parents turning a blind eye for a moments peace – but at what cost?The story in itself is a wonderfully crafted delight, it’s concept and execution by David Almond is masterful as you would expect, which highlights the impact of the story. It's a short story but the characters are fully formed through the combination of concise writing and gorgeous scenery, and the whole story prompts comparisons of other mythologies- making it an ideal supplementary read for pupils learning about Greeks, Romans or Vikings. David Almond was born in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1951 and grew up in the small mining town of Felling.