Frankly, terrifying...

(...and, no, I don't mean the weather!) I picked up this new picture book by Lemony Snickett in the Library the other day (I'm no fan of the 'Unfortunate Series of Fairly Annoying Adventures', but the illustrations are by Jon Klassen, whose 'I Want My Hat Back' is a brilliant book that everyone should read, whether they've got kids or not...) and I've got to say it sent a shiver down my spine. The publishers are recomending it to parents whose children are scared of the dark but I think they'd maybe never sleep soundly again if you read them this with just a little bit of feeling... Maybe I should put up blackout blinds at Storytime this week and read this with a torch under my chin (...maybe play them a bit of Ben Frost...) - that would probably top the couple of times I've made children cry with a slightly too-realistic use of the 'Scary Sid' puppet...!?