Originally a short story, The Sleeper and the Spindle is technically a picture book. However, with its eerie atmosphere and dark overtones it is not a picture book for young readers, but rather a picture book for older ones. It weaves together two fairy tales with typical Neil Gaiman style, namely, give it a twist and then another twist for good measure. With stellar style, it is a good old-fashioned, unsanitized fairy tale telling rather than a watered down adaptation. The audiobook version is performed by a full cast, complete with sound effects and it is positively brilliant. Short, but sweet and definitely worth a listen, but perhaps in the daylight would be best.
Review of the audiobook version
Content Analysis:
Profanity/Language: 1 anatomical term.
Violence/Gore: Report of princes dying on thorns; report of eating/killing animals for food; frightening scene; frightening scene where characters are pursued; hand is hacked off with a sword; ghost images are seen; verbal threats; character hit on head with a stick; scenes of peril; character is stabbed and killed, mention of blood.
Sex/Nudity: Reference to cleavage; female kisses another female on the lips to break a spell.
Mature Subject Matter:
Death.
Alcohol / Drug Use:
None
