The Dark

We all have unique fears. After not one, not two, but three separate incidents in which I cracked pistachio shells and then threw large bugs rather than nuts in my mouth, I now have a lingering fear of pistachios in the shell. This doesn't stop me from eating the tasty buggers mind you, but now I crack, cautiously examine, then gobble. Despite this and a handful of other quirky phobias, the fears that occupy the more prominent spots in my consciousness are those that I share with so many others. Indeed, it almost seems as if some fears are universal. And the dark is one of them.

Thus it was part morbid curiosity and part excitement that lead me to Lemony Snicket and Jon Klassen's picture book The Dark. The excitement stemmed from the fact that two great talents had come together to craft one book. The morbid curiosity, well, that came from my fear of the dark, a fear shared not just with many of you, but also with our main character, Laszlo.

Seen throughout the tale in a simple pair of blue footy pajamas, the somewhat austere Laszlo lives in a big house with "a creaky roof, smooth, cold windows, and several sets of stairs." Yet, he doesn't live there alone. Perfectly personified, Snicket has given portions of Laszlo's house over to the living, breathing, and talking dark. Sometimes the dark hangs out in the closet, sometimes behind the shower curtain, but mostly, it is found in the basement in a "distant corner...pressed up against some old, damp boxes, and a chest of drawers that nobody ever opened." That is until half way through the tale when the dark visits Laszlo in his room and calls him to the basement.

I won't give away the ending but I also won't leave you... in the dark. Instead, I will simply state that despite some wonderfully built tension and anxiety, Laszlo manages to conquer his fear in a manner that will help any young reader feel a bit more snug not just in the dark but also in a creaky house or strange closet.

This ending is a fitting culmination of the just-right, simple, and satisfying narration. However, it is not just the perfectly paced tale that makes this book a great read but rather, it is the pairing of this story with Klassen's clean illustrations that elevate it to a worthwhile read for those old as well as young. Klassen's spreads contrast abundant dark space with a minimal color pallete and simple lines that truly make the dark come alive and grow and in the end, recede. Together, this artwork and Snicket's story meld into a beautiful book that deserves a prominent and bright spot on any shelf.