WHERE THE DEEP ONES ARE by Kenneth Hite and Andy Hopp

I must confess: I've never been a fan of Maurice Sendak's children's book Where the Wild Ones Are, as the story felt far too brief. As a tremendous fan of H.P. Lovecraft, I was intrigued to see Sendak's work transformed into the Lovecraftian children's book Where the Deep Ones Are.

Transforming Lovecraft's story "The Shadow Over Innsmouth" into the format of Sendak's tale, haunted narrator Robert Olmstead becomes Bobby, a little boy wearing a costume that looks like a frog with tentacles. Sent to his room for wanting too much fish, Bobby imagines traveling to Innsmouth, learning about the Deep Ones from the old man, and becoming a Deep One himself.

There's something wonderfully twisted about seeing the eldritch Lovecraftian horrors depicted in a cartoonish fashion, while a cheerful little boy wanders around smiling in footie pajamas that look like a Deep One. Artist Andy Hopp does an excellent job mimicking Sendak's art style, and Kenneth Hite manages to hit most of the major story points of "A Shadow Over Innsmouth" with a version that can be read in less than five minutes. If you ever wanted a version of Lovecraft for little kids (or demented adults), go forth and discover Where the Deep Ones Are.

Overall Grade: B+

Reviewed by James Lynch