Dark children’s literature fans will delight in Neil Gaiman’s foray into the land of letters, The Dangerous Alphabet. Readers will never look at “A told B, B told C” (though charming) the same way again.

Gaiman’s tale is woven through thirteen couplets that tell of a young Victorian girl, her brother, and their pet gazelle (who would ever think to have a pet gazelle other than Gaiman?) and their terrifying venture into an underworld filled with danger, mischief and fantasy in search of treasure.

As with most of Gaiman’s works, you can expect the children to be headstrong yet cunning, bold and creative with a strong sense of curiosity. The two creep past their own father to sail a boat down a stream and into the sewer-entranced world, treasure map in hand; and once there, the two’s lives are threatened at every corner. The lure of candy kept by scary villains, a monster-filled maze, pirates, trolls, and other creepy creatures all await them on their journey.

Readers can rest assured that the children do not meet their untimely demise within Gaiman’s pages. Just as with his young adult novels, the children in this picture book are heroes, triumphing over the gloom and doom surprisingly discovered within the alphabet.

Chris Grimly’s illustrations are wonderfully gothic and dangerous, featuring creepy line drawings that seem a cross between Little Lulu and The Nightmare Before Christmas. Each page features objects that correspond with that page’s letter, and the colors correspond to those one might find on a faded treasure map. Grimly even hand-letters Gaiman’s creepy text, each word echoing the reader’s trembling voice as he or she presses on through the pages.

While the traditional letter blocks you’re familiar with are present, they’re definitely not the same, featuring a skull and crossbones where a little red wagon might normally be. And though readers may be reassured with the “A is for…” format found in traditional alphabet books, such comfort is quickly lost as they discover the dastardly deeds and ferocious fauna that replaces the common letter associations. Though written for ages four to eight, many images—such as chained up children—may be too disturbing for young readers.

Where all the warnings within the alphabet warranted? Just how dangerous is the alphabet? Was the treasure even worth the journey? Grab a copy of this extraordinary picture book and find out—with or without the children.