Well, I did check out the book today.  It's pretty short, three hundred or so pages.  For me at least, it was a quick read, it took up a few hours of my afternoon.

It is a children's book.  It's not cute, it's not fuzzy, but it is direct, without being simple.  I enjoyed it tremendously.  Sometimes, you come across an author who could write a grocery list and make it fascinating.  Gaiman can pack more imagery, characterization, and plot into half a page than some authors manage in an entire novel.  And, as usual, he manages an ending that gets you right in the ol' ticker, as a grandfather might say.  Some grandfathers, anyway, not mine, certainly.  It is the sort of book I would have loved as a child, one that, as an adult, I can appreciate, and as someone who writes from time to time, I can be somewhat envious of.

Granted, the bad guys ARE bad guys, they don't have much development, and you don't really find out anything real substantial in terms of their motivations and histories.  There are some parts which were dark, and might be frightening to younger or more impressionable children, and there were some very funny and entertaining aspects that might go quite far over some kids' heads.  The werewolf aspect was rather small, but it was different enough from the usual treatment of werewolves in children's literature that it will stick out in my mind.

All told, I'll read this book again.  I'm already making a list of any children I know who might enjoy it.  Definitely check it out, it was alot of fun, and quite a satisfying read.

Very neat, I haven't had a chance yet to read many of his books. I never knew he had one that had a werewolf as a character. I thoroughly enjoyed reading American Gods. His ability to pull in so many allusions was fantastic. I would have to say his writing style is very entertaining to read. Just on a random note I loved the Trance scenes within American Gods, the dream world knowledge was fantastic.