The Ends Of Our Tethers (2004)

Very few writers could elevate a bad case of eczema into a hilarious near -- horror story, but Scottish author Gray does just that with ''Job's Skin Game'' -- one of several weird and wonderful tales in the author-illustrator's 18th book. In these short short stories -- most don't go over ten pages -- Gray trots out a cast of surly teens, wistful widows, washed-up poets, and what seems to be his caustic alter ego. Gray has a particular gift for wry character sketches: In ''Aiblins,'' he describes ''a thin student whose manner suggested he found life a desperate but comical game he was bound to lose.'' Gray charms us into enjoying the spectacle of his oddballs staggering, muttering, and fretting about their weary lives in Glasgow.