Customer Reviews

The Gargoyle on the Roof

5 star:		(5)
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This book is a treasure for the child who likes monsters! The poems are funny and give a good spin to being a monster and the illustrations are not overly ghoulish, though probably thought provoking in some instances. I do think though that age 4 is a little to young for this book - it really should be for a child who can distinguish real from fantasy as it introduces topics that might be scary to the child who still thinks monsters COULD be real. It was too much for my 5 year old nephew, the eight year old loved it.

This is a very handsome book in which the author and the illustrator have collaborated with remarkable skill. The verse is always amusing but can give a young reader some pleasant shivers. The array of grotesque creatures - gremlins, goblins, basilisks, gargoyles, headless ghosts - is presented most fascinatingly by the very brilliant artist, while the author gives the faintly sinister but always poetic nature of the pictures a frequent dimension of humour. My seven-year-old granddaughter fell immediately in love with the book which I greatly enjoyed reading out to her, but her ten-year-old brother and twelve-year-old sister were just as taken with it. In fact her elder brother and sister could appreciate rather more than she did how witty some of the verse is. Certainly a book I can recommend unreservedly to all lovers of books - young and old.

Jack Prelutsky strikes again. It is a wonderful book of rhyme with gargoyles, werewolves, gremlins, and vanpires populating the universe. The illustrations by Peter Sis' are subtle and whimisical, done in color and black and white. Excellent folklore book and recommended to all ages, from K through the 12th grade level, including parents and teachers. Anyone who enjoys folklore will enjoy this book.

I purchased this book for my almost-three-year old whom adores a gargoyle statue I own. On first reading, the monsters frightened her. However, she quickly picked up on the humor and emotions in the poems. She delights in the poems now and is less afraid of monsters. I would suggest that parents use a lot of goofy humor & voice fluctuations when reading the stories. Young children with a fear of monsters or an undeveloped sense of humor may need to grow into this book. Also, there are only 3 gargoyle poems, the balance are werewolf, vampire, gobblins, and boogeyman poems. This is now my daughter's favorite goodnight book..and no nightmares!

These poems are clever and fun to hear. The illustrations bring the words to life. My kids ask me to read these over and over again. (Fun for parents too.)