Good Griselle [Library Binding]

Jane Yolen (Author), David Christiana (Illustrator)

Book Description

The cathedral's mistrustful gargoyles convince the angels to test Griselle, a gentle lacemaker, by sending her an ugly, mean boy to care for.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Yolen reaches new heights in this flawless tale. Patterned after the story of Job, it concerns one Griselle, a lace maker in Paris of long ago. Reports of her goodness so enrage the gargoyles on a nearby cathedral that they place a wager one Christmas Eve with their holy counterparts, the stone angels. Their bet? To test Griselle's goodness by thrusting upon her "an ugly and unlovable child." The angels consent, and the gargoyles send a hideous, squalling imp to the woman's doorstep. Though the foundling tests her sorely indeed, Griselle proves faithful, and in a particularly poignant ending, her place in heaven and that of her homely but much loved son are assured. The prose is lush but exquisitely restrained, and moves to the measured cadences of another, more gracious era. The story creates new opportunities for Christiana's (White Nineteens) brooding, mysterious watercolor art. Part impressionist, part Arthur Rackham, wholly original, rendered largely in shades of gray but with an occasional touch of color, the illustrations reveal a world where crouching gargoyles hint of dark purposes and the shadowed and oblique are infinitely more intriguing than the overt. In a word, heavenly. Ages 7-up.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 2-4. The angels and gargoyles carved on an old cathedral are the characters in an original fairy tale about an ugly changeling. Set at Christmas, this is also a kind of Nativity story. Griselle is so beautiful and good that she gives away half her food to the cats and birds. The grumbling gargoyles can't stand her, and they have a wager with the angels to test Griselle's goodness by sending her an ugly and unlovable child. He arrives at her door on Christmas. She takes him in and loves him. Nothing will make her abandon him, not even the man she loves, not even her own safety. She is the child's savior, and her love transforms him. The book design is handsome, with some hand lettering and with watercolor paintings of depth and mystery that evoke the sculptured figures in stone shades of gray and brown. Some pictures are like panels; some show the gargoyles bursting out like evil happenings and ugly feelings. One realistic view of the child clutching the battered mother is a heartbreaking madonna image. Like Winter's illustrated version of Lagerlof's The Changeling (1991), this may appeal more to adults than young children, but it will touch anyone who imagines a story about those strange figures carved in stone. Hazel Rochman

Product Details

• Library Binding
• Publisher: Harcourt Childrens Books (J) (December 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152317015
• ISBN-13: 978-0152317010
• Product Dimensions: 14.3 x 7.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,960,094 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Born and raised in New York City, Jane Yolen now lives in Hatfield, Massachusetts. She attended Smith College and received her master's degree in education from the University of Massachusetts. The distinguished author of more than 170 books, Jane Yolen is a person of many talents. When she is not writing, Yolen composes songs, is a professional storyteller on the stage, and is the busy wife of a university professor, the mother of three grown children, and a grandmother. Active in several organizations, Yolen has been on the Board of Directors of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, was president of the Science Fiction Writers of America from 1986 to 1988, is on the editorial board of several magazines, and was a founding member of the Western New England Storytellers Guild, the Western Massachusetts Illustrators Guild, and the Bay State Writers Guild. For twenty years, she ran a monthly writer's workshop for new children's book authors. In 1980, when Yolen was awarded an honorary Doctor of Law degree by Our Lady of the Elms College in Chicopee, Massachusetts, the citation recognized that "throughout her writing career she has remained true to her primary source of inspiration--folk culture." Folklore is the "perfect second skin," writes Yolen. "From under its hide, we can see all the shimmering, shadowy uncertainties of the world." Folklore, she believes, is the universal human language, a language that children instinctively feel in their hearts. All of Yolen's stories and poems are somehow rooted in her sense of family and self. The Emperor and the Kite, which was a Caldecott Honor Book in 1983 for its intricate papercut illustrations by Ed Young, was based on Yolen's relationship with her late father, who was an international kite-flying champion. Owl Moon, winner of the 1988 Caldecott Medal for John Schoenherr's exquisite watercolors, was inspired by her husband's interest in birding. Yolen's graceful rhythms and outrageous rhymes have been gathered in numerous collections. She has earned many awards over the years: the Regina Medal, the Kerlan Award, the World Fantasy Award, the Society of Children's Book Writers Award, the Mythopoetic Society's Aslan Award, the Christopher Medal, the Boy's Club Jr. Book Award, the Garden State Children's Book Award, the Daedalus Award, a number of Parents' Choice Magazine Awards, and many more. Her books and stories have been translated into Japanese, French, Spanish, Chinese, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Afrikaans, !Xhosa, Portuguese, and Braille. With a versatility that has led her to be called "America's Hans Christian Andersen," Yolen, the child of two writers, is a gifted and natural storyteller. Perhaps the best explanation for her outstanding accomplishments comes from Jane Yolen herself: "I don't care whether the story is real or fantastical. I tell the story that needs to be told."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Glorious!, January 16, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Good Griselle (Library Binding)

I would give this beautiful book 20 stars if I could. It is truly one of the most moving works --for children OR adults-- that I have ever read. It centers around an exceptionally kind woman, a widow, who lives near Notre Dame cathedral. The angels and gargoyles who decorate the cathedral test her goodness by sending a hideously ugly and disobedient child to her doorstep. The angels bet that she will love him no matter what, the gargoyles wager that she will not. Good Griselle is most sorely tested, especially when a gargoyle disguised as her late husband forces her to choose between him and the child she has grown to cherish. But virtue triumphs in the magnificent conclusion. This is a haunting, unforgettable tale of unconditional love and unselfishness that will leave tears in your eyes.

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazingly Illustrated, January 9, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Good Griselle (Library Binding)

Beautiful illustrations and a well told story make for a delightful read.