god bless the gargoyles [Paperback]

Dav Pilkey (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

A remarkable book that dispels myths about gargoyles and offers a message of hope for all lonely and neglected souls.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Angels befriend the grotesque church guardians in this comforting story. "Pilkey imbues these dreamy vistas with electricity, the skin-prickling feeling of witnessing a special event," said PW. All ages. (Aug.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-4-Gargoyles that long ago were "set...on perches to guard and protect and watch over churches" have over time become objects of fear and derision. Now they are sad and full of pain and their "stony old hearts" are broken. But graceful young angels arrive on a stormy night, one for each gargoyle, to comfort them and fly with them over the earth. The angels cast God's blessing on all creatures. Even the grieving, the lonely, and the homeless are shown to have guardian angels to comfort and protect them. This simple story with its dubious message that all is right with the world is told in doggerel-like couplets with a number of forced rhymes. The neatly boxed and bordered poetry, four lines to a page, is imposed on spectacular illustrations. The richly colored, sculptural, textured paintings fill the double-page spreads. Echoes of medieval stained glass, city buildings outlined against brilliantly hued night skies, and lonely streets inspired by Edward Hopper blend in a sequence of dramatic pictures through which the gargoyles and their attendants continuously fly. Gargoyles and angels are popular icons and will certainly attract notice, but Pilkey's trivialized, sentimental story does not equal the high quality of the illustrations.
Shirley Wilton, Ocean County College, Toms River, NJ
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Paperback: 36 pages
• Publisher: Voyager Books; 1st Voyager Books Ed edition (July 26, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152021043
• ISBN-13: 978-0152021047
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 10 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #286,744 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #31 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( P ) > Pilkey, Dav
  • #71 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Religions > Fiction > General

More About the Author

"Considered one of the most popular contemporary authors for readers in elementary school, (Dav Pilkey) is also regarded as a talented artist and inventive humorist as well as a subtle moralist. ...He underscores his works--even at their most outrageous--with a philosophy that emphasizes friendship, tolerance, and generosity and celebrates the triumph of the good-hearted."

-The Educational Book & Media Association

Dav Pilkey is the Caldecott Honor Award-winning author and illustrator of more than 40 books for children. Check out his award-winning website at www.Pilkey.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of a Kind, August 17, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: god bless the gargoyles (Hardcover)

I have read this book regularly to groups of emotionally and behaviorally disturbed children for two years. These are children hardened by lifetimes of physical and sexual abuse and chaotic environments. This is the only one of the many stories I read for them that truly touches more than a few of them. Most applaud. A few cry. Some have been able to use the story to build an understanding of their own feelings of abandonment and need for belonging. I believe that Pilkey, with this book, has made a profound difference in many children's lives.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars God Bless the Gargoyles, December 20, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: god bless the gargoyles (Paperback)

A great book about people/things that are different and unwanted. Everyone can learn a lesson from this book about acceptance. It is a fantasy book of poetry, with excellent color illustration, and is recommended for the K through 12th grades, as well as teachers and parents.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Now more than ever..., September 14, 2001

By 

"catpoor" (Moorestown, NJ USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: god bless the gargoyles (Hardcover)

Today is the Friday following the tragic attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. For some reason, I went through my stacks of children's books this evening (I'm a teacher BTW), and I had to pull this one out. I've never been able to get through this story/poem without my voice cracking and tears in my eyes, but this evening - it was full scale balling! The words and images just seem to fit so well with the way we're all feeling.
"God bless the hearts and the souls who are grieving
for those who have left, and for those who are leaving.
God bless each perishing body and mind, God bless all creatures remaining behind.
God bless the dreamer whose dreams have awoken.
God bless the lovers whose hearts have been broken."
Buy this book and share it with those you love!!