God Bless the Gargoyles by Dav Pilkey

Abstract

Reviewed by: God Bless the Gargoyles by Dav Pilkey Deborah Stevenson, Editor Pilkey, Dav God Bless the Gargoyles; written and illus. by Dav Pilkey. Orchard, 2016 [34p] ISBN 978-0-545-93514-2 $17.99 Reviewed from galleys R 6-9 yrs This rhyming story spins a yarn about the history of carved church gargoyles, who start out as protectors to keep evil away but then begin to elicit the suspicion of the very people they were intended to guard. The sadness of the derided gargoyles attracts sympathetic angels, who console the gargoyles and take them on a night flight, a practice that still continues to this day: “so if you see shapes in the night sky, don’t fear/—for it simply means angels and gargoyles are near.” Aside from the occasional stumble, the galloping anapests are lilting and suitably old-fashioned, making for sonorous reading aloud. The story of rejection hits at kid understanding, and the angels’ nocturnal benison, though somewhat sustained, is genuinely poignant (“god bless each soul that is tortured and taunted,/god bless all creatures alone and unwanted”). The mixed-media paintings strongly echo Chagall, especially in the fluid yet slightly folksy figures of the angels. The nocturnal scenes are rich in teals and purples with subtle geometric patterns, which contrast with the jewel-like glow of the church’s stained-glass windows, a repeated motif. Angelic benevolence has rarely appeared so interesting, and the book may make even devout young nonbelievers clamor for a church visit. Copyright © 2016 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois