"The gargoyles squat / high on corners / staring into space, their empty eyes unblinking / till night comes." So begins the poetic narrative of this striking picture book from author Eve Bunting and illustrator David Wiesner. Leaving their stiff daytime positions, the gargoyles peek into the museum they guard, cavort in a nearby fountain, and frighten the night watchman, before returning to their accustomed places as dawn approaches...

The beautifully evocative text from Bunting, describing the antics of the gargoyles at night, is perfectly matched by the dark-toned but gorgeous pastel artwork of Wiesner in Night of the Gargoyles. As an admirer of both of these picture book creators, I was eager to track down this beautiful but fearsome title, which, although it is not explicitly a Halloween tale, was done in honor of the season. How glad I am that I did, as I found everything about it beautiful. I was reminded of another gargoyle-centered picture book I have read and enjoyed—Dav Pilkey's God Bless the Gargoyles. On the whole, I think I found the Pilkey more emotionally resonant than this one, as it addressed deeper philosophical and religious themes, but aesthetically, from a textual and visual perspective, I think I prefer this one. Perhaps the two could be read together, for two different views on gargoyles. ( )

My sister recently moved, and I went over to help her get her new place set up. She had left me one of the best jobs, setting up her library for her. While I was organizing her books, I discovered this slim little volume and decided that I needed to sit down to read it on the spot. The story is just a short little tale about gargoyles and their goings-on at night when the rest of the world is asleep. I thought the story cute, but what is really astounding about this book are the charcoal sketches by David Wiesner. They are just fantastic! I've included a couple of shots of my some of my favorite pages below. I'm hoping that I'll be able to find a copy of my own someday to add to my library.




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Wiesner illustrated with dark black and white drawings. Story is about what gargoyles get up to once night falls.

This is a poem about gargoyles with intricate and thought provoking illustrations. ( )

I've liked gargoyles since my college days, and I enjoy black and white photography and illustrations as well, so this book was right up my alley. Love David Wiesner illustrations as well, so I enjoyed this one. It isn't as light as the other Wiesners I've seen, but still interesting. ( )