1. Ageing
2. Alienation
3. Art techniques
4. Bullying
5. Compassion
6. Emotions
7. Empathy
8. Grief
9. Homelessness
10. Hope
11. Humanity
12. Isolation
13. Kindness
14. Loneliness
15. Loss
16. Memory
17. Personification
18. Regeneration
19. Rejection
20. Sadness
21. Sustainability
22. Symbolism
23. Visual literacy

‘The Gargoyle’ is an intriguing tale that highlights aspects of society often overlooked or ignored in the rush and impatience of modern life.

We meet the gargoyle through the eyes of a young boy who observes him boarding the train dragging an old and seemingly heavy suitcase with him. Only the boy notices the sad gargoyle or hears his empty sighs. The other passengers do though moan about the puddle of water that appears around him. The boy is curious, and we hear his thoughts about the gargoyle and the heavy-looking suitcase. When the gargoyle is forced to leave the train, he leaves the suitcase behind. The boy opens it to a surprising revelation.

The gargoyle is symbolic of many things, the elderly, whose memories, and wisdom are overlooked or ignored and the destruction of historic and valuable buildings by developers who push to replace beauty with shiny high-rise towers. The gargoyle represents all that has been discarded, thrown away along with history, knowledge, and life.

The story is not without hope for, along with the wonderous and precious memories of the gargoyle in the suitcase, the boy finds a tiny seed that he plants and nurtures, all the while wondering if he will ever see the gargoyle again. Then, on the final double page is a large healthy tree and if you look closely a gargoyle can be spied within its branches.

The book’s language, particularly the use of repetition, creates a strong emotional resonance. The repeating of the word ‘wonder’ in the boy’s thoughts about the gargoyle as well as in the word pictures of the gargoyle itself with phrases such as ‘an echoey, achy hollow sort of sigh’ the gargoyle emits that tells of grief and sadness. This emotional resonance is carried over into the realistic acrylic paint artwork with its moody sombre bluish hues. The opening double page spread shows an old sad gargoyle on a railway platform with a graffiti covered train and crumbling station walls. The passengers are shown as shadowy half images reflecting the lack of care or interest in others or their environment. Signs promoting new developments further enhance the message that old things are not to be respected but rather torn down and discarded.

This is a book packed with discussion points and a heartfelt call for kindness and compassion.

1. Hachette Teaching notes by Robyn Sheahan-Bright for ‘The Gargoyle’ by Zana Fraillon and Ross Morgan https://cdn.hachette.com.au/resources/9780734421241-teachers-resources.pdf
2. Kids’ Book Review 17 July 2023. Anastasia Gonis reviews ‘The Gargoyle’ by Zana Fraillon and Ross Morgan http://www.kids-bookreview.com/2023/07/review-gargoyle.html
3. ReadPlus 10 July 2023. Nicole Nelson reviews ‘The Gargoyle’ by Zana Fraillon and Ross Morgan https://www.readplus.com.au/reviews/the-gargoyle
4. Dr Helen Edwards 3 August 2023 reviews ‘The Gargoyle’ https://www.helenedwardswrites.com/the-gargoyle-by-zana-fraillon-ross-morgan/
5. Reading Time 1 July 2023. Susanne Gervay reviews ‘The Gargoyle’ https://readingtime.com.au/the-gargoyle/
6. The Bottom Shelf 14 September 2023. Barbara Braxton reviews ‘The Gargoyle’ by Zana Fraillon and Ross Morgan https://thebottomshelf.edublogs.org/2023/09/14/the-gargoyle/
7. Mythical Creatures Guide-Gargoyles https://www.mythicalcreaturesguide.com/gargoyle/