Author: Jo Ellen Bogart
Illustrator: Maja Kastelic
Publisher: Groundwood Books
Ages: 4-8
A stone egg hatches and a small friend is born. As Anthony discovers that his new friend could be a gargoyle, a quest begins to find his friend’s home.
This wordless picturebook lets you travel in time from generation to generation. Through illustrations done in a decidedly warm Parisian pallet Kastelic pushes thoughts to run free in a collection of images that propel Bogart’s narrative forward. Illustrated in graphic-novel style, each panel gives the reader plenty to discuss. Discussion is key, as it engages children in much needed analysis essential to developing reading and comprehension skills. This book is ripe for dialogic reading.
Longtime readers of this blog know my love of wordless picturebooks, but I’m not exactly a pushover. This one is decidedly not an easy read. It’s going to require discussion between the adult and the child as there is much to uncover in the illustrations (rich with development and nuance). That, is a good thing. Build those comprehension skills early. They will pay dividends later on.
Anthony and the Gargoyle (Amazon)*
Anthony and the Gargoyle (Support an Independent Bookstore)*
My thanks to Nube Ocho for providing a Review Copy of this book. All opinions provided herein are my own.
More books for this Age Group can be found here.
Please, leave comments! I love a HEALTHY exchange of ideas. After all, critical thinking is essential to life.
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