Good Griselle

by Jane Yolen, David Christiana (Illustrator)

Stone angels stand tall on the cathedral walls; gargoyles squat on its ledges. They don't agree on much--certainly not on Griselle, who lives nearby, is a truly good woman. Griselle shares every bit of her food, she never complains, and she tenderly cares for stray animals. The angels sing her praises, but anyone,grumble the gargoyles, can be good when it comes to the feeding of cats and birds; "We must test this Good Griselle with something far more difficult."

The angels agree to a wager and thus, on Christmas Eve, Griselle hears a pitiful wailing and opens her door to find the ugliest child she's ever seen

Genres: Picture Books, Fantasy, Childrens, Fiction

40 pages, Library Binding

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Jane Yolen is a novelist, poet, fantasist, journalist, songwriter, storyteller, folklorist, and children’s book author who has written more than three hundred books. Her accolades include the Caldecott Medal, two Nebula Awards, the World Fantasy Award, three Mythopoeic Awards, the Kerlan Award, two Christopher Awards, and six honorary doctorate degrees from colleges and universities in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Born and raised in New York City, the mother of three and the grandmother of six, Yolen lives in Massachusetts and St. Andrews, Scotland.

Reviews

[Lisa Rathbun]

This original tale has many elements of folklore, making it seem as if it truly was a traditional tale. The contest between the angels and the gargoyles on the church reminds one of the book of Job in the Bible. I liked Griselle's faithful, loving heart, but have two quibbles with the story: I thought the illustrations of the gargoyle (demon) baby made him look like a troll doll (distracting) and while the returned soldier was very mean, the ultimate thing that turned Griselle against him was when he turned the child over his knee and lifted his hand to "beat him" as the text says. Really, the soldier was such a monster, I expected him to push the child to the floor and raise a stick to beat him. This way, Griselle is objecting to a simple spanking. The author may be an anti-spanking advocate, but in a world of talking stone gargoyles and a soldier whose plumed hat drips blood when its plumes are pulled, I found it truly anticlimactic to have the soldier revealed for true evil for nothing more than a spanking.

[Cana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mommy says: Amazing and heartwarming story of a good woman who unwittingly becomes the center of a huge wager between good and evil. Beautiful watercolors. My kids (5 & 3) did NOT LIKE this book, and they whined and cried when their Daddy tried to read it to them. That may be a function of the youngest's Oedipal complex, but it may have just been too many words, not enough pictures. It is their loss, because this book is beautiful in every way.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The art on the cover of the book caught my attention, so I flipped the pages and was intrigued by the illustrations. Then there's the first sentence: "In old Paris, not far from a great cathedral, lived a lace maker whose name was Griselle." Paris and a lacemaker! I had to read the book. It is an unusual story with a caring woman at its core. But why didn't Yolen follow up on the wager between the gargoyles and the angels?

[Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extremely long fable about good vs. evil and the powers of maternal love. Technically, it's cataloged as a picture book but it's very sophisticated and wouldn't make a good choice for storytime.

[Relyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love fairy tales. And Jane Yolen. And story books. Of course I loved this.

[Mimi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful (in words and pictures) story about love and kindness!