The Gargoyle

Publisher details

Authors
Ross Morgan, Zana Fraillon
Publisher
Hachette
Genre
Children’s Picture Book
Released
28 June, 2023
ISBN
9780734421241

The Gargoyle

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Synopsis

The poignant story of an old gargoyle, forced off his rooftop to make way for a new urban development in a barren cityscape, and the child who encounters him on an overcrowded train, from one of Australia's most critically acclaimed writers for children.

He's old, this gargoyle. Very old. Older than me. Older than anyone. He looks tired. If I had a seat, I would give it to him.

He shuffles past me and stands near the door and watches the city smushing past.

I think I hear him sigh. An echoey, achy, hollow sort of sigh, like the wind when it gusts down lanes and through tunnels and in and out of the big drains that stretch under the city.

This is the moving story of an old gargoyle, forced off his rooftop to make way for a new development in a barren cityscape, and the child who encounters him on an overcrowded train. When the gargoyle is ordered off the train, he leaves his suitcase behind. The child opens the case and unleashes the gargoyle's many memories of the city and its inhabitants. When the case crumbles, leaving nothing but a small seed, the child decides to find a place to bring the gargoyle, and the soul of the city, back.

An unforgettable story about conservation, ageing and legacies which will leave a forever imprint on your heart.

Reviews

An Unforgettable Journey: Read Our Review of The Gargoyle by Zana Fraillon, Illustrated by Ross Morgan

Review | Our Review

11 July 2023

An Unforgettable Journey: Read Our Review of The Gargoyle by Zana Fraillon, Illustrated by Ross Morgan

Ross Morgan
About the author

Ross Morgan

Ross Morgan is a fine artist and illustrator from Adelaide, South Australia. From an early age, Ross enjoyed exploring the rural environment filled with creatures, abandoned structures and objects of yesteryear. He also practised drawing, painting, and arts and crafts projects at the kitchen table, encouraged by his mother. These early experiences were key in establishing his life-long interest in drawing and painting.He completed a Bachelor of Visual Arts at the University of South Australia in 2000. Since then, he has been exhibiting in solo and group exhibitions and running an independent studio practice.Some of Ross's major awards include being selected as a semi-finalist in Doug Moran National Portrait Prize (2014), a three-time finalist in the Kennedy Art Prize (2017, 2018 and 2021) and winner of the John Shaw Neilson Acquisitive Art Prize in 2015. In 2019, Ross won Raising Literacy Australia's Emerging Author and Illustrator Mentoring Project. This led to his first illustrated book, Molly Moores has a House Like Yours, written by Kaliah Tsakalidis and published in 2020. In 2021, he was shortlisted for the SCBWI Australian Picture Book Illustrator Award as an Emerging Illustrator.

Books by Ross Morgan

Zana Fraillon
About the author

Zana Fraillon

Zana Fraillon was born in Melbourne, but spent her early childhood in San Francisco.Zana has written two picture books for young children, a series for middle readers, and a novel for older readers based on research and accounts of survivors of the Forgotten Generation. She spent a year in China teaching English and now lives in Melbourne with her three sons, husband and two dogs.When Zana isn't reading or writing, she likes to explore the museums and hidden passageways scattered across Melbourne. They provide the same excitement as that moment before opening a new book - preparing to step into the unknown where a whole world of possibilities awaits.

Books by Zana Fraillon

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Teacher's Notes: The Gargoyle by Zana Fraillon, Illustrated by Ross Morgan

News | Book Life

12 July 2023

Teacher's Notes: The Gargoyle by Zana Fraillon, Illustrated by Ross Morgan

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