Gargoylz Put on a Show by Burchett and Vogler

September 2009, Red Fox
116 pages, Paperback
Review Copy

Children's, 6+

Clouds: 3
Cushions: 1
Smiles: 5
Yunaleska's recommended rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

Gargoyles: stone creatures, usually placed as decoration on buildings.

Gargoylz: living, breathing creatures which have powers, living in the church beside Max and Ben's school. Like to cause havoc (don't always mean it).

When I saw the cute little gargoylz perching on top of the front cover, I knew I had to find out what they were like. They are a cuter version of gremlins. Each one has a unique personality and can do different things. My favourite is Theo, a young gargoyl of just over 400 years old. Theo can turn into a tiger: well more like a cute fluffy kitten which had me going 'awww' at the page. There is a detailed fact file of all the gargoylz at the back of the book. I'd love one in real life!

The entertaining gargoylz are excited when Max and Ben announce they are auditioning for parts in the school play, Little Red Riding Hood. First they have to survive the auditions - Max isn't so good at remember lines which might have been problematic if the gargoylz hadn't helped out. Plus there were all the other young hopefuls, who the gargoylz tried to put out of commission with their pranks. Once Max and Ben's role is cast, the fun doesn't end there. The wolf's costume looks too cute/nice, so the gargoylz get to work on making it scary. They take it one step further by popping up during the play's performance, each wanting to star in it with their two human friends.

This is a hilarious read: I liked how Max and Ben are agents and have code names for everyone at school. They can get a bit carried away in life, and face worrying moments when it looks as if the gargoylz could be discovered by other people. Their antics are made funnier by the illustrations, which have a lot going on in them - in a playground scene, a bully looks to be strangling his victim. Readers are asked to look at the illustrations carefully, because there is a web gargoyl on one of the pages holding up a secret codeword for the gargoylz website. The other fun freebie is a sticky gargoyl - once taken out of the packet it can be thrown onto a window and looked at as it makes its way down. I haven't tried this out because I know a young boy I'd like to give this book to.

Gorgylz have been let loose on the net here.

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