Griselle was about to be married to a man named Bo, but right before their wedding he was sent to war and he never returned. Since he never returned, she devoted her time to the stray animals of Paris. While on her way to feed the animals, the stone angels near the cathedral complimented her on how great a woman she was. While the angels were giving Griselle praise, the gargoyles at the top of the cathedral was very displeased. The gargoyles decided to make a wager between themselves and the stone angels. Their wager was that the gargoyles will send a devilish child to Griselle which would prove how good of a woman she really is. On Christmas Eve, Griselle awoke to a child with candy corn hair, a nose touching his chin and black teeth. This child was not your ordinary child. He tried hard to destroy everything around him, but Griselle remained kind to him. The gargoyles prayed to their gods to help Griselle lose the bet. The next day a man presented himself as Bo and told Griselle that he was her husband, but was really just a test from the gargoyles. "Bo" demanded the child to be disciplined and even spanked him. Just when the gargoyles thought they won the bet, Griselle stuck up for the child and told "Bo" to leave. "Bo" left and ultimately the stone angels won the bet. Many years later Griselle dies and Little Bo vanishes, but if you look closely at the stone angel you will see a little boy with candy corn hair, a nose touching his chin, and black teeth. Children can learn about good versus evil, not to judge a book by its' cover, and to be wary of people. Children may also learn to see the good in everyone. The illustrations are rich and eye capturing. ( )

This beautifully illustrated storybook is both visually and cognitively stimulating. Yolen’s tale deals with the classic debate over what constitutes “goodness”. He forces the reader to consider both the superficial manifestation of one’s goodness and an in depth examination of it as a moral virtue when tried under extreme circumstances. Although a seemingly easy read, this book compels the reader to grapple with complex moral issues and personal prejudices about the nature of goodness. Teachers looking to teach argument and debate should definitely consider this an excellent resource that will engage all levels of readers. ( )