The Greatest Show on Earth - Hardcover

Although its circus theme is run-of-the-mill, this book stands out for its strong panel art. In consecutive spreads, clumsy young Harry introduces his big-top family-his trapeze-artist mother and father, his juggling sister, his unicycling grandpa and others. They each try to teach Harry their specialties, but Harry-with an "Uh-oh!" or a "Yikes!"-literally falls flat every time. Harry is relegated to primping the family dog, Wellington, and holding the leash in the center ring for Wellington's "amazing" balancing act. A trip-up one night during Wellington's performance lands poor Harry on a skateboard. He rolls along the ground, sails through the air, bounces off a trampoline and lands on a unicycle-thereby discovering the acrobatic abilities he didn't think he had. Prater ("No!" Said Joe) often breaks his pages into several frames to show continuous action, so that Harry's pratfalls can be viewed in all stages, from initial wobbliness to final "Ouch!" Beginners will be able to follow the tale through the animated, unusually expressive watercolor illustrations alone-and nearly everyone will understand the hero's need to find his niche. Ages 3-up.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

PreSchool-Grade 2?Harry's family provides spectators with hours of fun?his parents are trapeze artists, his sister juggles, and his grandfather rides a unicycle. Poor Harry tries everything but makes quite a mess with each attempt. On the night of the big show, his performing dog sees a mouse and havoc ensues. In the midst of the wild ruckus, Harry gets bounced all over the big top and discovers that he can indeed fly, ride a unicycle, juggle, and do magic. The tale closes with Harry the Clown taking in grand applause from the crowd. The pencil and watercolor illustrations tell this story better than the text does. They have a liveliness that expresses all the activity in a circus tent. Page layout and design are particularly effective, as each family member's talent is depicted on the left-hand side, while the little boy's bumbled attempts appear on the right. Youngsters will empathize with Harry and will join in on the applause for his success.?Lynn Cockett, Nutley Public Library, NJ
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.