Sidewalk Circus

Sidewalk Circus by Paul Fleischman & Kevin Hawkes reviewed by School Library Journal:
As posters advertising the world-renowned Garibaldi circus are put up along a busy city block, a girl waiting for a bus watches the circus of everyday life unfold. There is no actual text to the book, just the words of store signs, a scrolling theater marquee, and the show bills. What the girl imagines is revealed through the playful shadows of the people on the street and the corresponding circus flyers. For example, as a chef flips pancakes into the air in the café, the corresponding poster promises "Fantastic feats of juggling." As a young man delivers a side of beef, his shadow is that of the strongman, featured on the neighboring poster. Fleischman has the incredible gift of always finding the extraordinary in the ordinary. To communicate his vision so successfully in a virtually wordless book is an amazing feat, with as much credit due to the illustrator. Hawkes's richly colored acrylic paintings sustain interest and pacing throughout the book, changing perspective, giving readers close-ups and then views further back. Vignettes of the girl waiting on the bench convey her growing sense of wonder as she discovers the parallels with the everyday. Appropriately enough, as she leaves on the bus at the end of the book, her place is taken by a wide-eyed boy who seems destined to find new parallels of his own. This delightful book will fascinate children and help them to see their world with new eyes.–Robin L. Gibson, formerly at Perry County District Library, New Lexington, OH

Some pages in this book worked well, they were easy to see and the kids picked up easily on the circus characters. Other pages were much harder to imagine and find the circus characterizations. Though considered a wordless book, the circus posters and marquee have hints as to what to look for from tight rope walkers to clowns. Overall the idea was good and my students enjoyed the pictures, but a lot had to be explained so they could understand. Though I must admit it was not one of my favorite books so far, it has rave reviews, so I would still add it to a library.