The Show Must Go On!

July 15, 2013
Elderly Sir Sidney loves his circus, and he pampers his animals and performers, as well as the two mice and crow who are part of its extended family. When he decides to take some time off, he hires brash Barnabas Brambles, who promises to care for the circus with the same doting attention as Sir Sidney. As soon as the kindhearted owner leaves, though, Barnabas reveals his true plans, and they do not involve any doting; the top of his to-do list reads, “Make $$$ for me.” With a terrible meanie in charge (Barnabas intends to increase the number of shows, charge more, and sell beloved animals), things look grim, but the circus folk hold onto their humor in this sweetly nutty kickoff to the Klise sisters’ Three Ring Rascals series. Cartoon spot illustrations play up the comical mood—mice Bert and Gert deploy quips left and right, and the circus train spends a great deal of time atop the St. Louis Arch—in this free-spirited story that concludes with a lesson in kindness and a promise of more fun to come. Ages 7–10.

June 15, 2013
In this entertaining chapter book, the first in a series, readers meet kind Sir Sidney and the gentle performers and hands in his circus. But Sir Sidney is tired and leaves the circus under the management of new-hire Barnabas Brambles for a week. That Sir Sidney is beloved by all is quickly established, presenting a sharp contrast to the bully Brambles. The scoundrel immediately comes up with a "to do" list that includes selling the animals and eliminating the mice Bert and Gert. (Gert is almost more distressed by Brambles' ill-fitting suit and vows to tailor it.) Revealed almost entirely through dialogue, the put-upon animals' solidarity is endearing. The story, like the circus train now driven by the Famous Flying Banana Brothers, takes absurd loops and turns. The art is fully integrated, illustrating the action and supplementing the text with speech bubbles, facsimile letters and posters, Brambles' profit-and-loss notes, examples of Gert's invented vocabulary and more. Brambles' plans go awry, of course, and he gets his comeuppance. With Bert and Gert acting as his conscience, along with a suit from Gert that finally fits and a dose of forgiveness, Brambles makes a turnaround. Sensitive children may doubt Sir Sidney's wisdom in leaving his animals with an unscrupulous man, and the closing message is a tad didactic, but that doesn't blunt the fun too much. Most children will agree the book is "smafunderful (smart + fun + wonderful)." (Graphic/fiction hybrid. 7-10)

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September 1, 2013
Sir Sidney, owner of Sir Sidney's Circus, is considering retirement -- but who will fill his shoes? A gentle soul, he prides his circus on its solicitous treatment of animals (daily groomings for Leo the lion; fresh imported peanuts for Elsa the elephant; plenty of rest between shows) and warm attitude toward audiences (free admission for children; complimentary popcorn). "Certified Lion Tamer" Barnabas Brambles wins the chance to take over the circus for a one-week trial run, but his obsession with turning a profit quickly (more shows! higher prices! worse food!) lands the circus in dire straits. As the group travels around the country, making accidental pit-stops atop various famous monuments and missing shows left and right, Brambles grows increasingly mean and miserly, and the animals grow more frustrated -- all except problem-solving mice Bert and Gert, who serve as both peanut gallery and intrepid kid stand-ins as they work to save the circus. Brambles's schemes reap comic (and karmic) consequences that directly undermine his endgame, and readers will enjoy tracing each bad choice to its disastrous conclusion. Black-and-white spot illustrations appear on almost every page, bringing the gawky-limbed characters (animal and human alike) to life and interacting dynamically with the text. The Klises maintain a light touch with the messaging, giving the book a comforting thematic unity around the importance of kindness; and humor is apparent in every detail, from the smallest conversational exchanges to the extravagantly silly set pieces that mark the book's major plot points. Readers will eagerly await the next volume of over-the-(big)-top hijinks. claire e. gross

(Copyright 2013 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

January 1, 2014
Sir Sidney prides his circus on its solicitous treatment of animals. Who will take over after he retires? Barnabas Brambles wins a one-week trial, but his obsession with turning a profit lands the circus in dire straits. The Klises maintain a light touch with the messaging, and they give the book a comforting unity around kindness. Black-and-white spot art brings the gawky-limbed characters to life.

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

August 1, 2013

Gr 3-5-The owner of Sir Sidney's Circus needs a vacation, and after reviewing and interviewing many potential circus managers, he chooses Barnabas Brambles, a graduate of the University of Piccadilly Circus in London with a degree in lion taming. But Barnabas is in need of making money and changes Sir Sidney's Circus schedule and pricing for his own profit and treats the animals poorly. Things seem to go wrong almost from the start, and he cancels all but the final show of the week. Barnabas is a complete fraud and knows nothing of circus life, yet Sir Sidney believes that the scoundrel can be a better man tomorrow. Whimsical illustrations are generously positioned throughout the text and play a key role in the book's pacing. Beginning chapter-book readers will thoroughly enjoy this fun and fast-paced title, which has lessons in kindness along the way.-Patty Saidenberg, George Jackson Academy, New York City

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2013
Grades 3-5 Kate Klise, author of the wildly punny 43 Old Cemetery Road and Regarding series, turns to a slightly younger audience in this amusing series opener. After years of developing his traveling circus into one of the best shows in the world, old and tired Sir Sidney decides he needs some help. He hires Barnabas Brambles for a one-week trial run, but it's clear that the smarmy certified lion tamer is more concerned with making money than respecting the performers and talking circus animals. When Brambles tries to add more cities to their tour, sell off some of the older animals, and allow the directionless Famous Flying Banana Brothers to navigate the circus train, plenty of high jinks ensue, including getting stuck atop the Saint Louis Arch. Playful black-and-white illustrations and creative languagein the form of sight gags, coined words, speech bubbles, letters, and phone textskeep the story lively. Math teachers will especially appreciate Brambles' profit calculations throughout. A big-top introduction to the author's quirky humor.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)