FICTION

Circus Train

by Jennifer Cole JUDD

illus. by Melanie Matthews. 24p. Amazon/Two Lions. 2015. Tr $14.99. ISBN 9781477826348.

COPY ISBN

PreS-Gr 1—This brightly illustrated book depicts a circus traveling by train, its arrival, set up, and highlights of the Big Top ("Tigers, horses/weave through courses./Vendors handy—'Cotton candy!'"). When the show is over, the crew helps in the breakdown and everyone hops back on the train, heading to the next town. One sticking point: the text states that the train spills over the hills when arriving and departing, but the image only portrays it chugging up and down the tracks.

VERDICT A charming addition to picture book collections.

Reviewed by Melisa Bailey, Harford County Library System, MD

"Oohs and aahs. / Applause! Applause!" Smart, taut, simple rhymes usher readers from the circus train to the big top and back to their ride to the next venue. The rhymes and razzle-dazzle illustrations could succeed without the train-story framing device, but then readers would miss seeing the behind-the-scenes stars: the workers who do the heavy lifting.

, Apr 01, 2015

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