Some sites say 19th May, others, the third Saturday in April. No matter, today is my son's birthday and there was so much coming and going together with hilarity and noise that the house felt like a circus tent and I thought of circuses and went to see if such a day existed and amazingly it could be celebrated today. Very fitting I think!
Next I thought of books and was surprised that only two sprang readily to mind, Peter Spier's classic, Circus! and Lois Ehlert's geometric Circus. Then searching the library catalogue I learned that nearly all the other circus titles belonged to well-known series. There is a circus book for Spot, Clifford, Paddington, Olivia, Curious George, Miss Bindergarten, Cam Jansen, Harold (of Purple Crayon fame), Alison Lester's Bonnie and Sam, Nutmeg and Tumtum and even Spy Pups. And Dr Seuss even has If I Ran the Circus. Does this mean that the circus is something children like to read about and have experienced?
And the only new book I could find in the library was 10 Little Circus Mice by Caroline Stills and Judith Rossell. I guess if you are looking for something that makes you think more deeply about circuses and their role read Oregon's Journey by Rascal and Louis Joos. I find that this story of a bear and a clown who escape from the routine of the circus never fails to get my Year 2 students talking and asking questions. It is perfect for an Aidan Chamber's Booktalk and it works on so many levels, depending on the age of the students.
No comments:
Post a Comment