The Secret Circus (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: The Secret Circus Jeannette Hulick Wright, Johanna The Secret Circus; written and illus. by Johanna Wright. Porter/Roaring Brook, 2009 [32p] ISBN 978-1-59643-403-5$16.95 Reviewed from galleys R 4-6 yrs Within view of the Eiffel Tower, a minuscule mouse circus takes place under a carousel at sundown. Each page tells and shows something that "only the mice know" about the event ("Only the mice know how to get there"; "Only the mice know what they'll see there"). Though mood occasionally requires sacrifices in logic ("Only the mice know how to watch" shows mice watching in much the same way that anyone would watch a circus, for instance), there is great appeal in the notion of a tiny and exclusive mouse circus and Wright's rich illustrations are intriguing and atmospheric. Muted shades (mostly greens, golds, and blues, with accents of rose) of watery, sometimes translucent paint are layered onto a canvas-textured background, and the tones and texture suggest the aging of antique pages. Occasional spatters of white indicate stars or electric light, while delicate black lines detail the mice and other objects of interest. The winsome mice themselves, dressed in an array of patched but colorful clothing, are depicted with a pleasingly childlike simplicity: bottom-heavy with tiny ears, pointy noses, dot eyes, and stick-like feet. This would serve effectively as a bedtime story (imagine the wonderful mice circus dreams) or a classroom readaloud for a quiet moment, and the repeated phrases and simple text also make it accessible for beginning solo readers. It might also make a piquant inspiration, perhaps in combination with Stone's Sandy's Circus (BCCB 9/08) or other introductions to Calder, for construction of tiny circuses. [End Page 384] Copyright © 2009 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois