Circus Play - Hardcover

K-Gr. 2. Children might think having a trapeze artist for a mom would be great fun, but not Carter's unnamed little boy character. All the neighborhood kids want to play at his house--but they want to watch Mom, put on costumes, and play circus, not watch TV with the little boy. Imaginations run wild as visitors act out their ideas about what goes on in the circus (bullfights, safaris, and rocket ships), only to be corrected by the young resident expert. The boy eventually joins the fun in spite of himself, realizing that participating is better than criticizing. The loose, light-colored illustrations focus on the kids' action, only incidentally showing Mom, a shadow flying overhead on her trapeze. Text-free central pages allow little readers and listeners to fill in the action themselves, just as the imaginations of the pictured children lead their games. Adding to the appeal is the relatively small, square trim size, which is just right for little hands. Diane Foote
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