Your First Day of Circus School

The first day of any school can be overwhelming, but with a big brother who knows the ropes—and, in this case, the tightrope and the trapeze—a child goes from nervous newbie to full-fledged performer. As the older sibling acts as guide and sage (“School looks big!” he says as they enter a huge striped tent, “But you’ll find your way around”), Lazar (7 Ate 9) and Crowton (Mousie, I Will Read to You) recast the familiar sights and sounds of school-going as circus experiences: the school bus is a yellow clown car crammed full of vividly costumed students, and the teacher, Miss Stupendous, is a strongwoman. The book is more a compilation of cute ideas than a compelling narrative arc, but its tone encourages, and its art, rendered in big-top tones of yellow, blue, and pink, has the winsome simplicity of screen print illustrations. Ages 3–7. [em](June) [/em]