Review by Booklist Review
The Von Trapeze family are renowned for their amazing circus skills as fire-breathers, sword-swallowers, acrobats, tightrope walkers, jugglers, and human cannonballs. Only the youngest, Adam, shows no talent for the family business, preferring instead to read. The family despairs of him ever fitting in, until one day they hear beautiful melodies coming from one of their wagons. Adam has discovered his true calling is playing the tuba, and he soon delights audiences during circus performances. Gombac's clear yet understated nod to the importance of finding one's own path is sure to strike a note with young readers and may even reassure some caregivers. Hellewell's translation (from Slovenian) reads smoothly. Kastelic's nostalgic, cartoonlike illustrations employ a range of sepia tones, accented in burnt umbers and siennas. The art suggests an early to mid-twentieth-century setting and includes wooden circus wagons pulled by a truck, enormous big top tents, and old-fashioned clothing. Harlequin designs appear throughout, including on the endpapers. An entertaining look at a bygone era, brimming with encouragement to follow one's dreams.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A family of circus performers face a moral reckoning in this playfully illustrated story of acceptance written by Gombac. The Von Trapeze family, who "amaze audiences wherever they go," reveal a wealth of talents: fire breathing, sword swallowing, and tightrope walking. But youngest child Adam, shown reading backstage, lacks enthusiasm for the family's pursuits as well as the resultant applause. At a family meeting, as the worried circus clan brainstorms a "solution" for Adam's perceived problem, someone finally thinks to ask Adam what he likes doing. When he reveals a hidden musical talent--the group wondering why they "never noticed, or heard him, before"--they gain a fanciful coconspirator: "Did you know that circus tricks and this tuba of mine make a unique combination?" Rosy-cheeked, largely pale-skinned figures with turned-up noses populate Kastelic's sepia-toned illustrations, which successfully conjure a circus atmosphere and a familial conglomerate alongside a stock plot of finding one's way. Ages 4--8. (Feb.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 4--A story about talent that's all in the family, but not in the way the family expects. Adam is the youngest child of a multigenerational circus family who takes their show to audiences far and wide to great acclaim. Every member has a role, starting with Adam's grandparents and continuing all the way down to include his siblings. Everyone but Adam, it seems. The circus just doesn't interest Adam, a fact that befuddles his family who believe that the circus is in their blood. They try to coerce him into joining to no avail. They do not, however, ask him why he is reluctant to be part of the family business. As they discuss the problem among themselves, they hear music coming from one of the circus wagons. It's then that they discover Adam with his tuba, and he is making beautiful music. When they realize Adam's talent, he and his tuba join the circus after all. The striking artwork immediately pulls in readers. It is reminiscent of vintage circus troupes' advertisements with sepia tones that capture the vision entirely. It is stylized, sharp, and completely engaging, and could give rise to a conversation about the use of posters as art, for politics, and in advertising. VERDICT This tale from two talented Slovenian creators will make a lovely addition to libraries seeking unusual international fare in books and those needing books on kids who beat their own drum.--Joan Kindig
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Listen. Learn. Adapt. The members of the Von Trapeze family are performers who travel the world showing off their amazing feats. Grandma Antonia breathes fire. Grandpa Angus swallows swords. Uncle Artem and his family construct human pyramids. Mama Anastasia and Papa Alexei traverse the high wire blindfolded. And twin daughters Aria and Alea juggle on a unicycle and are blasted from a cannon, respectively. The only member not taking center stage is the youngest, Adam, who has attempted all of these things without success. While the family gathers to discuss how they can best help him thrive, a magical melody fills the air. The family investigates and finds Adam playing the tuba with unbelievable skill. The family is gobsmacked: "How come we never noticed, or heard him, before now?" "It would appear we were completely caught up in our circus tricks," says Papa Alexei. It's a striking thought and one that will resonate with many readers--and hopefully with many caregivers who are trying to turn their children into things they're not. Once Adam's talent is discovered, he's able to join the newly modified family business, proving that the best traditions allow for adaptations so that everyone feels included. Translated from German, this strong narrative is enhanced by the sepia-tinged artwork; the result is a tale fit for the center ring! Adam and his family are light-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Readers will be left screaming, "Encore!" (Picture book. 5-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
