Simon at the Circus

Deborah Dowson is a children’s librarian in Caledon East, Ontario.

In this 10th adventure by the internationally acclaimed children’s
author Gilles Tibo, Simon builds a circus (his materials are a cardboard
box and an umbrella). His attempt to perform with the goats and pigs
ends in disaster: the box is bashed and the umbrella is trampled. After
falling to the ground in defeat, Simon takes a trip in his imagination
to the circus of his dreams. Here he can tame the wild tiger and dazzle
the audience with his “clothes made of light.” His amazing imaginary
performance gives Simon the confidence to begin a new circus game with
his friends in the forest. Together, they make animals out of cardboard
and paper, and create the finest circus in the world.

This book is a visual and textual delight. Poetic language, seamlessly
flowing action, and luminous illustrations combine to create a
shimmering, magical world of fantasy and play. Children will enjoy the
repetition of sounds, as in “Bing! Bang!, Scrunch! Scrunch! Grrr Grrr
and Swoosh Swoosh.” Simon is an irresistible character who uses his
imagination to lift his spirits and overcome obstacles. Highly
recommended.