The Circus Thief

by Alane Adams, Lauren Gallegos (Illustrator)

Overview

2020 Next Generation Indie Book Awards Finalist in Children's Picture Book (Illustrative 6 Years of Age and Up) 2019 American Fiction Awards, Children's Fiction: Winner 2019 American Fiction Awards, Children's Picture Book: Hardcover Fiction: Finalist “The circus is bursting with amazing sights and sounds, from clowns and elephants to a lady with a beard, in The Circus Thief, a delightfully nostalgic tale of compassion, kindness, and generosity.” —Foreword Clarion Reviews The circus is in town, and Georgie has his heart set on going. When Papa agrees to take him and his friend Harley, the boys marvel at the amazing elephants and clowns. But the best act of all is the amazing Roxie, a trained horse who can do all sorts of tricks. When Georgie is invited to ride on her back, he discovers it’s her last show—Roxie is going to be sent to the work farm! When Roxie bolts with Georgie on her back, Papa must come to his rescue. The Circus Thief is a heartwarming tale of boyhood set in 1920s Pennsylvania for children ages 4–8.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781943006755
Publisher:	SparkPress
Publication date:	11/06/2018
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	691,357
Product dimensions:	8.10(w) x 10.20(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Alane Adams is an author, professor, and literacy advocate. She is the author of the Legends of Orkney fantasy mythology series for tweens and The Coal Thief, The Egg Thief, and The Santa Thief picture books for early-grade readers. She lives in Southern California.

Editorial Reviews

2019 American Fiction Awards Children's Fiction: Winner Children's Picture Book: Hardcover Fiction: Finalist “The circus is bursting with amazing sights and sounds, from clowns and elephants to a lady with a beard, in The Circus Thief, a delightfully nostalgic tale of compassion, kindness, and generosity.” —Foreword Clarion Reviews “Bright, brave characters star in this exhilarating tale of magic and mystical creatures.” —Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

2018-09-20

The latest of author Adams and illustrator Gallegos' (The Santa Thief, 2017, etc.) Depression-era picture books shows a young boy's connection to a doomed circus horse.

Freckled, dark-haired Georgie really wants to go to the circus. His parents scold him for asking for money for doing chores, but when his father finds out why he wants it, he offers to take him and Georgie's friend Harley to the circus himself. In the big tent, they see a beautiful horse, Lady Roxie, and Georgie is enthralled. When he gets the chance to ride her around the ring, he's ecstatic, but he later discovers that she's being sold to someone who's going to work her to death. When the new owner grabs for the reins, Roxie sprints away—taking Georgie with her. The thievery in the title isn't Georgie's fault, even though the new owner accuses him of that crime. Fans of the series may wonder where Papa comes up with the money that he uses to save the day, considering how tough things are for the family overall. Still, the endings for both Georgie and Roxie are satisfying, and Gallegos' brightly colored illustrations are a joy. They also feature some characters of color—a first for the series—among the circus workers.

Another fine entry in this historical series for young readers.

Kirkus Reviews