Who Put the B in the Ballyhoo?
Author: The Spectacular, Never-Before-Seen Carlyn Beccia
Reading level: Ages 4 and up
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children; None edition (April 9, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0618717188
ISBN-13: 978-0618717187
Who doesn’t love the Circus?
I know that I have always found it magical. Well, except for clowns who terrify me. I’ve always been fascinated by the art as well. Circus art is so colorful and fun.
I stumbled onto this wonderful little book at one of my favorite used bookstores Read Books in Eagle Rock just the other day and just had to have it. When I brought it home to my grandkids, they fell in love just as deeply as I. I think there’s going to be some debate as to who actually gets to keep it…and if my friend Rick DeMott sees this review, I may have to lock the book away. His fascination with circus performers is legendary.
WHO PUT THE B IN THE BALLYHOO? is an alphabet book as hinted by the subtitle “The Most Amazing, Bizarre, and Celebrated Circus Performers.” Each letter is represented by a marvelously colorful circus poster with fascinating little bits of circus trivia explaining the poster below it.
Jasmine’s favorite page, (no surprise) is that of Patty’s Performing Pigs representing the letter E not P. E is for Enchanting. “These pigs weave a spell/ only to be broken/ by the not-so-sweet smell,” it reads, which makes her giggle almost as much as the depiction of a pig in a tutu lifting its leg in the movement of a can-can dance. Aiden on the other hand, went straight for the Strongman’s page.
Tribute is paid to the flea circus too, with the letter F. The grandkids were stunned to hear me read that people actually trained fleas to perform. They also burst into that wild, untrammeled laughter that I love to hear. I hope they don’t start looking to start their own flea circus, though I wouldn’t put it past Aiden.
The artwork is beautiful and each circus bill (poster) is filled with little details as well as rhymes that make the reading of each bill fun as well as educational. The verbiage below each bill is even more interesting and great for the adults reading, although adults will love the rhymes as well. They certainly made me smile. Of particular interest to me too was the lovely lettering. The book really feels like a trip to a museum of circus art. Bright, bold colors are sure to attract even the most reluctant reader. Each page is so beautifully done that I wished they were framed works of art.
Ballyhoo is a wonderful tribute to the circus, with homage paid to those performers of old, including the great Harry Houdini. It’s a great way to teach children their alphabet, to read, to be interested in art, and to learn the history of the circus and circus terminology that still peppers our modern-day language today. Did you know the expression “hold your horses” originated with the circus? I found the book to be most lovingly done with great care to truly represent the heyday and art of the circus.
Finds like this are the reason I haunt the fabulous, but sadly disappearing used bookstores around my hometown of Los Angeles and everywhere else I roam. I still grieve for Acres of Books… The book cost me eight dollars and a nice time chatting with Jeremy, one of the shop owners. If you’re in the L.A. area, please stop by this charming little shop on Eagle Rock Boulevard. Stop in and say hello to Debbie and Jeremy, take a look at their amazing collection of new magazines and buy a used book or two. Jeremy also tutors the local kids, so if you have a child that needs tutoring, you won’t find better than a guy who tutors in a bookshop. You won’t regret it and you might find another copy of Ballyhoo or something equally grand.
Note: When researching this wonderful illustrator/author, I was thrilled to be reminded that she was a Cybil’s finalist in 2011 for I FEEL BETTER WITH A FROG IN MY THROAT. Can we pick em or can we pick em? Oh yeah, Ballyhoo won the Golden Kite for illustration too.
About the Author:
Carlyn Beccia is the author and illustrator of Who Put the B in the Ballyhoo?,Houghton Mifflin, an alphabet book illustrating the most famous circus stars throughout history. Her latest book, The Raucous Royals uncovers the biggest true and untrue rumors throughout European history. She describes it as a ‘history lesson meets tabloid magazine’. Carlyn enjoys telling the stories behind the people who changed history and strives to make history exciting for all ages.
She attended the University of Massachusetts on a 4-year art scholarship and graduated in 1995. She worked as a graphic designer for 10 years before returning to her first love ‘ illustration. In 2005, Carlyn was the Grand Prize Portfolio Winner in the Society of Children’s Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI) portfolio exhibition. In 2006, she was awarded a certificate of merit in The Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles, Illustration West 44 Annual and was also the Grand Prize Portfolio Winner in the New England, Society of Children’s Writers & Illustrators (NEW ENGLAND SCBWI) portfolio exhibition.
Carlyn paints with ‘digital oil brushes’ to create a unique and deeply textured art. She enjoys giving live demonstrations of how art is created on the computer and encourages kids to experiment with the digital medium.
Download a full teacher’s guide at:
www.whoballyhoo.com/teachingcurr1.pdf
*Dear FTC, a.k.a. nosy overseer of what I do with my books, I bought this book with my own money and even better, am supporting my local, used bookstore (one of the owners is a school librarian) therefore I don’t need to disclose a darned thing. I just felt like yelling at you. Love, Me.
