Emeline at the Circus

by Marjorie Priceman

From Caldecott Honor artist and author of the best-selling How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World comes a hilarious picture book romp about the things you can learn and the fun you can have at the circus. When Emeline's teacher, Miss Splinter, takes the second grade on a field trip to the circus, she's careful to make sure it's a learning experience. While she reads -- the text of the book consists of her "lessons" -- the pictures show Emeline getting mixed up in the performances in the circus ring.  She becomes a lion tamer, an acrobat, a trapeze artist, and more, before Miss Splinter realizes what's going on. Marjorie Priceman's vibrant, saturated paintings make this dazzling sight gag a feast for the eye.  Children will applaud Emeline, laugh out loud at Miss Splinter, and painlessly soak up a few facts about animals, acrobats, and circuses along the way.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

40 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Marjorie A. Priceman is an American writer or illustrator of more than 30 children's picture books including two Caldecott Honor Books (runners-up for the Caldecott Medal). Her first picture book, Friend or Frog, was published in 1989, soon after her graduation from the Rhode Island School of Design.[citation needed] Priceman's books are known for their bright watercolors, free-flowing lines and whimsical spirit. Her illustrations to When Zaydeh Danced on Eldridge Street (1997) by Elsa Okon Rael have been described as "religiously authentic and playful at the same time".

One of her most popular books is Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin, which she illustrated. She lives in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.

Reviews

[Elizabeth Meadows · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book several years ago because my daughter's name is Emeline. I plucked it off her shelf recently and read it to her finally. She is 16 now, but reads at a very low level due to her special needs. It was really cute! I think very young readers might not be able to follow what is happening, but with some parental commentary it would be a fun reading experience for parent and child.

[Kissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A colorful and educational children's book about sights seen at the circus. Aside from textual references to Emeline at the beginning and end of the story, all other references to our "main" character is through the illustrations. The illustrations are bright and colorful and flow nicely from each scene to the next, even in their abstract formatting. Because of the level of information presented, this book is probably better suited for an older child for comprehensiveness.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emeline and her class go to the circus. Miss Splinter, their teacher, asks them to sit up straight, don’t fidget and don’t wander off. Then she delivers lectures on the different animals and events they are all watching. But while the rest of the class just watches, Emeline actually participates in the circus.

The illustrations tell Emeline’s story.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The teacher, Miss Splinter, takes her class to the circus and tells them to behave. What she doesn't notice is that every circus act she describes to her children involves one of her students, Emeline, who accidentally got into the show. Bright illustrations. Readers will enjoy looking for Emeline on the pages.

[Eric Carr · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about an imaginative child listening to a story being told about the circus. She interacts with all the different performers providing interesting facts about all of them up until the end when her teacher jolts her back to reality. I think that this book highlights having a good imagination very well. I would give it 4/5 stars.

[Maggie Osborne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a cute book about a brave young girl who joins the circus performers during her field trip. I love this book because it also includes facts about common circus animals.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is mainly a lot of extension animal facts

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Contemporary Realistic
K-2nd grade
The plot of the book is completely dependent on the pictures, but the humor of it is easily lost because the pictures are too busy and abstract. The words contain a lot of information, but they probably won't hold a child's attention very long. Since the images are crucial to the story, I don't think this is the greatest book for children because it is hard to follow the plot. If the story is followed, it does have a humorous ending though.

[Brian James · Rating 5 out of 5]

On a trip to the circus with her class, second grader Emeline gets more than a front row seat when she's unsuspectedly snatched into the action by an elephant craving her peanuts.

Emeline's teacher is determined to make the circus a learning lesson for her students. Never glancing up from her book of facts, she reads off information on each new attraction that enters the ring. She's so involved in teaching that she doesn't notice one of her students has become the hilarious star of the show.

The majority of the text consists of facts on popular sights at the circus, covering everything from elephants and tigers to acrobats. What really makes this book special is the story told in the delightful pictures and the interactions between the two. The whole time, the reader feels like he or she is in on the joke with Emeline. There's also a beautiful little message hidden in this interplay; sometimes learning is better done through living.

[jacky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Natalie has been into the circus a bit recently, so I was looking for a good book about the circus for her. This one was out on display at the library, so I gave it a try. It worked alright. We could look at the pictures to see the animals and attractions of the circus, but the text was really for older kids. In the actual story, the teacher leading the field trip keeps telling the kids (boring) factual information about the circus attractions, meanwhile, Emeline is pulled into the circus. The juxtaposition is fun and funny for kids old enough to see that there is a different story being told by the pictures than by the words.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a funny book about a class on a field trip to the circus. They listen to their teacher tell them about each different animal or artist that comes on stage during the circus. She also explains the species name and a fact about each animal, which I thought was a good way to blend science into the story. I would read this with students and have them point out the different entertainers at the circus and if the animals live in the wild, as well as the scientific facts about them, and so on.

[Brooke]

This was a book that I read to my little sister many times. It is a great book for young readers to practice their reading and young audiences will enjoy. There are many fun facts about animals as well as colorful pictures to look at.

[Courtney · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is a good example of illustrations that don't jive with the text. This book can be used as a discussion point when talking about conflicting illustrations. The pictures in this book kid of many me dizzy, there is an awful lot going on.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved Zin, Zin, Zin a Violin, so I was really disappointed with this book. There is a such a disconnect between the dry facts and the insanely whimsical illustrations, it is hard to believe that are parts of the same book.

[Samantha Penrose · Rating 2 out of 5]

The synopsis given above is spot on...including the suggested age.
I found that this book offers unique information, but isn't really all that exciting to read...