Mishka

by Victor G. Ambrus

Seeking fame with his violin, eight-year-old Mishka joins a circus.

Genres: Picture Books, Adventure

24 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1975

About the author

Victor Ambrus (born László Győző Ambrus, 19 August 1935) was a British illustrator of history, folk tale, and animal story books. He also became known from his appearances on the Channel 4 television archaeology series Time Team, on which he visualised how sites under excavation may have once looked. Ambrus was an Associate of the Royal College of Art and a Fellow of both the Royal Society of Arts and the Royal Society of Painters, Etchers and Engravers. He was also a patron of the Association of Archaeological Illustrators and Surveyors up until its merger with the Institute for Archaeologists in 2011.

Reviews

[Mathew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too stereotypical in its view of a range of minority groups to be published now yet Mishka was a Kate Greenaway medal winner back in its time (1975). It tells the story of a boy who runs away to the circus in order to celebrate his violin skills. Much to the ringmaster's annoyance, Mishka is an unbridled success and ends up running the show.

Based upon his own memories in Hungary and watching the wild horses upon the countryside, it is hard to not adore Ambrus' gorgeous illustrative style. I will also love his Dracula work and that enduring sense of mischief that is evident is so much of his work. A master of ink and watercolour.

[Jeani · Rating 4 out of 5]

He makes it work!

[Taralee Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

(picture book) story about a boy who joins a circus to become famous for his fiddle playing. Good story line, kind of odd pictures, little application to the classroom (unless you were doing a circus unit and wanted to discuss all the jobs in a circus).