Let's Go to the Circus

by Lisl Weil

Text and pictures present a history of the circus from its origins in ancient Rome.

32 pages, Library Binding

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Lisl Weil was a children’s author and illustrator, most remembered for her ink and felt pen drawings. She was born in Vienna, Austria in 1910, and it was during her Austrian childhood that Weil gained her first interest in the arts, particularly in music and the visual arts. It was an interest that became a life long passion and pursuit. While living in Europe, Weil worked as an illustrator for various European periodicals; after immigrating to the United States in 1939, Weil became a U.S. citizen, married Julius Marx, and began writing and illustrating children’s books, an occupation that she continued for 37 years. Lisl Weil illustrated over 100 books, many of which she wrote. She also pursued her love for music, channeling her energy into a musical venture for children. She involved herself in performance art and created life-size drawings that were choreographed to move rhythmically to a musical score. She called this “a real picture ballet” and the ballets were performed for children at concert halls around the U.S. Weil was also involved in the television and film industries; one of her children’s stories was made into a movie and she had a weekly television show for children during 1963-1964. Weil passed away in February 2006.

Reviews

[Lynnea · Rating 3 out of 5]

We got this book as an introduction to the ancient period but there were only 2 pages related to that so I was disappointed. But still, the kids enjoyed learning about the changes in the circus (as vague as they were).

[Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let’s go to the Circus by Lisl Weil is an informational storybook all about the circus. It goes through the history of how the circus came to be and all of the parts and people that make up a circus. Weil mentions many of the most famous people and acts that have been seen in circuses and some of the most famous circuses as a whole.
Weil’s book is inviting for readers because of its cartoon-like sketches, colorful pages, and excited tone. While I like that the book is very positive, it only focuses on the successes of the circus which could lead young readers to believe that all people love circuses and every jester is funny-- which is not necessarily true. In this way the book is very biased. It makes blanket statements that assume information which is not something that should be done in an informational text. There are many generalizations which could be confusing to readers when they are being mixed with facts. However, since this is a children’s book and is meant to be more of a fun read not a factual read I do think it does a great job of teaching in an engaging format and helping readers formulate an interest in the circus.
Overall, I would recommend it for parents to read to their young children who do not know what circuses are or who want to know more about them. I think that the text would be too hard for younger children to read alone and it would potentially go over information that older children would find boring since they would probably already know it. However, it was an informative and quick read and I think that even if you already know about the circus it is still a well-written and fun story.