Who Put the B in the Ballyhoo?

by Carlyn Beccia

Before the days of TV, DVDs, and video games, there was the circus. When it came to town, businesses and schools would shut down. Folks would gather round, for there, right in front of their eyes, was drama, action, and intrigue. There was the grace ofthe bareback rider, the daring of the acrobat, the strangeness of the snake lady, and the delight of the dancing pigs.

Vintage-style circus posters capture the weird and the wonderful while fascinating sidebars reveal historical truths behind America’s circuses. What was it like when the circus came to town? This book, illustrated in rich oils, gives us a ringside seat.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Nonfiction, Animals

32 pages, Hardcover

First published April 9, 2007

About the author

Carlyn Beccia (pronounced Betcha) is an author, illustrator, graphic designer, and historian. Beccia's children’s books, including Who Put the B In the Ballyhoo?, Raucous Royals, I Feel Better with a Frog In My Throat, Fashion Rebels, and They Lost Their Heads, have won numerous awards including; The Golden Kite Honor, the International Reading Association's Children's and Young Adult Book Award, and the Cybil Award.

Reviews

[Haylee Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t expect to like this book as much as I did based on the cover but it’s actually very intricate and well done. It’s set up like an alphabet book with each circus character being a different letter.

The illustrations are amazing and gross and elegant and fun like each character is! Kids will definitely have reactions to this one!

[Kary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved how there are little circus facts intersperced throughout the book. Very interesting and beautifully illustrated.

[Cassandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whimsical! Weird! Wonderful! A delightful alphabet book about the circus.

[Kirsten Murphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great concept but disappointing that resources weren’t included for the facts given in this book.

[Nichole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clever illustrations and quirky facts, relayed in fun and unusual fonts. The kids were into it.

[Taylor Baldacci]

Brief review:
This is a nonfiction book about the circus shows that would travel the world. From the awesome shows, to the zippy train rides across the country, this book uses all the letters of the alphabet to describe the acts that perform in the incredible shows. I found this book to be very interesting, and the illustrations are amazing. I think kids will enjoy learning about all the odd things that used to be features in all the circuses. The words along the bottom of the page that contain most of the information are somewhat small, and I believe by making them bigger it would make them more appealing to younger readers.
Content areas:
This book is an interesting way for younger children to look at and learn the alphabet. This book can also be interesting to older readers that already know their alphabet. Bellow each picture is a description of the picture, and could be used when teaching history. This book could also be used as an opener to a lesson about where sayings or phrases we use daily come from, such as "hold your horses" like the book describes.
Comprehension questions:
1: Who was the inspiration for Uncle Sam, why?
Answer: Dan Rice, the original rodeo clown in the 1800's. He was chosen as the inspiration for Uncle Sam because of his red and white striped pants, star-spangled top hat, and chin whiskers.
2: Why were the snakes in Uno's snake charming act not a major threat?
Answer: Most of the snakes in her show were nonpoisonous boa constrictors, a boa constrictor typically kills small animals, and it does so by squeezing them to death.
Wonders:
1: What are circuses like now, how have they changed over time?
2: Where did the circuses get all of their exotic animals?

[Sarah Herranen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a children’s picture book that teaches children about all the intriguing and historical circus stars through wonderful illustrations and text. The story is cleverly thought out utilizing each letter of the alphabet in a creative fashion. Children are shown the life of circus performers, which is both factual, exciting, and most of all strange. They read about Houdini escaping the Chinese water torture, the 700 pound woman, performing pigs, and much more in this bizarre but delightful book. The book uses different techniques to address important dates, people, and themes of a circus. It could be used in a classroom to show the unique traits that have changed over years of the infamous circus life.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was introduced to this book at a showing of Children's Book Illustrations at Joslyn Art Museum. Saw many original works of art for many different books, and they had the books available also to skim through, or read, at your pleasure. This one interested me due to the alphabet art work depicted in "Old Time Circus Bill Posters". Thought it would be interesting for Aryana and Aleyda to help them with the alphabet. As I was reading it to them I realized it was a bit over their heads for comprehension at their age now, but in a few years, after they develop the hunger for art, I do believe they will enjoy it immensely. Until then, I'll keep it, and when they are visiting, they can look at it at their pleasure, and I will have it to look over again, and again, and again...

[Camille Rivera · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book gives a new and original way to learning the alphabet. It is so intriguing that it would be interesting to even older children who already know their alphabet. Each page is dedicated to a letter that is then related to some kind of circus act. The illustrations are bright, colorful, and full of life. The alphabet letters and their accompanying circus act are drawn on what looks to be a circus poster. Below the poster of each page is a factual description of that scene in a real circus, its history, or the person who is known for that circus act. I might use this book in the classroom as an attention getter for finding the history behind sayings and other things that we don’t realize have a story, such as the saying, “hold your horses!”

[North Lake County Public Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recommend picking this book up for the illustrations if nothing else; Carolyn Beccia really has an unusual and visually rich style, distinctive in the children's book world. The last parent to return this book noted that her kids really loved the colors, the animals, and the peoples' facial expressions. She noted (and I agree) that the text of the story itself is rather too tiny for little eyes to read, and is kind of cramped up at the bottom, but that the book is worth handling as a visual experience even if the actual *reading* is a little too difficult.

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I just randomly picked this book up from the Library to read to my kids, and after we read it I spent the whole day on the internet looking up all the circus acts found in this book. Then when my husband got home and read it he spent the whole night looking up the same thing to see the actual pictures. It was facinating.

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Golden Kite PB Illustration Honor (2008)

Bright, imaginative ABC's of early circus times, sideshows included. The design is very true to the subject material, lettering much like that on original posters and the like. Text at the bottom of the page explains each of the acts described in the alphabet.

[Jenelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cool ABC book that pays homage to the American circus' of the past. Each letter is illustrated like a circus playbill, highlighting an actual historical act. Bits of trivia and history compliment each entry so its a totally rich experience throughout.

[Emely Magaña · Rating 5 out of 5]

This alphabet book teaches many more lessons than just the alphabet. It is full with information about the circus and what use to be the most popular shows at the circus. This book would be a fun and entertaining book for children kindergarten to fourth grade.

[N · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very awesome alphabet book of famous sideshow "freaks" and the history of all things circus.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW!

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of wonderful illustrations. It's an alphabet book. It's a history book. It's a pretty book. I learned where the phrase "hold your horses" came from and what exactly a ballyhoo was.

[Ollie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining ABC book associated with the circus

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is great for young and older readers. It covers unique people of the world, like the lovely woman who wore a beard. Gets those little minds working!

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an interesting abc book about the circus. The illustrations are very eye-catching and the book includes facts about the circus. Great as an example of an ABC informational book

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 2 out of 5]

The circus poster style art didn't do anything for me and the text was bordering on information overload.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://librarianosnark.blogspot.com/2...

[Raven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nicely illustrated and written children's book. My sons liked it a lot.

[A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cool book that introduces interesting facts about the circus while going through the alphabet. Great illustrations, very attractive. Good for school age children K-4

[Alexandria Hiam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cool book that introduces interesting facts about the circus while going through the alphabet. Great illustrations, very attractive. Good for school age children K-4