In their trademark style, author Kate Klise and illustrator M. Sarah Klise blend a story bursting with jokes, puns, and wordplay with illustrations, signs, letters, recipes, and bold graphics to introduce Three-Ring Rascals.
When Sir Sidney, a kindly old circus owner, becomes too tired to travel with his show, he places a Help Wanted ad in the newspaper. Enter Barnabas Brambles: “I have a degree in lion taming from the University of Piccadilly Circus.” But does Leo the lion need taming? Will Elsa the elephant still get her gourmet peanuts? And what will Brambles say when he discovers Bert and Gert—two mice who travel with the circus on popcorn cleanup patrol?
Brambles has big plans: More cities! More shows! No more free popcorn. Soon he’s made a big mess of Sir Sidney’s Circus, but Leo, Elsa, Bert, Gert, and the rest of the performers agree: The Show Must Go On!
Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads data base.
Catherine "Kate" Klise is an American author of children's literature. Many of her books are illustrated by her sister, M. Sarah Klise. Their popular Regarding series is presented in a scrapbook style format, with letters, journal entries, and related ephemera telling the story. She is also known for her picture books as well as the bestselling 43 Old Cemetery Road series. Kate Klise's first adult novel, In the Bag, was released in 2012.
The Show Must Go On by Kate Klise and M. Sarah Klise – Fantasy, 3rd grade and up – Release date: September 10th. I was so excited to receive permission to read a new book by this fabulous team. It is so special. I loved finding connections visually between their series 43 Old Cemetery Road and this lovely new release. Having faith in others when they don’t have faith in themselves is a tall order, but this book dishes it up… There’s a wonderful circus run by a kindly older oner, Sir Sidney. He becomes tired and things he needs a break from traveling with his show so he places and ad and hires Barnabas Brambles who has many devious, dark plans in mind for the circus. I loved all the animals and performers in addition to the impressive things the circus train is able to do… I also appreciated how the story was wrapped up. Fun quick new fantasy fiction title.
I mostly recommend this book for kindergarten to 2nd grade. I am not in the range so it wasn't that really a fun-read, but it had a pretty good story. The book was about a circus that needed a new leader for a week. Barnabas Brambles volunteered for the job, but he turned out that he was a very wanted criminal from London. He also hurt the circus animals even though the resting leader for the circus told him to take good care of the animals. Overall, it was a good book. I recommend it.😀
This is the first book in a series that is a great bridge book. About 140 pages long with lots of illustrations on every page, there is still a lot of text and a more complicated and clever plot than early chapter books.
This story is over the top and super silly, but you could tell early on that there was more going on than meets the eye initially. There was a great turn at the end, plus a solid set up for future books. Very curious to keep reading!
I’m a fan of the Klise sisters. This book doesn’t disappoint. I love the many jokes, puns and word play. I love that the villain found his conscience and forgiveness. What a great book to start a new year.
The Show Must Go On! is the first book in a new series from Kate and M. Sarah Klise entitled Three-Ring Rascals. The stars of the story are the animals and performers of Sir Sidney’s Circus. Sir Sidney treats his animals like gold, and even lets kids into his circus for free. Unfortunately, he is getting old and tired, and he needs a helper to assist him in managing the circus. Enter Barnabas Brambles, certified lion tamer, who promises to bring new energy and vision to the circus. What he fails to mention is that he is a money-hungry tyrant who plans to double the number of performances, hike up the prices, and even sell some of the animals. Sid hires him for a trial of just one week - and only luck will keep the circus intact until Friday!
I have had mixed reactions to books by the Klises in the past. I loved Regarding the Fountain, but couldn’t get into any of its sequels, and though I read the first 43 Old Cemetery Road book I was never interested enough to read the later volumes. I did enjoy Kate Klise’s Homesick, but when I brought home Grounded, it went back to the library unread. I’m happy to say, though, that this new series is a winner, and I am hooked!
Though I would consider this to be an early middle grade book, rather than an early chapter book, it is a nice transitional novel for kids who are still somewhat reliant on visual cues. Using speech bubbles and illustrations to break up the text, the story is told through a satisfying blend of words and pictures. Though this book is not told entirely in documents as some of the Klises’ books are, there are plenty of scraps of paper, letters, notes, and other pieces of paper scattered throughout that relate important information to the reader in a fun and clever way. My favorite subtle joke is the fact that Barnabas’s lion taming degree is signed by “Macon Upaname.” I also like the fact that the same piece of paper showing the performances the circus is supposed to have for the week keeps appearing, showing updates as things go wrong and the plans change. This is a great way to help kids recall what has happened in the story so far.
This warmhearted book is a great choice for second through fourth graders who are easing out of chapter books and into novels. The sense of humor is just right for seven and eight year olds, and the word play and dialogue engage their growing senses of humor and their ever-improving facility with language. Kids who have enjoyed the Silver Street Farm books and Charlotte’s Web will enjoy getting to know this fun cast of animals and will root for them all week long as they survive a series of funny and unlikely circumstances under the rule of Barnabas Brambles.
Everyone is excited to see that Sir Sidney’s circus is coming to town, but this owner is getting older and needs to find someone to help run his little circus, with a lion, an elephant, two acrobats, two mice who add jokes all along the way, and one crow. After quite a few interviews, Sir Sidney offers a trial week to Barnabas Brambles, who appears okay to Sir Sidney, but the rest of us readers are just a little suspicious. Barnabas’ management ends up quite a disaster, but the animals do their best to keep the circus together, and try hard to make the week work, and staying together. Barnabas cuts everyone back to one meal a day, tries to sell the animals and finally makes a deal with a zoo. Because he doesn’t seem to know how to drive the circus train, he makes the two acrobat brothers drive. They end up creating quite a few disasters in their navigation that plague them all, but especially Barnaby. All the circus performers miss Sir Sidney very much, and we soon discover that he is missing his circus too. Through huge changes made in order to make money, and travel mishaps all over the United States, the story ends in San Francisco with a grand finale. The lessons taught by Sir Sidney of kindness and giving someone a second chance underscore the story throughout. The illustrations are clever and bold, using both regular text and balloon speech to carry the story forward. There are posters and letters when needed. This book would make quite a fun read aloud!
From being a child I have had a slight obsession with anything to do with the circus. I love the magic, the excitement, the idea of travelling communities entertaining strangers in unfamiliar towns night after night.
When I heard about The Show Must Go On! by Kate Klise and M. Sarah Klise I knew that it would be right up my street.
The story begins with circus owner Sir Sidney feeling exhausted. His successful circus has been a hit with the public for so long that he needs a week to rest. He looks for someone to run the circus and in amongst the unsuitable applicants he finds Barnabus Brambles 'certified lion tamer'. However, Barnabus is actually a bossy, greedy slavedriver who doesn't care a jot for the animals and performers in the circus.
Follow this haphazard tale and see what happens in the week that Barnabus Brambles runs the circus and how Sir Sidney will react upon his return.
I enjoyed this story, a chapter book for newly confident readers with plenty of illustrations to compliment the text. I loved the characters of Gert and Bert, the seamstress mice who create their own words (my personal favourite is 'dramastic'- the result of mixing 'dramatic' and 'drastic'). Overall The Show Must Go On! is an entertaining read with madcap capers and a moral message.
The Show Must Go On! is released on September 10th, published by Algonquin Books.
The Klise sisters have done it again! When Barnabas Brambles is hired as the manager of Sir Sidney's Circus, he believes that he can make lots of money while neglecting the animals and overworking the performers. What he finds out is that all the animals are smarter (and nicer) than he is and that acrobats do not make good train engineers. His plans to make thousands of dollars in just a week are foiled by his own greediness and the crazy antics of the Banana Brothers as they try to steer the train. The poor elephant has sore feet, the lion is sick to his stomach, the acrobats are tired from trying to get the train to the right city on time for the show, and the owner is coming to see how things are going. Mr. Brambles has bitten off more than he can chew. This is a humorous story of a scoundrel that learns to be a better man.
Readers will laugh at an elephant doing a swan dive off the St. Louis Arch, Barnabas being tricked by a "tiger" salesperson, and a lion getting his stomach pumped after eating moldy pizza. They will also love Bert and Gert's silly commentary and their invented words like "vully" which is a vulgar bully. Great as a read-aloud or for quiet reading on your own.
I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
This is a shorter chapter book, with illustrations telling portions of the story. I would say it would be good for 1st, 2nd or 3rd-grade readers who are just venturing into longer chapter books. Some of the main characters are talking animals, so the story falls into the fantasy genre. It is the first book in a series.
I really struggled to get through this book. There were many parts of the plot that didn't make sense to me -- why would Sir Sidney hire someone without checking his qualifications; how could Barnabas Brambles expect to get away with his evil plan in a week and not get in trouble; etc. I even tried to make sure that I considered the plot from the viewpoint of a younger child, but I was still bothered. I will say that the author tied things up at the end of the story, but it was difficult for me to keep reading to get there.
The main character, Barnabas Brambles, suddenly has a change of heart at the end of the story, that really didn't fit his character or the events happening in the story. Even in fantasy, I have to care about the characters and feel they are real within the realm of the story. This one didn't do it for me.
You just can't go wrong with a Kate Klise book. There is always a wonderful message about the capacity of people to be good. p. 131 "I'd like to hire the man you're going to be tomorrow."
Another fun story from the Klise sisters. Sir Sidney is getting old and wants to turn his beloved circus over to just the right person, one who will love his animals and his performers. He has interviewed many, but decided that Barnabas Brambles is the one to take over for a trial week as he relaxes on his peanut farm. but Baranabas is only thinking of profit. He raises the ticket prices, increases the performance schedule and decreases the meals of everyone to one a day. Things go down hill in a hurry... well actually they go up and up and up. The Banana brothers are drafted to run the circus train. After mistaking their destination to Peoria, Illinois, they land in Peoria, Arizona. That show's run is cancelled and off they go to St. Louis. I don't know how but the train "flies" and ends up on top of the St. Louis, but it is a bit of a problem with the train perches high in the air. The adventure continues on and Barnabas gets meaner and more stingy. A fun read because you know that Barbabas will not succeed and the animals and circus performers will find a way to set things right.
Sensational opening book to this charming series. What a delight to read something that is funny, has great character development, teaches important lessons and is perfectly suited for the targeted audience. I devoured this book in about an hour (and that was with a few distractions from my kids). I love all the animals, the elderly circus owner and the way they all teach the vully (villain + bully) how to be a better person. I cannot recommend this book highly enough!
A fun story with pictures on every page; I know I’m not the intended audience, but I still enjoyed it! The overarching theme is that your actions will catch up with you and I appreciated that it was very clear that the problems were all results of the selfish decisions of the new manager and that he had to face the consequences in the end. Content considerations: some bullying and name calling from the villain (nothing awful), some cartoon-esque danger/illness. 6+
First in a five book series for younger readers this is an impressive firs tale which quickly gets you into the world it creates and has some fine entertaining moments throughout. Clearly designed for a younger audience, but that is fine and they should enjoy it. Well worth reading.
It didn't work super well as a readaloud because of all of the illustrations, but it was still a fun book. Full review here: http://www.sunlitpages.com/2019/07/th...
I just realized that I never reviewed this book that we read awhile ago. Now we've read 4 of the 5 books in the series (because our library no longer has #2). I've enjoyed the quirky characters and silly plots.
I thought this was a great book for those kids that like graphic novels but want just a little more text. It was funny, and I would grab the series for my shelves. Grades 2-4
I read this with my 6 year old. The illustrations are fun, and the characters endearing. We took turns reading it and it felt like a good stretch for her without being frustrating.
This kept my anti-chapter-book 7 yr old entertained over 4 nights. I didn't love it myself, though. I felt like the characters were lacking depth and even the ending felt underwhelming.
Sir Sidney's Circus is the most revered circus in the country. Sir Sidney is a loving, kind soul who adores his participating animals and treats them with admiration and respect. For example, Elsa the elephant is served only fresh peanuts, while Bert and Gert, two little mice, have the privilege of enjoying all the left over popcorn from the shows. Sir Sidney is getting older and he wants to retire from this hectic circus life. He realizes he must find someone to substitute for him and finally encounters Mr. Barnabas Brambles. Now Mr. Brambles is a villainous character who sees this circus as a chance to make lots of money for himself. He cares little for the animals or their schedules. More shows, more cities, more money is what motivates him. Sir Sidney sees Barnabas's energy and new vision and decides to give him one week to put his plans into action. Oh my, the mess he creates in one week is unbelievable. He is cruel to the animals, has to cancel most shows because he puts the Banana twins in charge of engineering the circus train which is most often lost and parked somewhere out of control. Everything around him is in chaos and shambles but the brave animals rise to the occasion and do the right thing ... they congregate together and agree that the show must go on ... no matter what.
The illustrations, wordplay and expressive vocabulary are so fun for the reader to digest. The book can also be a starting point to discuss how to deal with meanies and bullies. I love the moral of the story. Everyone is worthy of a second chance and Sir Sidney demonstrates this as he dispenses forgiveness, mercy and love towards Barnabas. He believes that Barnabas can change and use his gifts and talents to run a very successful circus. The quote I liked the best in the book was: "Because behind every great man is someone who believes in him," said Sir Sidney." And I don't think anyone has believed in you. Am I right?" This is a great book and it will be released to buy on September 10th.
This is book 1 of the Three Ring Rascals. When you finish you'll be glad that there is a plan for more stories with the characters that you've come to love.
The book opens with "If you're ever walking down a dusty road and see a sign that looks like this, STOP and look closely." The sign says: Coming Soon! Sir Sidney's Circus Animals! Acrobats" Amazing Feats That Will DAZZLE YOUR EYES and DELIGHT YOUR BRAIN!
Sir Sidney's circus is the best in the world, but Sir Sidney is getting old. He loves his life, but he needs some help. After a day of pacing and listing, considering and wondering Sir Sidney hires Barnaby Brambles to manage his circus. Right from the start things begin to go wrong. You see Barnaby Brambles doesn't understand that kindness can go a long way. He doesn't know that all things are connected and if you eliminate one thing or add another what is good doesn't remain. Barnaby Brambles also doesn't know that all things are not what they seem. If a deal seems to be too good to be true, it just might be. No, Barnaby Brambles doesn't think about anything but money. He cuts corners in every way that he can. If he thinks he can get away with it he does and he has no qualms about telling a lie if it will get him what he wants. He is bad, through and through.
What will become of the best circus in the world now that he is in charge? Will the acrobats perform? Will the animals be safe and cared for? You'll have to read The Show Must Go On! to find out. It's smafunderful!
When you have a book that has words like: "smafunderful= smart, fun,wonderful", plicken=plot+thicken","vully=vulgar+bully, and "dramastic=drama+ drastic", what's not to love about it. I thought this was a really wonderful book about a band of circus performers who were more like family. The story is about friendship, seeing the best in people (when they are at their worst), and work ethics. The story starts with Sir Sidney looking for someone to take over the circus for a little while and take care of his performers. He meets a "lion tamer" Barnabas Brambles. He states that he can take care of the circus and do a great job. With name like Barnabas, I was already skeptical. Of course, he is only in it for the money. Two of the characters Bert & Gert (mouse brother & sister) try to get him to see the error of his ways. Of course disaster ensues and he ends up making this much worse because of his greed. Of course, things do wrap up well in the end and lessons are learned. I thought that Ms. Klise crafted a very thought provoking read. This book really showed the power of trust, loyalty and a good business model. As I was reading this book, I thought to myself this is a very inspirational book. This book is about trusting people and giving second chances. Although, Barnabas Brambles' intentions were monetarily motivated, Sir Sidney wanted to give him a second chance. I like when Sir Sidney told Barnabas he wanted to hire the man he was going to be tomorrow. Really great start to a series. Well done, Ms. Klise.
"The Show Must Go On" by Kate Klise is the first book in a series of 3 for readers who are just beginning to read novels. The story tells of a circus and their leader, Sir Sidney, who throw on a fun, affordable, and overall kind hearted circus. Unfortunately, the performs and Sir Sidney are all growing very old and Sidney is having trouble running the show. Upon this realization he hires the most qualified person for the job, but on his first day on he begins wreaking all sorts of havoc on the circus.
This book is a really excellent choice for readers who are first looking into reading novels. Klise uses strong language but has the definitions listed on the page to help create a stronger vocabulary for the reader. Also, the illustrator Sarah Klise, does an excellent job of using pictures to break up the page and help give a visual to the reader. In doing this, both author and illustrator give helpful tools for the reader to enjoy the daunting task of reading a whole novel, maybe for the first time!
Overall, I would 100% use this book in my class as a first novel assigned. The author and the illustrator do excellent jobs using techniques to encourage readers and help build confidence in their reading.