The Acrobat and the Angel [Hardcover]

Mark Shannon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 13, 1999 | Age Level: 5 and up

Caldecott Honor winner David Shannon illuminates a heartbreaking story of transcendence

Brothers Mark and David Shannon team up to create their own version of the miraculous legend of the Acrobat of God. This is the story of Pequele, a free-spirited orphan, whose unselfish sacrifice brings on a miracle. Despite a life of hardships, Pequele takes joy in performing his tricks for the village children. When his grandmother dies, he is too sad to perform. He wanders the streets, begging for food, finally collapsing at a roadside cross. When he is taken in at a monastery, he forms a special relationship with a statue of an angel in the chapel and with Friar John, and joy returns to his life. But the Abbot forbids his "carnival tricks." The Abbot doesn't realize that Pequele's tricks and the joy he feels when he performs are what bring him closer to God. When a mother and her child with the plague come to the monastery asking for solace, Pequele's tricks are all he has to offer. So he performs, sacrificing his home and risking his life. But the angel in the chapel has been watching, and she brings forth a miracle that will change his fate and the monastery forever.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The oldest stories are often the best ones, surviving the centuries on sheer merit, timeless bundles of wit and grace. Brothers David and Mark Shannon have preserved one such tale that dates back to the France of the Middle Ages: the winsome folk story of the legendary Acrobat of God.

Young Péquelé ("PAY-kul-lay") is separated from his parents as a baby when his village falls to the plague. His mother weaves an angel from twigs and dried flowers and tucks it into Péquelé's blanket to protect him as he goes to live with his grandmother in the mountains. Péquelé proves to be a vibrant, joyful boy, earning money for his grandmother with juggling and acrobatics in the village square. Every night, the two pray before Péquelé's angel, giving thanks for each other and "the warmth and light" inside them, "all simple folks like ourselves can understand of God's mysterious ways." But when Péquelé's grandmother passes away, he must find a new home yet again. Rescued by sweet Friar John, Péquelé reluctantly abandons his acrobat ways for life with the monks--but his gift, his leaping, spinning repertoire of tricks, turns out to be just the miracle the monastery needs.

Thoughtfully written by Mark Shannon and energetically illustrated by his brother David Shannon (of Caldecott Honor Book No, David!), this touching tale makes a warm, winning choice for story hour. (Ages 4 to 8) --Paul Hughes

From Publishers Weekly

The brothers Shannon (Gawain and the Green Knight) return with an adept and poignant interpretation of the medieval French folktale "The Acrobat of God (or of Our Lady)." Orphaned P?quel? possesses only one memento of his mother: an angel she fashioned from twigs and dried flowers. On the verge of starvation, P?quel?, a gifted acrobat, is taken in by the friars at a monastery on the condition that he "leave [his] carnival ways behind forever." The boy agrees and takes comfort in the friendship of a kind friar and the abbey's angel statue, which reminds him of his mother's parting gift. But one day, P?quel? breaks his promise in order to cheer a small child stricken with the plague. The abbot banishes P?quel? for his disobedience. The boy begs to see the angel statue one last timeAwith dramatic results. A sense of wonder permeates Mark Shannon's polished and understated retelling, making the tale's miraculous elements seem credible and nearly logical. In a return to his traditional style, dramatically different from his David Goes to School (reviewed above), David Shannon here presents luminous acrylics framed by stone-window-like arches, some modest and some ornate, resembling the look of medieval masonry. The artist's brilliant characterization of P?quel? reveals a boy at once humble and larger than life. These heroic traits culminate in the volume's only full-bleed spread, a spectacular portrait of P?quel? launching into flight with his angel. A moving story that leaves a lingering impression of joy. Ages 4-8. (Sept.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 1 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Juvenile; First Edition edition (September 13, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399229183
• ISBN-13: 978-0399229183
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.6 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,290,929 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great gift book, February 16, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Acrobat and the Angel (Hardcover)

I read The Acrobat and The Angel to my 3 year old daughter last night. It moved me to take action. 1)I am sending the book today to my best friend in Texas who has just lost a close family member. I hope it will help heal her heart. 2) I am getting my own copy of the book (we had gotten it from our library). and 3) I am going to tell lots of folks about the book. The Shannon brothers are wonderful. Both the story and the illustrations are touching. I dug in to all the illustrations to see the symbols used in the frames for each page - very telling! I also noted the two pages without frames and thought about what David Shannon was saying, putting his drawings there without "limits". Get it! Read it! Give it!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful! For adults and children alike., January 18, 2000

By 

Heather Contos "Mrs C" (The Rocky Mountains) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Acrobat and the Angel (Hardcover)

My 6 year old daughter recieved this book for christmas and as a rule, I try to read each book myself, before reading it to her. Well, being the sensitive kind, I cried...twice! Please, don't NOT get this book, thinking that it is too sad. My daughter loved it! And she did not cry, but more importantly she asked questions about Pequele's life. (ie: "What is the plague?", and "Why was that monk mean to Pequele?", "Is Pequele an angel now?". This opened doors for me, on subjects that every child eventually arrives at. I feel that this book touches more than the heart. It tells a child that he/she can endure through even the hardest of times. It shows them that, even though there is death, there is learning. I also felt that it was more spiritual than it was religious. To me, this is very important, in showing the world to my very observant 6 year old. Trully deep.