Customer Reviews

The Clown of God

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Giovanni is a orphaned street urchin, begging from door to door and jungling for his food. One day he joins a traveling group of actors and begins his career as a juggling clown, spreading laughter and joy wherever he goes. His fame spreads far and wide, until a day comes when he is no longer young. His special talent, and his admiring audience, leave him and he finds himself once again a poor beggar, homeless and alone. Then on a bitterly cold and windy night he seeks shelter in a church and falls asleep. When he awakens he is surrounded by the beautiful sight of the towns people offering gifts to a statue of Mary and Baby Jesus. When the crowds have gone, Giovanni goes closer and sees that Mary and Jesus have quite sad expressions on their faces. He puts on his clown face and juggles for the lovely child to make him happy. He juggles better than he ever has before. He puts all of his love into his act, and at the pinacle of his performance, dies of a heart attack. The monks in the church, who thought that his performance was a sacrilage, turn to see that the statue of Mary and the baby Jesus are now smiling. A miracle of love. The message of the story seems to be that it is not what you can offer the Lord, but the spirit in which you offer it, that really matters. I bought this book because it was recommended to me and the first time I read it I had my two year old daughter on my lap. When we got to the part where Giovanni begins to juggle for the baby Jesus, I got so choked up with tears that I could barely continue to read. My daughter held my hand and said "it's O.K. - see the baby is smiling." To me that says it all. Five stars isn't enough for this beautifully illustrated and deeply moving story.

The Clown of God is one of the most powerfully moving books I have read in a long time. This is the story of the adventures of Giovanni, a poor boy whose ability to entertain brings him renown.

The book is full of beautiful illustrations. Tomie de Paola brings real love to the pictures. Giovanni, the people he meets, and the Italian countryside come alive in de Paola's renderings. The visuals in this book dance with color and emotion. However, there are things that run deeper than pretty pictures in these pages.

Henri Nouwen once wrote:

"There is a deep hole in your being, like an abyss. You will never succeed in filling that hole, because your needs are inexhaustible."

Nouwen essentially said that the only solution in this life is to work near the hole. To avoid the twin temptations of dwelling in your pain or working so much that you drown your pain out with the noise of an overly busy life.

Giovanni is representative of all those who get caught in the snare of these temptations. He carries the hole, yet denies its nature. In his youth he believes his hole to be mere physical hunger. Allowing the rumbling of his stomach to overpower the groaning of the Spirit, he begins performing in order to try and fill his hole. Unfortunately, treating the symptom never cures the disease. As Giovanni grows older he avoids his hole by allowing the din of worldly success and the cheering of the crowds to drown out the insistence of the still, small voice.

Only in the end, broken and unwanted by the world, does Giovanni heed the call within. It is a truly beautiful scene when he does. Get the book and witness it for yourself.

This easy to read and beautifully drawn children's story shows the intensity and power of God's love. The book's vision is that God's love is simple, straight-forward and more powerful than we could ever expect.

My 3 and 5 year old children love the book and want me to read it again and again. They say "'Read God's Clown' again daddy ...".

The ending deals with death but it is not death in misery or emptiness. The Clown of God reaches God's heart and I think it will reach your heart and your child's heart too.

Tomie de Paolo's The Clown of God is by far, one of the most beautiful stories for children around. I was read this story as a child and it still is one of my all time favorites. The beautiful, soft-colored prints throughout the book will delight children along with the story about Giovanni, the poor boy who becomes a juggling clown in a circus. Giovanni goes on to become a famous juggler, but towards the end of his life, he once again becomes poor. He finds himself back home in Sorrento on Christmas Eve and performs a miracle in his local church. A story that will delight both children and adults.

What an astonishingly beautiful story! The messages that it gives -- that God is pleased with our gifts, even if they seem simple in comparison to the gifts of others; that it is our heart that matters, not what we give; that God values everyone, even someone who others look down on -- is simple enough for a child to quickly grasp, yet complex enough that many of us adults forget it...and need to re-learn it. My children loved this book, despite the sad fact that the clown dies in the end. They were able to see the joy and beauty of the book. Copies of this book are going to lots of people this Christmas!

A friend of mine says her father used to tell the story of the juggler who gave the only gift he had to the baby Jesus. For Christmas one year I gave her The Clown of God, and she filmed her father (now in his seventies) reading it to her children. This is one of those classic stories that relate the true meaning of Christmas. I've given copies to everyone I know. Don't let the age range fool you (4-8). I'm in my forties and this is one of my favorite books!

As I read this book, I was astonished by the simple messagethat God-given gifts or abilities, no matter how simple are all weneed to bring meaning to life --to please God. It simply reminded me that doing dishes and cleaning floors pleased God...and that made me cry.

Tomie is the king of picture books and this one proves it. I don't know which is better the way he tells this lovely story or his beautiful illustrations. A very important lesson, that it isn't our wealth that determines what we can give to humanity, but our hearts.

I teach first grade and read hundreds of children's books every year. This is my favorite. It tells of a juggler who gives a perfect gift to the baby Jesus. It is sad but gives us hope as well. I like all of Tomie dePaola's books but I love this one the best.

I'd just like to add my endorsement to all the other enthusiastic reviews of "The Clown of God." It is one of my all time favorite read-alouds in the days approaching Christmas. Primary grade students will listen in awe to this inspiring tale and absorb dePaola's rich illustrations. It's one of the few books that mentions God in a non-preachy manner that can still be read in (most) public schools. While the story concludes with the clown giving his best for the Madonna and Child following the "procession of the gifts," its message transcends most faith traditions.