The Clown Said No [Hardcover]

Mischa Damjan (Author), Christa Unzner (Illustrator), Anthea Bell (Translator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up

The lights come up, the circus band begins to play, the ringmaster introduces the first act: "Presenting the clown Petronius and Theodore the stubborn donkey!" But nothing happens. And then, the clown says "No." He's tired of playing the fool. What he wants to do is tell stories. The clown and the donkey are just the first of the circus performers to rebel. A dancing pony, a lion, a giraffe, and a little white dog, all tired of doing their tricks, join them as they escape from the circus and set off to find true happiness.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Circus performers break the bondage of the big top and strike out on their own in The Clown Said No by Mischa Damjan, trans. by Anthea Bell. Damjan, whose real name was Dimitrije Sidjanski, was the co-founder of the Swiss publisher Nord-Sd Verlag, and this was the first book the house published, in 1962. Christa Unzner provides new, psychologically complex illustrations.

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1-In this uneven offering, a clown and a series of other circus members refuse to perform because they are unhappy. They run away and form their own circus, where the clown can tell stories, the dog doesn't have to wear his collar, and the dancing pony can sleep through the waltz. Everyone loves the new show (even though it doesn't have a tent), and the performers go away happy. The plot is slight and meandering and the story is quite wordy given how little happens. Also, it never seems clear why the performers want to be a circus for "children and poets." The illustrations in the first half of the book are very dark, and while they do reflect the mood of the story, they seem a bit overdone. The animals' faces are quite expressive and the composition works well, but that is not enough to carry the lackluster text. Pass on this awkward offering.
Amy Lilien-Harper, The Ferguson Library, Stamford, CT
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: North-South (March 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0735815526
• ISBN-13: 978-0735815520
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 8.4 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,724,688 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars The Clown said no, May 3, 2011

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sophie - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Clown Said No (Hardcover)

Have loved this book since I purchased it for a grandson many years ago.
I love the storyline, particularly the fact that the animals become tired of the way they are treated by the ringmaster and set off to develop an independent life which involves entertaining crowds of people. The illustrations are superb.