When the Circus Came to Town

Yep, Laurence. 2002. When the Circus Came to Town. Ill by Suling Wang. New York: Harper Collins. ISBN 0-06-029325-X.

Yep says in a preface that this wonderful book is based on a real event that happened in Trembles, Montana in the early 1900s. He says, "I would never have dared try to make up a multicultural tale like this." The story absolutely works, however, and is all the more inspiring because it's true.

Ursula is a spunky and imaginative girl who leads all the rest of the children in her tiny Montana town in pirate adventures. Then a bout with smallpox leaves her with a scarred face and she refuses to come out of her room. Because her parents couldn't run their stagecoach station and still nurse Ursula while she was ill, they have hired a Chinese man named Ah Sam as the station's cook. Ah Sam gradually draws Ursula out of hiding but can't convince her to leave her house. When Ursula includes Ah Sam in their family's Christmas, he responds by bringing her a circus - in the form of his cousins, acrobats and circus performers. Then, when the Ah family is snowed in and can't leave town to celebrate Chinese New Year in Chinatown, the town celebrates Chinese New Year with them.

Ah Sam is a well-rounded character whose cultural markers ring true for his time and place. A particularly effective scene involves a rude customer tripping Ah Sam on purpose and telling Ah Sam to apologize. He does, but the stagecoach driver immediately points out that it isn't because Ah Sam is afraid - it's because he could be killed for hitting a white man. Yep shows Ah Sam being both angry and unafraid, rather than being a stereotypical "meek Asian."

Yep sensitively explores the issue of prejudice. Ursula's own term for prejudiced people is "donkeys," and she decides that it's the same donkey people who laugh at her scarred face and treat Ah Sam badly because he's Chinese. While this helps her feel that she isn't alone, it also activates her old Pirate Ursula instincts. Like a wily pirate, she realizes that when the heartache of discrimination can't be eliminated, it's possible to rise above it.

The townspeople are a believable multicultural group on their own, including the Schultz family, who are recent immigrants, Tom, who is a Sioux, and people whose names sound French or Cajun, German, and English.

Publisher's Weekly says, "Bolstered by themes of compassion, community and tolerance, this story is among Yep's most assured. With dry humor and a keen ear for dialogue, the author includes deft characterizations and offers a window onto Asian-American history and culture. Wang, who illustrated Yep's The Magic Paintbrush, contributes detailed b&w drawings that underscore the volume's more serious themes."

This story has enough plot twists and adventure to make an excellent read-aloud. I would also display it for Chinese New Year, especially since it's based on a true story!

Publisher's Weekly. Qtd. in Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/When-Circus-Came-Town-Laurence/dp/0064409651/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-5676480-3776938?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1184716728&sr=1-1.