HARPER AND THE CIRCUS OF DREAMS

Harper seeks the origins of the song she hears only in her dreams.

She’s an orphan, but Harper is lovingly cared for by her aunt and other eccentric residents of the Tall Apartment Block. Harper’s three uncommonly talented preteen friends, a silver wolf, and a mandolin-playing cat make up her beloved co-adventurers. In this sequel to Harper and the Scarlet Umbrella (2017), she still longs to understand the mystery of her absent parents, who left only a smudged note as a clue. Harper can play any instrument but has yet to find the special one that will bring to life the haunting music in her heart and dreams. As Harper and her friends travel through the sky one day, carried along by her flying red umbrella, they encounter an ethereal girl, Skylar, who is flitting among clouds that are held aloft by birds and tightropes. Skylar eventually leads them to the magic Circus of Dreams in the sky. There, they encounter numerous dazzling performers and mysterious places, such as the bake shop where, with one bite of a harp-shaped cookie, the mind fills with music. Brimming with charming illustrations and written with flowing wonderment, this is a fantastical slip of a story where magic and music combine to create enchantment. Harper and her friends Ferdie and Liesel are white, her friend Nate is black, and Skylar is depicted with dark skin.

A winsome tale that will make the minds of early chapter-book readers sparkle.