THOMAS THE CIRCUS BOY
by David Merveille with Zidrou & illustrated by David Merveille
From the Belgian illustrator of Zidrou's Ms. Blanche, the Spotless Cow (p. 466): a story about an acrobat's son who yearns to become part of the circus where he's growing up but who is impossibly clumsy. Discouraged with his ineptitude, Thomas runs away, but a dream sends him back just in time to figure out why the elephant is in pain, which gives him a new idea: he'll be a veterinarian when he grows up. The resolution is trite, but Merveille's swooping broad lines and subtle modeling of bright, childlike colors will be appreciated by adults for its handsome graphic qualities, as well as by children responding to the simple story. (Picture book. 4-7)