PATRICK AT THE CIRCUS

This overly busy title featuring the return of Patrick Brown, the fuzzy little bear, and his family, suffers from a lack of focus as it crams too many subplots into a rather insipid story about going to the circus. The circus comes to town and Patrick wants to go. Mama tells Patrick that his dad was once a circus clown, which prompts Papa to play some clownish tricks on Mama. The next day they go to watch the circus tent being raised and Papa has his wallet lifted by a little monkey, though it’s returned once the monkey is cornered. Then the ringmaster announces there will be no circus because the clown has quit. Papa volunteers. The show goes on. Patrick gets miffed when his parents won’t watch his clown tricks and is still grumpy when they head for the big tent that night. After a series of rather uninspiring acts, Papa makes his appearance, wows the crowd, and then has his hat stolen by that rascally monkey. Patrick chases after him. When the hat is secured, Patrick gets to wear it in the grand finale. Patrick is happy again. Numerous vignettes per page, word balloons as well as text, rapid-fire shifts in mood and tone, and an uncomfortable combination of Katzenjammer brusqueness with treacly settings give this title a bad case of multiple and conflicting personalities. (Picture book. 3-6)