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Overview
It’s Art’s birthday, and he receives a brass spyglass from his grandfather, the respected insect circus ringmaster Sir Henry Piper. No sooner than his grandfather tells him to use the spyglass for only good purposes (no spying!), Art accidentally sees something he shouldn’t . . .
Enter a world of incredible delight and mischievous mystery, where snails, beetles, and bees make up one of the greatest spectacles on earth. Where humans and insects share the circus ring as friends and colleagues. And where a boy and a girl—with a little help from a pet ladybug—try to prevent one of the biggest bundles to hit the traveling insect circus circuit in years!
Synopsis
It's Art's birthday, and he receives a brass spyglass from his grandfather, the respected insect circus ringmaster Sir Henry Piper. No sooner than his grandfather tells him to use the spyglass for only good purposes (no spying!), Art accidentally sees something he shouldn"t . . .
Enter a world of incredible delight and mischievous mystery, where snails, beetles, and bees make up one of the greatest spectacles on earth. Where humans and insects share the circus ring as friends and colleagues. And where a boy and a girl—with a little help from a pet ladybug—try to prevent one of the biggest bundles to hit the traveling insect circus circuit in years!
Publishers Weekly
In British author Copeland's charming fantasy of human and insect interaction, 12-year-old narrator Arthur Piper uncovers a shady plot to undermine his grandfather's circus in Edwardian England. Seth, a fly, is the Agent in Advance for Piper's Circus, and his odd behavior prompts Art to dispatch his pet ladybug, Rufus, to spy on the fly. Seth and his brother, Vince, stand to make a tidy bundle by taking bets-but on what Art can't be sure. Copeland's cross-hatch pen-and-inks bring to life such characters as a veteran circus clown and the insect stars of the Big Top, who are the size of domestic animals, but with human abilities and habits. The chapters alternate between the more suspenseful episodes of Rufus trailing the traitorous Seth, and those of Art and his human pal Daisy as they cope with such hazards as loosened tightropes, and try to figure out the significance of the Flying Geminis' breakup (which is tied to the wasp-tamer and the evil wasp Jasper, with whom Seth is consorting). Readers will likely put two and two together before the human protagonists do, but there's much to amuse here. The story ends with an appendix of sorts, "Notes on the Training of Animals for the Circus," ostensibly penned by Art's great-grandfather, which will likely amuse both adults and children, as will Copeland's little gem. Ages 8-12. (July) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
Editorials
Publishers Weekly
In British author Copeland's charming fantasy of human and insect interaction, 12-year-old narrator Arthur Piper uncovers a shady plot to undermine his grandfather's circus in Edwardian England. Seth, a fly, is the Agent in Advance for Piper's Circus, and his odd behavior prompts Art to dispatch his pet ladybug, Rufus, to spy on the fly. Seth and his brother, Vince, stand to make a tidy bundle by taking bets-but on what Art can't be sure. Copeland's cross-hatch pen-and-inks bring to life such characters as a veteran circus clown and the insect stars of the Big Top, who are the size of domestic animals, but with human abilities and habits. The chapters alternate between the more suspenseful episodes of Rufus trailing the traitorous Seth, and those of Art and his human pal Daisy as they cope with such hazards as loosened tightropes, and try to figure out the significance of the Flying Geminis' breakup (which is tied to the wasp-tamer and the evil wasp Jasper, with whom Seth is consorting). Readers will likely put two and two together before the human protagonists do, but there's much to amuse here. The story ends with an appendix of sorts, "Notes on the Training of Animals for the Circus," ostensibly penned by Art's great-grandfather, which will likely amuse both adults and children, as will Copeland's little gem. Ages 8-12. (July) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.Children's Literature
Art gets a spyglass for a birthday present—but he is not supposed to use it to spy. Nevertheless, when Art accidentally sees a (gasp) wasp hanging out with Seth, the Agent in Advance (who is also a fly), things get even more complicated for this traveling Insect Circus. Once the reader understands that the insects in the Piper Grand Traveling Insect Circus are all giant proportions and can talk (and that this is normal), the reader will enjoy seeing how these bugs fit in a "giant" world (clowns bowl when wood lice curl up into a ball). Readers could be disappointed to learn that many of the bugs tend to take on characteristics based on their species rather than by character. For example, the flies are always cunning and selfish. The wood lice are always clowning around. The snails all tend to be moody gossips. Even so, with such creatures as a "faithful ladybug" and a clever section onabout training various circus insects included, this light-hearted mystery will please bug lovers and circus fans alike. 2006, Houghton Mifflin Company, Ages 10 to 13.—Joella Peterson