The Circus Comes to the Village

by Yutaka Kobayashi

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Pub Date Oct 01 2019 | Archive Date Dec 31 2019

Children's Fiction

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Description

When fall arrives, the circus comes to Paghman village, one of the few pleasures for the villagers. Yamo and his friend Mirado are very excited. Yamo misses his brother, who has gone off to war. Mirado’s father is also away at war. At the circus, the boys browse the vendors, ride the swings and enjoy the shows. Mirado plays his father’s flute with the circus band and his music moves the people’s hearts. When the circus moves on the next day, Mirado leaves with it. As the villagers prepare for the severe winter ahead, Yamo thinks about his friend Mirado and wonders how he is doing. Finally, snow falls. The villagers are happy, since the snow leads to the next year’s harvest. Kobayashi's illustrations portray the beautiful village life that fall. Then, on the final page we are stunned to learn: "This winter, my village was destroyed by the war, and people escaped to other villages.” But the reader is ultimately left with hope, as the springtime announces the villagers' return.

When fall arrives, the circus comes to Paghman village, one of the few pleasures for the villagers. Yamo and his friend Mirado are very excited. Yamo misses his brother, who has gone off to war...

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A Note From the Publisher

About the Author:
Yutaka Kobayashi (1946–) is a Nihonga (Japanese-style paintings) artist and picture-book author. In 1979, his very first submission was accepted for the Japan Fine Arts Exhibition (Nitten). He was a frequent visitor to the Islamic countries of Asia and the Middle East during the 1970s to early 1980s, and the main themes of his works reflect those visits.

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Advance Praise

Praises for Yamo's series book 1: The Most Beautiful Village in the World

"Readers follow them on their journey through the countryside and into town, taking in the beauty of the land as depicted in Kobayashi’s intricate, detailed, and brightly colored spreads... The final wording, on a spread with no art, is stark and sudden: 'In the winter, the village was destroyed in the war. It no longer exists.' It’s a reality for many children the world over and will be eye-opening for many American children." —Julie Danielson, Seven Impossible Things before Breakfast

"Mainstream sources of information don't provide many ways for us to visualize Afghanistan as anything other than a dusty, war-ravaged place of despair. And while there may be some truth to that, there is another side to this country and its people, which Kobayashi is intent on portraying in this first book of the Yamo's Village series." —Amina Chaudhri, Booklist

Praises for Yamo's series book 1: The Most Beautiful Village in the World

"Readers follow them on their journey through the countryside and into town, taking in the beauty of the land as depicted in...

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