This book had us at "stay." The cover portrait of a Jack Russell terrier adorned with a sequined ruff, bookended by the primary-colored toes of giant clown shoes, could not telegraph the contents better.
Raised in a family of circus performers whose lineage can be traced to the early 1800s, Luciano Anastasini was a famous juggler and acrobat by age 12. Then one day he fell 50 feet off a high wire, ending his physically demanding career. What could he do? Luciano knew no other life but the circus. Then he got an idea for an act--a dog act: "Luciano would be getting a second chance. Perhaps he could give some dogs a second chance, too." We meet Bowser, a beagle mix that could steal food even from inside cabinets, and Penny, a small white bichon frise with a happy smile and the bizarre habit of spinning in circles and running into walls. Each of the 10 canines profiled seemed to have an insurmountable issue. Yet the book's clever design hints at their bright futures. Clear, realistic photographs capture the dogs' personalities and contrast with a text framed by candy colors, and their names festooned with polka dots.
For more than two years, Luciano, with enormous patience, empathy and love, discovered each one's special talents. He observed what the dogs enjoyed doing and found a way to work that into his act. This celebration of second chances lets us know that, just as these dogs were rescued, it was the circus performer who was actually saved. --Lisa Von Drasek, librarian at Bank Street College of Education's School for Children