Skippyjon Jones Cirque de Ole

November 19, 2012
The rowdy Siamese cat (or “kitty boy”) with a Chihuahua
alter ego finds his latest calling as a circus performer. While practicing the trapeze in his bedroom closet, Skippyjon’s imagination whisks him away to the Big Top. There, he’s joined by his fellow “puppitos” and a group of circus animals that resemble his toys. Playing the starring role as a pumped-up “perro con músculos,” the pint-size star with the creative vocabulary has his moment of glory on the tightrope before blasting back to reality. Schachner’s busy pen, ink, and acrylic spreads match the tireless energy of her spitfire hero, as well as the likely enthusiasm of Skippyjon’s steadfast fans. An enclosed CD features the author reading the story. Ages 3–up.

October 1, 2012
"Circus berserkus!" Skippyjon Jones heads for the big top! Everyone's favorite-ito Siamese kitty boy (who thinks he's a Chihuahua) returns for his seventh full-length picture-book outing. This time he's high-wire obsessed, much to Mama Junebug Jones' chagrin. He performs tail-tingling tricks on the telephone wire, entertaining his sisters and the squirrels but distressing Mama. After a talking to, he's shut in his room...but that never confines this "Chi-wu-lu." He creates a disguise and escapes through his closet (read: imagination) to the "circus pooch-ito" to perform with his Chihuahua buddies, los chimichangos. They recruit him (after pumping up his musculos with a bike pump) to be the bottom of their tower of Chihuahuas. However, Putzi Shtrungleboot the Shtrongdog isn't happy that they borrowed his costume, and he sends Skippito Friskito soaring up to the trapezes and safely home (via a cannon shot). Schachner's latest is full of the same Spanglish wordplay, sly tongue-in-cheek humor and frenetic acrylic-and-ink illustrations of her previous titles. Some of the word humor will soar over the heads of Skippyjon's fan base, but they won't mind; the language sounds so infectious when read correctly. Thankfully, an included CD read by the author with music and sound effects offers an example for parents and librarians forced into multiple readings. Ole, muchachos! Skippyjon Jones the handsome daredevil-ito! (Picture book. 4-8)

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December 1, 2012

K-Gr 3-Skippyjon Jones is back for another adventure. This Siamese cat who imagines he is really a Chihuahua walks the high electrical wire, showing off for his sisters. His mother is alarmed, and the feline gets a time out. Nothing keeps this cat down for long though, and soon enough, he imagines that he has joined his friends in the Chimichango Gang and their Cirque de Ole. Singing and rhymes ensue with Skippyjon ultimately arriving safely in his mama's arms, albeit infested with fleas. The author uses a weirdly unstructured rhyming text that is as hyper as her protagonist. The illustrations are also chaotic, swirling about the pages with bright colors and lots of imagination. The combination of text, song, and illustration lends to the overall feeling of unruliness. Fans of the series will enjoy the latest installment, making it a likely purchase where the earlier books are popular.-B. Allison Gray, Goleta Public Library, CA

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2013
In this adventure, the popular Siamese cat/wannabe Chihuahua is off to the circus, where he dodges "[cf2]liones[cf1] and [cf2]tigres[cf1] and [cf2]osos[cf1]," sprouts muscles to hold up a pyramid of pups, and more. Schachner melds Spanish--and Spanglish--words, nonsensical rhymes, silly songs, and hyperactive illustrations to the frenetic effect Skippyjon's fans expect. A CD of the story is included.

(Copyright 2013 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)