Product Description

In this retelling of the old French legend, a juggler offers to the Christ Child the only Christmas gift he has. “The full-color pictures with subtle tonal modulations are an integral part of the design of the lumious pages full of movement and vitality. The Italianate aspects of the setting are beautifully realized.”--The Horn Book

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #21541 in Books
• Published on: 1978-09-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 48 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780156181921
• Condition: USED - VERY GOOD
• Notes:
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Review
In this retelling of the old French legend, a juggler offers to the Christ Child the only Christmas gift he has. “The full-color pictures with subtle tonal modulations are an integral part of the design of the lumious pages full of movement and vitality. The Italianate aspects of the setting are beautifully realized."
(The Horn Book )

About the Author
Tomie dePaola is best known for his books for children. He's been published for 40 years and has written and/or illustrated over 200 books, including 26 "Fairmount Avenue", "Strega Nona", and "Meet the Barkers". Tomie dePaola and his work have been recognized with the Caldecott Honor Award, the Newberry Honor Award and the New Hampshire Governor's Arts Award of Living Treasure. He lives in New London, New Hampshire with his new Airedale dog, Bronte.

Customer Reviews

powerfully moving story
The Clown of God is one of the most powerfully moving books I have read in a long time. This is the story of the adventures of Giovanni, a poor boy whose ability to entertain brings him renown.

The book is full of beautiful illustrations. Tomie de Paola brings real love to the pictures. Giovanni, the people he meets, and the Italian countryside come alive in de Paola's renderings. The visuals in this book dance with color and emotion. However, there are things that run deeper than pretty pictures in these pages.

Henri Nouwen once wrote:

"There is a deep hole in your being, like an abyss. You will never succeed in filling that hole, because your needs are inexhaustible."

Nouwen essentially said that the only solution in this life is to work near the hole. To avoid the twin temptations of dwelling in your pain or working so much that you drown your pain out with the noise of an overly busy life.

Giovanni is representative of all those who get caught in the snare of these temptations. He carries the hole, yet denies its nature. In his youth he believes his hole to be mere physical hunger. Allowing the rumbling of his stomach to overpower the groaning of the Spirit, he begins performing in order to try and fill his hole. Unfortunately, treating the symptom never cures the disease. As Giovanni grows older he avoids his hole by allowing the din of worldly success and the cheering of the crowds to drown out the insistence of the still, small voice.

Only in the end, broken and unwanted by the world, does Giovanni heed the call within. It is a truly beautiful scene when he does. Get the book and witness it for yourself.

lovingly spiritual
Giovanni is a orphaned street urchin, begging from door to door and jungling for his food. One day he joins a traveling group of actors and begins his career as a juggling clown, spreading laughter and joy wherever he goes. His fame spreads far and wide, until a day comes when he is no longer young. His special talent, and his admiring audience, leave him and he finds himself once again a poor beggar, homeless and alone. Then on a bitterly cold and windy night he seeks shelter in a church and falls asleep. When he awakens he is surrounded by the beautiful sight of the towns people offering gifts to a statue of Mary and Baby Jesus. When the crowds have gone, Giovanni goes closer and sees that Mary and Jesus have quite sad expressions on their faces. He puts on his clown face and juggles for the lovely child to make him happy. He juggles better than he ever has before. He puts all of his love into his act, and at the pinacle of his performance, dies of a heart attack. The monks in the church, who thought that his performance was a sacrilage, turn to see that the statue of Mary and the baby Jesus are now smiling. A miracle of love. The message of the story seems to be that it is not what you can offer the Lord, but the spirit in which you offer it, that really matters. I bought this book because it was recommended to me and the first time I read it I had my two year old daughter on my lap. When we got to the part where Giovanni begins to juggle for the baby Jesus, I got so choked up with tears that I could barely continue to read. My daughter held my hand and said "it's O.K. - see the baby is smiling." To me that says it all. Five stars isn't enough for this beautifully illustrated and deeply moving story.

Beautiful Kids Story: Reveals God's Love
This easy to read and beautifully drawn children's story shows the intensity and power of God's love. The book's vision is that God's love is simple, straight-forward and more powerful than we could ever expect.

My 3 and 5 year old children love the book and want me to read it again and again. They say "'Read God's Clown' again daddy ...".

The ending deals with death but it is not death in misery or emptiness. The Clown of God reaches God's heart and I think it will reach your heart and your child's heart too.