Three-Ring Rascals, Books 1–2: The Show Must Go On!; The Greatest Star on Earth

Gr 2–5—In this delightful collection, Klise introduces readers to the endearing Sir Sidney and the animal performers in his world-famous circus. In The Show Must Go On!, Sir Sidney, tired from years of running the circus by himself, decides to take a one-week vacation, so he hires a temporary replacement. Unfortunately, Barnabas Brambles proceeds to mismanage the circus, overwork the performers, and treat the animals cruelly, but by the final performance and the return of Sir Sidney, however, order is restored. The Greatest Star on Earth begins with Sir Sidney learning that Polly Pumpkinseed of The Circus Times newspaper is running a contest to find the best circus performer. Anxious, Sir Sidney develops a worrywart that requires immediate bed rest; fortunately, Barnabas steps in but conveniently forgets all that he's learned about kindness. In the meantime, each performer attempts to win the contest, only to realize in the end that they're much better as a team. Klise's charming characters, especially the anthropomorphic animals, are brought to vivid life by an ensemble cast of voice performers who give each character personality, especially Gert and Barnabas Brambles. A nice touch is the inclusion of calliope music that serves as each book's intro and outro, thematically tying the titles together and adding a bit of whimsy to the production.