Adam and His Tuba

by Ziga X Gombac (Author) Maja Kastelic (Illustrator)

Adam and His Tuba
Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade

"Readers will be left screaming, 'Encore!'" -Kirkus Reviews

A playful book about finding your own path.

Everyone in the circus loves to perform - except for Adam, the youngest member of the Von Trapeze family.

Wherever Adam Von Trapeze's family circus performs they inspire audiences with their breathtaking feats. Grandma Antonia breathes fire, Uncle Artem builds dizzying human pyramids, and Papa Alexei and Mama Anastasia dance blindfolded on the tightrope.

Only Adam, the youngest of the family, doesn't show an interest in circus tricks and loud applause. The family is concerned. Where did they go wrong? But one day they are enchanted by the sound of a tuba. And from that day forward, the famous Von Trapeze family circus features a new performer--the one they never expected to be part of the family tradition. And he was a star.

Two of the most famous Slovenian children's book artists take us into the world of the circus in their first joint work. Ziga X Gombac tells the story of Adam in clear, subtle words. With a reduced palette of warm sepia colors, Maja Kastelic lights up the circus world on and off the stage. Together they plead for trust in one's own path and encourage us to take our place in the world.

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Kirkus

Once Adam's talent is discovered, he's able to join the newly modified family business, proving that the best traditions allow for adaptations so that everyone feels included. Readers will be left screaming, 'Encore!'"

School Library Journal

K-Gr 4--A story about talent that's all in the family, but not in the way the family expects. Adam is the youngest child of a multigenerational circus family who takes their show to audiences far and wide to great acclaim. Every member has a role, starting with Adam's grandparents and continuing all the way down to include his siblings. Everyone but Adam, it seems. The circus just doesn't interest Adam, a fact that befuddles his family who believe that the circus is in their blood. They try to coerce him into joining to no avail. They do not, however, ask him why he is reluctant to be part of the family business. As they discuss the problem among themselves, they hear music coming from one of the circus wagons. It's then that they discover Adam with his tuba, and he is making beautiful music. When they realize Adam's talent, he and his tuba join the circus after all. The striking artwork immediately pulls in readers. It is reminiscent of vintage circus troupes' advertisements with sepia tones that capture the vision entirely. It is stylized, sharp, and completely engaging, and could give rise to a conversation about the use of posters as art, for politics, and in advertising. VERDICT This tale from two talented Slovenian creators will make a lovely addition to libraries seeking unusual international fare in books and those needing books on kids who beat their own drum.--Joan Kindig

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Publishers Weekly

A family of circus performers face a moral reckoning in this playfully illustrated story of acceptance written by Gombac. The Von Trapeze family, who "amaze audiences wherever they go," reveal a wealth of talents: fire breathing, sword swallowing, and tightrope walking. But youngest child Adam, shown reading backstage, lacks enthusiasm for the family's pursuits as well as the resultant applause. At a family meeting, as the worried circus clan brainstorms a "solution" for Adam's perceived problem, someone finally thinks to ask Adam what he likes doing. When he reveals a hidden musical talent--the group wondering why they "never noticed, or heard him, before"--they gain a fanciful coconspirator: "Did you know that circus tricks and this tuba of mine make a unique combination?" Rosy-cheeked, largely pale-skinned figures with turned-up noses populate Kastelic's sepia-toned illustrations, which successfully conjure a circus atmosphere and a familial conglomerate alongside a stock plot of finding one's way. Ages 4-8. (Feb.)

Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes



Ziga X Gombac
Ziga X Gombac is from Slovenia, where he studied journalism and worked as a journalist, music editor, and editor-in-chief. He is currently the editor and presenter of the first podcast for youngsters on national radio in Slovenia. He has written numerous books for children and adults, which have won many awards. Storytelling and creating, both in books and at events, is an important part of his life.

Maja Kastelic was born in Slovenia, where she studied painting, philosophy, and visual art theory. For several years she worked as a fresco restorer before devoting herself to illustrating children's books. Prizes include the White Ravens Award, and her work has been displayed at the Illustrators' Exhibition in Bologna. Her last book for NorthSouth was Hans Christian Andersen -The Journey of His Life.

Olivia Hellewell is Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Translation Studies and a translator of contemporary Slovene literature. Olivia is the recipient of two English PEN Translates! Awards, and in 2019 she was awarded first prize in the Asymptote Journal Close Approximations Translation Contest.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780735844971
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Northsouth Books
Publication date
February 28, 2023
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV039000 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | General
JUV031040 - Juvenile Fiction | Performing Arts | Music
JUV002000 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | General
JUV031010 - Juvenile Fiction | Performing Arts | Circus
Library of Congress categories
-

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