The story itself was cute but the illustrations and colors of the book were amazing. I did not like the way it ended. I did like the part about working hard and getting rewarded, but that was about it.

This historical fiction follows Georgie and his friend as they visit the circus with Georgie's papa. But when Georgie learns the fate of a circus horse that will retire, he becomes determined to save it. Set in the 1920's this picture book vividly portrays what the circus used to look like and shows students what true compassion and empathy look like. Readers/Students will enjoy this quick read.

My grandson and I were greatly enjoying The Circus Thief by Alane Adams when it abruptly ended. The trip to the circus, the ride on Roxie, the conflict in the story and then the solution was completed with little detail and no epilogue. My grandson kept trying to click to the next page thinking that there was more to the story. Perhaps there is, and the review copy just didn’t give it all. He really wanted to see all return to the farm, to see how life panned out for each of the characters.

Some of our unanswered questions are:
Why did Papa have enough money in his pocket on a trip to the circus to buy a horse? Sure seemed like an awful lot of money to be carrying around.
Also it seemed too easy for Papa to decide to buy Roxie when Georgie had been earlier questioned so intensely just to go the circus. It seemed out of character for Papa to buy the horse without more story to explain why.
Did Georgie get to ride Roxie more, maybe learn a few trick riding skills? (One of my grandson’s big questions.)
Was Roxie needed to help with the farm work?
Where had Harley been during the main action of the story?

The illustrations were colorful, clear with the characters' faces showing revealing emotional expressions. They also gave needed insight into the setting and time of the story. The story would appeal to younger children but is able to be read by my grandson, a second grader. Up until the conclusion of the review copy, the rating had been 5 Stars.

The publisher through Net Galley provided a digital ARC. I have voluntarily decided to read and review, giving my personal opinions and thoughts.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was just alright for me. I really enjoyed the bright pictures, but the story seemed a little flat for me. I don't know if a lot of kids today will identify with the time period.

The Circus Thief by Alane Adams is a sweet tale about a circus horse named Roxie. Georgie and his dad attend the circus and learn that this performance will be Roxie's last. Georgie gets to ride Roxie in the circus ring, and ends up behind curtain where he learns from Roxie's owner that she is not bound for retirement, but to a work farm. When the man startles Roxie, she takes off at a run. It's all Georgie can do to hold on. The owner accuses Georgie of theft, and the ruckus he makes brings people out of the circus tent. Georgie's father manages to stop Roxie and saves the day in more than one way.

This was a precious story of empathy and love. Georgie is clearly an empathetic kid, and still open to the natural world. He formed an almost instant bond with Roxie, as sensitive to the horse's feelings as she is to his. This is a great story for teaching compassion and empathy. The artwork is gorgeous, bringing the story to life. Overall, it's a quick read, geared towards slightly older elementary kids for solo reading, yet still good for bedtime story reading. Perfect for classroom use and personal libraries.

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Sparkle Press for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is a sweet little childrens book that reflects kindness and a simpler time in history that I enjoy seeing in books. The illustrations in "The Circus Thief" are detailed and colorful, and the story is quite charming with good morals. I definitely recommend this book for young children.

3★
"'Now why would I give you a dollar for something you ought to do? Should I charge you for that new pair of shoes you’re wearing?'

'Georgie looked down at his shiny boots. 'No, Papa.'

'Should I charge you for that new coat I bought you?'

'No. Georgie shuffled his feet. 'It’s just, the circus is in town and I was hoping I could go.'"

[My Goodreads review has an illustration of Georgie asking Papa.]

I think every child has had a time when they were afraid to ask for something but wanted it badly enough to take a chance. Georgie has seen an ad for the circus at the hardware store and has been hoping, hoping, hoping.

Papa lets him suffer for a moment, checks with Mama that Georgie has really done everything, and the next thing you know, Georgie has told a pal, and Papa has agreed to take them both!

[My Goodreads review has an illustration of Papa and the boys getting into the truck.]

At the circus, the boys are delighted with the clowns the elephants, and the noise, but most of all with "the most Royal of Arabian Steeds, the Lady Roxie!"

[My Goodreads review has an illustration of Roxie bowing to the boys.]

But this is Lady Roxie's last show - she's retiring, or so the audience is told. Georgie gets a ride, but while he rides out of the tent, he hears she is not being put out to pasture but to work by the man who's bought her!

OH NO! Roxie runs off with Georgie still aboard until Papa manages to catch her.

[My Goodreads review has an illustration of Papa catching Roxie while the buyer and circus folk look on.]

Papa saves the day by buying her, and then that's the very abrupt end of the story.

I guess it's happily ever after for Roxie now, but it certainly was a quick resolution and a bit odd to see Papa with a full wallet, handing over a fistful of money. I've since seen that it's part of a series, but I haven't read any of the others, so I can't compare and don't know if there's some background I might have missed.

It was fun seeing the illustrations of life in 1929 Pennsylvania. Thanks to NetGalley and SparkPress for the preview copy.

A lovely story about a boy who wishes to visit the circus which has come to town. His father takes him and a friend and it’s even better than he imagined and he comes home with a wonderful souvenir.

It did seem to end quite abruptly and I was left wanting a little bit more despite the happy ending!

The pictures in this book were lovely, and although not explicitly stated, they made it clear the story was not set in the present day - this could make it a fabulous book to use to teach infrerence and get children talking about using pictures as clues where they are available.

I did not realize that this is a series, but that is not an issue when reading this story. This is a sweet story about Georgie who wants to go to the circus. When he completes all of his chores and his father takes him and his friend to the circus. They enjoy everything they see and when they see Roxie, the showhorse, Georgie gets to ride on his back. Roxie is being retired after the show, and when Georgie climbs on his back, Roxie bolts as she does not want to work hard for the rest of her life. Roxie, does have a happy ending. It is geared to ages 4 to 8, but younger children (my grandson is 4) will not understand the message if not discussed with them. The best thing about this book is the illustrations. They are wonderful and the colours used depict the time perfectly. Circuses are pretty much gone the way of the dodo bird, so my grandchildren enjoyed the pictures and we talked about what I saw at circuses when I was younger. As well, taking place during the depression I had to explain about money and how people did not have a lot. That seemed to go over his head. Lessons of working hard to get what you want, that people can do the unexpected and even the treatment and care of animals can all be included. This would be a great story to read to a primary class to use for any of the discussion items mentioned as well as to use as a mentor text for prediction and drawing conclusions. The publisher, SparkPress, generously provided me with a copy of this book to read. The rating, ideas and opinions stated are my own.

Set in the 1920’s, The Circus Thief is a sweet story about a little boy, Georgie, that just wants to go to the circus in town. Upon permission of taking a friend along with them, Georgie and his father head to the circus. After being chosen to ride the star of the circus, an Arabian named Roxie, Georgie finds himself in a situation. Georgie’s father saved the day for not only Georgie, but Roxie too.

The illustrations were beautiful and detailed. My seven year old said that the expressions on the character’s faces helped to show the emotion of the story.

I read The Circus Thief to my ten and seven year old and they both loved it.

The Circus Thief publishes on November 6, 2018.

*Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this as a pre-release*

He tries to get his dad to give him an allowance but he won't pay him for regular chores. However, he will take him to the circus...

Spark Press and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you). It will be published November 6th.

His son gets to ride the circus horse. He finds they plan to get rid of the circus horse, which bothers the son. Then the horse takes off and the circus officials accuse the boy of stealing the horse. His father saves him and the horse. Thank goodness!

The illustrations in this book were colorful and engaging, but the story itself was quite uninteresting and didn't live up to the bright illustrations. The title didn't really fit the story and was even somewhat misleading. The "thief" incident didn't occur until near the end of the book and was very anticlimactic. I can imagine small children enjoying the illustrations of this book, but I can't see many really loving the story.

This looked like such a cute book from the cover and description. My 4 year old daughter saw the cover and became curious right away and wanted me to read it to her. She said she was happy that the show horse from the circus was able to find a new home and someone to take care of her. It was sweet to hear her feedback and really get into it. She said she wants me to buy this book for her to put on her shelf in her room and display it.

Taking place during a time when the circus was big red tents and bearded ladies, Georgie works hard to earn a trip with his friend. Agreeing to take them, Georgie’s father lets the boys explore the big top in all its glory. As Georgie participates in an act with a beautiful white horse, something terrible happens and Georgie is accused of being a thief. Will Georgie’s Father help rectify the situation? Will the circus trip have a happy ending?

This was an adorable story that teaches honesty and problem solving. I loved how expressive the illustrations are, and it helps children catch a glimpse of the past. This is one I would use during my teaching as well as with my children at home.

After reading that this book was geared for ages 4-8, I decided to have my own kids (ages 4 and 7) read it with me for a test drive. Coincidentally, my kids' grandfather (who they call Papa) was visiting us at the same time so my kids were really drawn to Georgie's father who also goes by the name Papa. My kids' first reaction to the story was that Georgie was only asking for a dollar for completing his chores and my kids didn't think it was fair that Papa wouldn't give him a dollar. So right away we were able to have a discussion about the historical context of this story and compare it to what kind of responsibilities kids have and what things cost today compared to the 1920's. As the story progressed, my kids noticed that Papa's generosity increased as he ended up paying for Georgie and Harley's admissions to the circus as well as buying Georgie a horse at the conclusion of the story. My seven year old noted that it appeared a little "unreal" that Papa would just buy a horse for Georgie but he said that he still enjoyed the story. Although the ending seemed rushed to me with Papa's quick solution to the problem, I don't think it will really bothered my kids when we were reading it together. My kids seemed to enjoy the fact that Papa was a better person than they first assumed and they liked that he came to the rescue. As a side note, my horse loving 4 year old daughter asked me to read the book again to her the next day and she told me that her favorite part was that "the horsey doesn't have to work and that the horsey is nice and liked him." So there you have it, straight from the mouths of babes. In conclusion, I would agree that this book is well suited for ages 4 to 8 especially to horse loving children. In my case, this book sparked a lot of conversation with very little prompting from me. Therefore, I liked how it had my kids thinking and making connections. Thanks to SparkPress and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

3.5 stars. I received a digital ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a sweet story about a boy who wishes to go to the circus because it's in town. He completes all of his chores and asks his father if he could go, who says yes. His father takes him and his friend to the circus and there he sees a show with an old horse that is retiring after the show.
The illustrations are what makes this story. They are absolutely gorgeous. There is a lesson to be learned with the son where he if he finished his hard work, he would be rewarded. They spend the end saving the horse from a laborious fate but it does fall a bit flat. I would have had a higher rating for this but it ends rather abruptly, as if there are still a few pages that could be written as well as more detail about the characters. Children will definitely enjoy the pictures as they are so colorful and pleasing to the eye.

This is a beautiful book with an unexpected twist to the end. Lovely story with a good moral. Really enjoyed this one.

The circus has come to town and Georgie is hoping to attend. What child has not felt the anticipation of going to a circus, or the fair or a carnival? So much to see and do! And that is where I feel the book lets readers down. A boy eager to attend would want to see all the sights and sounds but all the reader sees are a few posters and one performance in the big top before the story comes to a rather abrupt end.

Attending a circus as child should be slowly savored. Instead, I feel like the reader has been hurried through the pages. Readers barely know anything about Georgie beyond having a mother and father and a friend. I loved the cover of this book and it held so much promise but unfortunately fell flat.

The illustrations are truly amazing but the story needed more more action, more thrill, more wonder. I really hate giving a less than stellar review but unfortunately, I don't see this book as something that readers will return to again and again. There just isn't enough "meat" in the story to satisfy hungry readers.

Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of The Circus Thief from NetGalley for the purpose of review. No other compensation was received.

The Setting:


Summer, 1929
Girard, Pennsylvania during the depression



The Characters:


~ Georgie - a tender-hearted, empathetic, animal-loving boy
~ Georgie's parents - a poor, hardworking couple that struggle to sustain their farm and love each other, especially Georgie
~ Harley - Georgie's good friend
~ Roxie - a magnificent, smart, talented, trick horse from the Circus stable


The Plot


This is a charming story set in 1929 when the depression made it so hard for struggling families to make ends meet. Money is scarce and. they work hard and sacrifice much to get through another day.

One day the Circus arrives in town and little Georgie asks to attend. He states his case to his father. He tells him that he completed all his chore requirements so please can he be rewarded with $1.00 so he can buy a ticket to the Circus. His dad, after thinking about his request, grants him his wish and wants to go too.

His friend Harley is invited along and the three set off to experience a wonderful time together. The boys are mesmerized by the elephants and clowns but the best is yet to come.

During the Big Top extravaganza out gallops the most magnificent horse that Georgie has ever layed eyes on. Her name is Roxie. She is able to perform tricks for the audience and Georgie is invited to ride on her back. Oh my... it is his lucky day. Sadly he overhears that this is Roxie's last show (because of her age) and her destination is to go to a work farm! Oh no!

Georgie cannot believe his ears and his tender heart kicks in and he determines that he will never let that happen to this splendid animal. Can he figure out some way to save her from a life of despair and hopelessness? Papa... yes Papa will be Roxy's saviour he's sure!


I love time-period stories and tales that have heart, kindness and justice in them. The author says, "I wanted to give this series a great message for kids about giving back to others" and she certainly reached her goal in this book.

The illustrations are beautiful and marry perfectly with the text. I love the inspiring message and I highly recommend this book... and the whole series.

I adore THE CIRCUS THIEF, a lovely story about the circus coming to a small 1920s Pennsylvania town, geared to children ages 4–8. The illustrations are gorgeous and the tale of Georgie, who has done all his farm chores and convinces his Dad to take him and his friend Harley to the circus, gives such a sweet look at ‘20s life, when the world spun more slowly and the chance to see elephants and clowns was as exciting as any super hero multiplex movie.

Things heat up when Georgie gets to ride Roxie, a trained horse who can do all sorts of tricks. As he learns this is her last show and that she’s destined for a work farm, she bolts with him hanging on for dear life. It takes Papa to come the rescue, in more ways than one. Highly recommended!

Pub Date 06 Nov 2018

Thanks to SparkPress and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are fully mine.

#TheCircusThief #NetGalley