The Great and Only Barnum: The Tremendous, Stupendous Life of Showman P.T.…

This biography takes a look at the life of the entrepreneur and showman P.T. Barnum, the man behind The Greatest Show on Earth. From jumbo elephants to three-ring circuses, the story follows Barnum from his childhood to his amazing success to financial disaster and back again.

A fun and interesting biography of P.T. Barnum. I liked the inset text boxes and abundance of images, especially all of the curiosities that Barnum featured in his museum and at his show. I also appreciated that his neglect of his wife and children and his drinking problem were addressed, but they seemed to be resolved overnight. I also liked that the book addressed the cultural and historic context of the sideshows and Barnum's treatment of the museum and circus animals. I think this would be a great biography for the upper elementary grades. ( )

No HUMBUG here! Amazing!! Stependous!!! Enthralling!!!! ( )

This book is about the life and times of P.T.Barnum, considered the greatest showman on earth. He is best know for the creation of the modern circus that takes his name. He was also known for his famous museam. This book ties together those events with the moments that made up the rest of his life. It take a straightfoward look at his life, from birth to death. Interwoven within many pages are side topics and addition facts that liven up and add to Barnum's life as well as the period of time that he lived in. Almost every page is filled with period ilustrations and photos to help support the reading. The biography helps sugest additional books dealing with Barnum and the 19th century timeframe. My main problem with the book would be its constant use of breaking up the main text with all of the side notes.They are all show inside large black boxes that contrast with the white background of the main text. I find that it causes the reader to lose focus from the main text. Each of the side notes could have been added to the main text or at the very least, used a similar format in order to not distract the reader. ( )

Before he was the great circus showman P.T. Barnum, he was Phineas Taylor Barnum (known to friends and family as Taylor or even just Tale) – a simple country boy from a small village in Connecticut. In this book, Candace Fleming chronicles how Tale grew from helping out in the family’s farm and grocery to becoming the ultimate showman and a driving force behind the world-famous Barnum & Bailey circus.

Throughout this biography, there are numerous examples of economic concepts at work. Notably, the reader learns about Barnum’s upbringing and how he began manual labor at a young age. His parents enforced in him the notions of earning and saving money, with Barnum recalling “my father did not miss an opportunity for a financial lesson.” With these lessons at hand, Tale began saving pennies by age 5 and paying for his own clothing by age 7. By age 15, the elder Barnum had passed away and Tale was responsible for earning money to support the whole household.

Read the rest of this review at: http://econkids.rutgers.edu/older-children-and-young-adults-2009/2199-the-great-...