A Very Young Circus Flyer
Jill Krementz ~ Borzoi, 1979
And since we are on circuses... yesterday reminded me of something I found a few weeks back. Those children of the 70s and those who've been reading this blog for awhile know all about the Jill Krementz classic A Very Young Dancer. It wasn't until recently that I discovered there was a whole series of these books: A Very Young Rider, A Very Young Actress, A Very Young Skater, A Very Young Gymnast, A Very Young Skier, A Very Young Gardener, A Very Young Musician, A Very Young TV Star... are there more? Whew! Great little time capsules of youth and life that beg for a "where are they now" look. On my dancer post, I had an Anon write in that they knew the dancer all grown up but that she kept a low profile as far as the book was concerned. Seeing as our friend Armando "Tato" Farfan here is still flying, he was easier to track down.
I really love the circus. I've lived with it ever since I was born, but I've only been working for two years. I'm a trapeze artist with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey. I learned to fly when I was four. I'm nine now. My official name is Armando Farfan, Jr., but everyone calls me Tato. My whole family flies together and we're called the Flying Farfans.
If you ever wanted to know the inner workings of a circus family, this is a pretty in-depth look, all illustrated with Jill's wonderfully rich photography. I find it incredibly moving that Jill was inspired to chronicle the lives of these vastly different little people, here creating a picture in time of a normal little boy living an extraordinarily unique life. I can't imagine what it must be like for a small child to be a trapeze artist. The freedom and exhilaration that must come from being able to fly. 
If everyone thought each wee life was as precious and important as this, the world would be a glorious place indeed.
Also by:A Very Young Dancer
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4 comments:
I got this book off our shelf after I read your post yesterday. I loved these as a child--checked them out of the library as often as they were on the shelf--and I'm so glad my kids love them too. I love your review--every child should have a life so warm. Thanks.
goodness, between looking at this book and the miners this morning... the humanity and wonder of it all is making me super weepy! Glad you had the same connection.
This seems familiar, I think I had this book. I know I definitely had A Very Young Actress... I loved that one.
Oh, I worshiped A Very Young Gymnast. Our public library summer reading program required kids to read across genres in order to complete the program and the gymnast book was always my "sports" pick.
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