Sidewalk Circus (by Paul Fleischman)

Veteran author Paul Fleischman joins veteran illustrator Kevin Hawkes to create a magical book rooted in realism. A hint of what the book holds is on the cover: A yawning sign-hanger looks ordinary, but his shadow on the wall turns him into a shouting ringleader. That's the message here: excitement is where you find it!

Not quite a wordless picture book, the story wanders across the page in the form of the lit-up theater marquee and the signs hoisted by the sign-hanger. As the words appear, the action follows, and suddenly an everyday delivery man becomes a strongman and jugglers appear in a pizza shop window. Pre-readers will enjoy poring over the detailed pictures since the words aren't necessary to catch the action.