Common Sense Media Review
By Regan McMahon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Circle faces fear of the dark and of the other in cute tale.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 5+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
CIRCLE suggests a hide-and-seek game near her waterfall and tells her friends, Triangle and Square, that one rule is that you can't go behind the waterfall, because it's dark there. She closes her eyes and counts to 10, and when she opens them, Square is just standing there and tells Circle that Triangle went behind the waterfall. Circle goes in to search for him and ends up in a big dark cave, where she finds Triangle but also sees another pair of eyes peeking out of the darkness. The two shape friends run away in fear, but once they're outside, Circle wonders, "You know ... that shape in the dark might not have been bad. It might have been a good shape. We just could not see it."
Is It Any Good?
This quirky friendship story uses minimalist art and relatable text to deliver a subtle message about our fear of the other. It may take repeated readings to zero in on what the author is getting at, but Circle works on many levels for kids. It's a story about facing fears, breaking rules, caring for and worrying about our friends. And it ponders why we assume someone we don't know or can't see is bad or threatening.
Jon Klassen's art is minimalist and intriguing, with the three cute shape characters in a mysterious earth-toned landscape, and several pages featuring just pairs of eyes popping out of a solid black background. It invites readers to fill in the bodies and actions that go with the pairs of eyes that are staring at -- and away from -- each other. Circle is offbeat, original, and fun.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how taking risks and overcoming fear is shown in Circle. Are you afraid of the dark? What would make you feel safe in the darkness?
Circle tries to imagine what shape was in the cave. What shape do you think was in there? A shape like one of the three of them, or a different shape altogether? Or might it have been the shape of an animal or a human?
Circle gets mad when Triangle breaks the rules. She calls Triangle a bad friend, and then apologizes, saying, "You are a good friend. You just made us worried." How can being worried make someone upset? How important is it to say you're sorry after you've said something hurtful?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Jon Klassen
- Genre : Picture Book
- Topics : Friendship
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Candlewick
- Publication date : March 5, 2019
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 5 - 7
- Number of pages : 48
- Available on : Hardback, Kindle
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate