Common Sense Media Review
By Jan Carr
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Dog gains self-acceptance in visually stunning circus story.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 3+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Jane's an ordinary dog in an extraordinary world -- the circus! -- where her mom rides bareback, her dad effortlessly lifts elephants, and her brothers are shot out of cannons. When Jane tries to find her own special talent, disaster ensues. But by the end of the story, she's loved and celebrated by the Ringmaster and the rest of her circus family for her own simple qualities as a warm and loving pup.
Is It Any Good?
There's a lot that's extraordinary about EXTRAORDINARY JANE. Though the book's a debut for author/illustrator Hannah E. Harrison, she clearly has command of the picture-book craft. The language, though spare, is exceedingly clever: "her music lacked musicality... her paintings pizzazz." Harrison's paintings, on the other hand, have plenty of pizzazz and exploit the visual possibilities of the circus. She first pictures the dizzying heights of the trapeze from below and then, terrifyingly, from above. There's also lots of turn-the-page fun -- for instance, a quick reference to "the whole balancing ball disaster" followed by a wordless spread of animals recuperating, banged-up in bandages. Also, the book opens with circus ballyhoo -- an inviting spread of colorful posters.
In the end, Jane proves her worth simply by being a sweet, furry, lovable pup who fetches the Ringmaster's hat and then sits up and begs. Young readers will warm both to Jane and her very extraordinary world.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about feeling ordinary. Do you ever compare yourself with others and feel bad that you can't do what they do?
Does it sometimes seem that people on TV and in the movies can do more things than you can? When you hear about celebrities, do you ever feel that you're not as good as they are?
What do you do well? Why do other people like you? List everything you can think of.
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Hannah E. Harrison
- Genre : Animals
- Topics : Animals , Friendship
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Dial Books
- Publication date : February 6, 2014
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 3 - 5
- Number of pages : 40
- Available on : Nook, Hardback, Kindle
- Last updated : October 1, 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