Coming-of-age in the wild world of the circus

In the early 20th century, major circuses like Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey — along with hundreds of other regional circuses that crisscrossed the country — brought exotic animals and daring performers to local communities. The circus performers and animals would unload at railroad spurs and walk to a nearby field, where they would erect a tent. For many kids, the excitement was too much. When the circus pulled up its stakes, locals would often run off with its caravan to join the adventure.

A new young adult novel, “Long Road to the Circus,” written by Betsy Bird and illustrated by award-winning children’s book artist David Small, tells a similar story of a young southern Michigan girl who has dreams of becoming a circus performer. Bird and Small both have Michigan ties; the author was born in Kalamazoo and the illustrator lives in Mendon.

Bird first met Small when he came to speak at her school in Kalamazoo. The relationship didn’t stop there, and as Bird writes in her book: “All families have stories. Sometimes those stories actually turn out to be true.”

Bird’s family story involved an uncle who would skip out on his farm chores to visit a circus performer who had retired to rural Mendon. He wanted to learn horse tricks from the former circus star.

Years later, Bird learned that the story was true and her uncle was visiting the home of famed circus performer Madame Marantette. Marantette was well known for her equine extravaganzas. Ready for the next coincidence? Small and his spouse now occupy the Marantette home.

What made Marantette so unusual is how she would do her electric horseback maneuvers while riding sidesaddle. According to Bird, she still holds the world record for horse jumping while riding sidesaddle. Marantette also owned ostriches, and one unusual trick involved a racing surrey pulled by an ostrich and a horse.

In the story, we meet Suzy Bowles, 12, who is born with a preternatural grip and the tenacity to never let go of anything she sets her mind on doing. When Suzy learns that her uncle, who lives with her family, disappears every morning before dawn, she decides to follow him. What she learns will change her world forever. Her uncle is a horse trainer and is employed by Marantette, the acclaimed circus magnate.

From there onward, Bird masterfully uses fiction devices to tell a wonderful coming-of-age story. Bird toddles along with her uncle and is soon drawn into the world of the Marantette and her ostriches. Bird wants to follow in Marantette’s shoes, so she begins the arduous and often painful process of learning to ride an ostrich.

As we learn, ostriches are not easy to ride. They are stubborn, huge, strong and odd in appearance, but they are also not keen on having someone on their back.

Suzy’s plans are almost derailed when her parents realize she is sneaking away to ride ostriches. She has to promise to still do all her chores with no complaining.

Suzy is close to taming the errant ostrich for a special appearance at a community parade when she is thrown and injures her shoulder. Her parents ground her and forbid her to visit Marantette. With the annual parade fast approaching, Suzy hatches a plot to surreptitiously join the celebration. It would not be fair to tell the rest of the story, because of its brilliant dramatic ending.

In her acknowledgements, Bird thanks a number of people — including the local librarian who provided her with an old-fashioned clipping file that contained all the historical information she would need to write the novel. She also gives Small a shout out and says the novel wouldn’t exist without his help. Small, who provided his deft hand to some clever illustrations, such as the novel’s cover of Suzy with an ostrich, talked Bird into making “Long Road to the Circus” a novel instead of a comic. Bird said is happy she listened to the master.  

Bird works as a circulation development manager for the Evanston Public Library, and Small, who has received the Caldecott Medal for illustration, lives in Mendon with his wife, Sarah Stewart, herself a writer of children’s books. His young adult memoir, “Stitches,” was a National Book Award finalist and recipient of the Michigan Notable Book Award.

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