44 Tiny Acrobats

By Author / Illustrator

Sylvia Bishop, Ashley King

Genre

Friends and family

Age range(s)

Publisher

Little Tiger Press Group

ISBN

9781788952057

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

04-02-2021

Synopsis

Join brave and spirited heroine Betsy and her forty-four tiny mice in a thrilling new adventure.
When Fry's Circus of Wonders pitches its tent opposite Betsy's house, Betsy feels a strange sense of longing. But Grandad can't even bear to look at it - it stirs up too many painful memories of Grandma's days as a circus performer.
As her parents rally round Grandad, Betsy slips away to see the show. But Betsy isn't the only one enjoying the spectacle - her forty-four mice have escaped and seem intent on joining in! As the mice gatecrash the magic act, disaster strikes and Betsy finds herself facing up to the odious ringmaster with a lot of explaining to do...
Beautifully illustrated in two-colour, this is the second adventure for Besty and her forty-four mice, from the acclaimed duo behind THE BOOKSHOP GIRL. For fans of ISADORA MOON, AMELIA FANG, OTTOLINE and HARPER.

Reviews

44 Tiny Acrobats is the next instalment from Betsy Bow-Linnet and her 44 tiny African pygmy mice! Betsy has to take her mice to the vets and told to come straight back home, but she gets distracted by the circus in town and cannot resist going inside to see the special guest act. Once inside, Betsy is transfixed by the circus and its spell binding acts when her mice escape and ruin the special guest act! Betsy has to find her mice and fast! She meets the unhappy circus owner Mr Fry and finds her mice, but at a price - she has to perform the next night.

Betsy’s first performance is a success and she wows three investors to fund the circus. Mr Fry wants Betsy to join the circus and travel the country, but Betsy refuses - she can't leave her family behind - so he takes her mice, leaving her alone and without her 44 tiny friends. Can Betsy get them back and save the circus while she's at it?

I do like the '44 Tiny' stories as they always have the themes of friendship and family running throughout. The characters are relatable and there is always humour running throughout the stories. The relationship between Betsy and her Grandad is brilliant and kind, just like it should be, and is always relevant to the story. These would be perfect for children just coming out of picture books and moving on to their first chapter books as they are well put together and the words are not too difficult.

192 pages/ Reviewed by Lauren Maidman, teacher