The Clown of God

My mom read this book to me as a child, and I just loved. Had to get a copy as an adult. Not sure why someone would give it a poor review bc it's "not secular" since the title gives that away. Beautiful book.

Bought as a part of our Five in a Row curriculum and I just wasn't a fan of the story. We ended up skipping this one. Other secular homeschoolers might want to switch out for The Legend of Bluebonnet, also by the same author.

Tomie de Paolo's The Clown of God is by far, one of the most beautiful stories for children around. I was read this story as a child and it still is one of my all time favorites. The beautiful, soft-colored prints throughout the book will delight children along with the story about Giovanni, the poor boy who becomes a juggling clown in a circus. Giovanni goes on to become a famous juggler, but towards the end of his life, he once again becomes poor. He finds himself back home in Sorrento on Christmas Eve and performs a miracle in his local church. A story that will delight both children and adults.

Giovanni is a orphaned street urchin, begging from door to door and jungling for his food. One day he joins a traveling group of actors and begins his career as a juggling clown, spreading laughter and joy wherever he goes. His fame spreads far and wide, until a day comes when he is no longer young. His special talent, and his admiring audience, leave him and he finds himself once again a poor beggar, homeless and alone. Then on a bitterly cold and windy night he seeks shelter in a church and falls asleep. When he awakens he is surrounded by the beautiful sight of the towns people offering gifts to a statue of Mary and Baby Jesus. When the crowds have gone, Giovanni goes closer and sees that Mary and Jesus have quite sad expressions on their faces. He puts on his clown face and juggles for the lovely child to make him happy. He juggles better than he ever has before. He puts all of his love into his act, and at the pinacle of his performance, dies of a heart attack. The monks in the church, who thought that his performance was a sacrilage, turn to see that the statue of Mary and the baby Jesus are now smiling. A miracle of love. The message of the story seems to be that it is not what you can offer the Lord, but the spirit in which you offer it, that really matters. I bought this book because it was recommended to me and the first time I read it I had my two year old daughter on my lap. When we got to the part where Giovanni begins to juggle for the baby Jesus, I got so choked up with tears that I could barely continue to read. My daughter held my hand and said "it's O.K. - see the baby is smiling." To me that says it all. Five stars isn't enough for this beautifully illustrated and deeply moving story.

The Clown of God is one of the most powerfully moving books I have read in a long time. This is the story of the adventures of Giovanni, a poor boy whose ability to entertain brings him renown.The book is full of beautiful illustrations. Tomie de Paola brings real love to the pictures. Giovanni, the people he meets, and the Italian countryside come alive in de Paola's renderings. The visuals in this book dance with color and emotion. However, there are things that run deeper than pretty pictures in these pages. Henri Nouwen once wrote:"There is a deep hole in your being, like an abyss. You will never succeed in filling that hole, because your needs are inexhaustible."Nouwen essentially said that the only solution in this life is to work near the hole. To avoid the twin temptations of dwelling in your pain or working so much that you drown your pain out with the noise of an overly busy life. Giovanni is representative of all those who get caught in the snare of these temptations. He carries the hole, yet denies its nature. In his youth he believes his hole to be mere physical hunger. Allowing the rumbling of his stomach to overpower the groaning of the Spirit, he begins performing in order to try and fill his hole. Unfortunately, treating the symptom never cures the disease. As Giovanni grows older he avoids his hole by allowing the din of worldly success and the cheering of the crowds to drown out the insistence of the still, small voice.Only in the end, broken and unwanted by the world, does Giovanni heed the call within. It is a truly beautiful scene when he does. Get the book and witness it for yourself.

What an astonishingly beautiful story! The messages that it gives -- that God is pleased with our gifts, even if they seem simple in comparison to the gifts of others; that it is our heart that matters, not what we give; that God values everyone, even someone who others look down on -- is simple enough for a child to quickly grasp, yet complex enough that many of us adults forget it...and need to re-learn it. My children loved this book, despite the sad fact that the clown dies in the end. They were able to see the joy and beauty of the book. Copies of this book are going to lots of people this Christmas!