(Book Cover: dePaola, Tomie. 1978. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. Photo Source: Tomie dePaola Online Bookstore. http://www.everythingtomie.com/, accessed September 14, 2008.)
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY: dePaola, Tomie. The clown of God. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1978. ISBN 0-15-219175-5
2. PLOT SUMMARY: Giovanni is an orphaned, homeless child whose skill of juggling helped him survive well into adulthood. Throughout the story, Giovanni juggles for townspeople across Italy to earn his living. He juggles an array of items concluding with colorful balls, including a gold ball which Giovanni calls the “Sun in the Heavens”. Eventually the townspeople tire of him to such an extent that they throw vegetables and stones at him. He is old, sad, tired and hungry so he decides to take off his clown face and go home to Sorrento. He returns and goes into a church to sleep and be out of the cold. He wakes up to townspeople singing and bringing gifts to place in front of a statue of the Virgin Mary holding an unsmiling Holy Child in her lap. It is Christmas morning. Giovanni, remembering how his juggling always made people smile, decides that juggling is the only gift he has to give. He puts his clown face on and juggles beautifully in front of the statue. As he completes his performance, he collapses and dies at the foot of the statue. Miraculously, as Giovanni lay dead at the foot of the statute, the Holy Child has a smile on his face and is holding the "Sun of the Heavens" gold ball.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS: For those not familiar with this legend, the first and last pages of the book provide valuable background information about the story. The first page identifies the story as originally a French legend which Tomie dePaola has retold in the setting of Sorrento, Italy at the beginning of the Renaissance period. This is the period the legend is thought to have originated. The back page tells the reader that Mr. dePaola researched the clothing, scenery and customs of the Renaissance period in order to illustrate the book. Further information is given about the drawing of the statue of the Madonna and Child. The picture is one of a statue that would have existed prior to the Renaissance. Mr. dePaola thought that in the Renaissance time period, the statue in the church would have been an older, more revered carving and would not have been a new statue. This is a good example of the kind or research and detailed thinking Mr. dePaola puts into his work.
The character of Giovanni is representative of a simple, talented person who goes about his life working hard to make his own living while affecting others in positive ways. Giovanni’s hard work and talent (i.e. juggling) is seen by Giovanni as something he enjoys, as entertainment and something that can earn him a living. The story, however, teaches that hard work and talent can be much more than what they appear. They can be something that gives glory to God and ultimately, are gifts to God. This is the not-so-subtle theme of this legend.
The plot moves along swiftly from Giovanni’s life as a poor young boy, to a famous traveling juggler, to an old man who has lived out his usefulness as a performer. While the plot seems very predictable for the majority of the story, the ending comes as a bit of a surprise. Nevertheless, it is a wonderful ending teaching the lesson that Giovanni’s hard work and talent as a juggler was as pleasing to God as it had been to the masses he had entertained throughout his life.
The story of Giovanni’s life also teaches something about the culture in Italy in the 1400s. Reference is made to food, particularly fruit, being sold in the streets. The book describes the traveling troupe of performers that went from village to village as entertainment for the masses. It makes references to dukes and princes living during that time who were also entertained by men like Giovanni. Finally, it describes the masses of people that would come to church on Christmas day to lay gifts at the feet of the statue of the Virgin Mary and Child. These cultural elements are understated in the story but clearly are representative of the Italian culture during the time and could easily be expounded on through further lessons.
Mr. dePaola is said to have researched around the world for the details of the paintings included in the book (dePaola 1978, book jacket). The drawings of the monks are likely influenced from Mr. dePaola’s own experience as part of an order of brothers (Ibid.). The illustrations are well placed and the pictures beautifully enhance the printed words on the page. The detail Mr. dePaola puts in his illustrations is shown when the juggler is juggling seven colored balls. The balls are always perfect in shape and color. In each of the numerous pictures showing the balls, there are seven balls. When Giovanni dies, he is lying on the floor with seven balls. When the monk notices that the Holy Child is smiling with the gold ball in his hands, the picture of Giovanni only has six balls lying next to it. Thus, one could infer, God picked up the ball and placed it in the Holy Child’s hand. This is the type of detail that Mr. dePaola puts into each page of this book.
4. BOOK REVIEW EXCERPT(S):
KIRKUS REVIEWS, (09/01/1978): “…it's easy to be enticed by de Paola's early, pastel street scenes, and when the miracles come along his unprepossessing figures and warm familiarity help cut the piety.” (Source: Book Index with Reviews database, accessed via TWU Library Online)
THE HORN BOOK (date unknown): “The full-color pictures with subtle tonal modulations are an integral part of the design of the luminous pages full of movement and vitality.” (Source: Amazon Editorial Reviews/Product Description, http://www.amazon.com/Clown-God-Tomie-dePaola/dp/0156181924/, accessed September 29, 2008)
5. CONNECTIONS IN A SCHOOL LIBRARY SETTING:
• Read along cassette (dePaola, 1980). dePaola, Tomie. 1980. The clown of God. Weston Woods Studios, Inc.)
• Video Recording (dePaola, 1980 – dePaola, Tomie. 1980. The clown of God. Weston Woods Studios, Inc.)
• Weston Woods Studios has a great lesson plan online for the use of the video recording and the book. It can be found at http://www.dcmp.org/guides/10091.pdf/, (accessed September 29, 2008). It states the academic standards that can be covered, instructional goals, vocabulary list, activities and much more. A wonderful resource for teachers or librarians.
Other Related Items:
Tomie dePaola’s Official Website, http://www.tomie.com/, (accessed September 29, 2008). (Very user friendly. Children will find it fascinating.)
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