The circus is magic, it is the world of childhood, bright lights and cheerful music, bright iridescent fabrics, sweet sinking of the heart and laughter.

The smell of horses and sawdust in the arena, cotton candy and mother's perfume. The world of loud applause, from which the palms hurt a little later, exclamations of surprise, a formidable lion's roar and a bravura "Alle-up!"

And what does the circus offer us today?

Now some circus performances on a budget are not inferior to some Hollywood films. Carefully developed scripts, dizzying special effects, specially written music for the performance, the highest level artists - that's what the modern circus is.

Everyone has their own circus. You can love it or not love it, but it does not leave anyone indifferent!

We present to your attention our book selection on the theme of the circus.

Anton Chekhov. Kashtanka

This famous story of the great Russian writer Anton Pavlovich Chekhovwas written in 1887. Since then, the heroine of the story - "a cross between a dachshund and a mongrel" - has become a favorite heroine of young readers.

Light and Touching story dogsKashtanka leaves no reader indifferent. It is very important to read in childhood just such works written by an intelligent, attentive and kind writer.

The publishing house "Ripol-Classic" has an amazing edition of this book with illustrations Gennady Spirin -one of the best illustrators in the world and winner of many awards,

Mikhail Loskutov. Story about talking dog

Mikhail Petrovich Loskutov - Kursk writerand a publicist who had already written his first book at the age of 22.

The hero of The Tale of the Talking Dog is Dr. Carrabelius, a well-known illusionist and trainer, ventriloquist and snake charmer. He is adored by the boys of all the cities where the circus comes.

A great artist can swallow a sword, make a scrambled egg in a hat, and teach a dog to speak...

In the publishing house "ENAS-BOOK" well-known stories M. P. Loskutov reproduced with drawings by the master book illustration Anatoly Eliseev.

Albert Likhanov. Circus circus performers

A tale of circus performers in the last daysthe Great Patriotic War, about the unusualness of circus life, about the hopes and trials of childhood at that time.

This is a very touching story about a boy whose house is visited by a family of circus performers.

His experiences, the expectation of his father from the front, are interspersed with communication and acquaintance with the circus on this and that side of the tent.

This edition was published by Childhood. Adolescence. Youth", with illustrations by Maria Pinkisevich.

For middle and high school age.

Valery Shulzhik. Funtik in the circus

This book by the "Drofa" publishing house is a continuation of the adventures of the famous piglet.

In this story, Funtik began " star fever", but the wise uncle Mokus quickly found a way to cure her.

In the city of Bolshie Chukhly, where our heroes arrive on tour, strange events take place at night, but police general Gadget himself takes over. And Lady Belladonna does not lose hope of getting back the "lucrative pig", and she almost succeeds.

Illustrators: I. Pshenichnaya, A. Solin.

For elementary school age.

Natalia Durova. Theater of animals of grandfather Durov

The book of the publishing house "Children's Literature" tells about the animal artists of the theater "Grandfather Durov's Corner", as well as about the love of trainers for their pets.

The Animal Theater named after V. L. Durov or “Grandfather Durov’s Corner” is a theater in Moscow in which animals act as actors: a hippopotamus, an elephant, a raven, a pelican, a raccoon and many others.

The theater was founded on January 8, 1912 by Vladimir Leonidovich Durov, the founder of the famous dynasty, whose descendants still work in the theater. Vladimir Durov himself was a famous circus performer, clown, trainer, and writer.

Illustrations in the book by Sergei Yarovoy.

For elementary school age.

Yakov Akim. girl and lion

This small book was republished by the publishing house "Rech" in the series "Mom's Favorite Book",

Hurry to see! Only today! African lion Kirill at the circus!

But here's the problem - the lion got sick. Will the show not take place?

The poem by Yakov Akim will tell about kindness, friendship and readiness to help in difficult times.

And the bright illustrations of Gleb Bedarev will lead the kids through Magic world amazing circus art.

For children of preschool and primary school age.

Gabriella Parka, Marcello Argilli. Chiodino at the circus

"Chiodino at the Circus" is the second book by Italian authors, so the wanderings of a mechanical boy Chiodino continues!

Chiodino is an iron boy who is friends with the girl Perlina and constantly gets into different stories,

Once, Chiodino had a serious quarrel with Perlina. And he had to look for the girl to ask for forgiveness and bring her home.

But how to travel the whole world in search of dear person? Of course, along with a traveling circus, becoming its artist ...

The book was published by the Rech publishing house with wonderful drawings by Leonid Vladimirsky.

For children of preschool and primary school age.

Michael Bond. Paddington Bear at the Circus

Stories English writer Michael Bond about a bear cub named Paddington (Azbuka publishing house) has long been a classic of English children's literature.

The bear cub, who came from Dense Peru and settled in the house of the Browns on London's Windsor Garden Street, loves everything new and interesting.

Only now, for some reason, a bus tour with his participation turns into a complete mess, and once in the circus, he flies on a trapeze under the very dome ...

For primary school age

Doro Goebel, Peter Knorr. At the circus

German artists Doro Goebel and Peter Knorr showed in their realistic picture book (publishing house "Melik-Pashaev") the dazzling world of the circus.

Toddlers are given a rare opportunity to look behind the scenes, watch the everyday life artists, for circus animals, to learn about their small and big adventures in the circus town and, of course, to visit the performance.

The heroes of the book "In the circus" are friendly and international circus families, in which not only moms and dads perform in the arena, but also their children, and even grandparents participate in performances!

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Valentin Berestov, Sergey Mikhalkov and others. Circus! Circus! Circus!

The world of a fairy tale, where everyone enters under the magic dome of the circus, promises many wonderful stories and unforgettable impressions. This book is about bright rooms, talented, courageous and hardworking artists - people and animals, whose profession is a holiday.

For children of primary school age.

Gilbert Delae, Marcel Marlier. Marusya - the star of the stage

The book "Marusya - the star of the stage" (publishing house "AST") includes two funny stories about this famous inquisitive girl and her best friend Taxi.

In the first story, the children get to the "Marusin Theater" and learn how, with the help of simple things forgotten in the attic, they can stage real performance! And in the second - to the "Marusin Circus", to the arena with real acrobats, lions and clowns!

Books about Marus translated into 30 foreign languages. And they also make cartoons about her, which are successfully broadcast all over the world.

For elementary school age.

Jan Falconer. Olivia Saves the Circus

The book "Olivia Saves the Circus" by the publishing house "Makhaon" is intended for little inventors and their parents.

Absolutely unique design characters and recognizable situations have made Olivia's adventures one of the most successful books on the market in the past five years.

In the stories about Olivia, you will find everything that is inherent in your children - the desire to be older and childish spontaneity, a cheerful character and unwillingness to obey the elders.

For children of preschool and primary school age.

Dmitry Grigorovich. Gutta-percha boy

Dmitry Vasilyevich Grigorovich - Russian 19th writer century.

In his works, Grigorovich raised the problems difficult life serfs, brought out the image of ideal peasants.

His books are imbued with humanism and sympathy for various "little" people, whose fates he transferred to the pages of his novels and stories.

In 1883, the story "The Gutta-Percha Boy" was published about the life of "little people" from the artistic world.

Critics called this story "a small masterpiece."

This edition was published by the "Iskatel" publishing house, in the "Schoolchild's Library" series.

For middle school age.

Gennady Tsyferov. Losharik and other tales

The story of a small horse made of juggling balls named Losharik, who performed best in the circus, as well as other fairy tales by Gennady Tsyferov ("The Story of a Robot", "Crane Bagel", "The Story of One Aibolit", etc.).

This book of the Eksmo publishing house is decorated with colorful illustrations Vladimir Kanivets.

A cartoon based on "Losharik" was made.

Convenient small format allows you to keep this book at hand at home, and on trips, and on the road, and in the country.

For elementary school age.

Gyula Krudy. circus king

The story is published for the first time in Russian (ENAS-KNIGA publishing house), illustrations by Anna Vlasova.

The hero of the story Miklós young years works in a circus troupe.

While wandering around the Balkan countries, a young gymnast with his friends - circus performers - is going through many dangerous adventures.

The skill of the gymnast is growing; the young man receives an invitation to the world-famous Parisian circus, where he is recognized as the "king of the circus".

But at the pinnacle of his success, Miklós realizes that all the years of wandering he was not left homesick. He returns to his native land and finds his happiness there.

For middle school children

The whole evening in the circus arena ...

Enough interesting story, I read it with pleasure, and the syllable is not heavy. Thank you! I have read your other stories and enjoyed them. Thank you for the pleasure! Compared to half of the stories I've read in the last two weeks, yours made more sense than all of them combined.

And besides, everything here is simple and clear, in my opinion, exactly as it should be. Nothing superfluous, but at the same time enough. Nacre

Our mother was a music lover. When her father smashed her Rus-309 tape recorder in anger, she decided to order a new one from the catalog. Then just these glossy catalogs with different household appliances and other goods, up to gas pistols, went widely from hand to hand. She chose the Vesna M-310S1 tape recorder, transferred the money to St. Petersburg and waited. Week, second, third. On the third week, she realized that she would not see the tape recorder. She rushed to order intercity and call this joint venture, begging her to return the money. Oddly enough, after I prompted her to threaten to write a letter to " Komsomol truth The money was returned to her. True, I had to go to the regional center and open an account with Sberbank there. In Sberbank, the mother found out that in the regional center, in the circus, there would soon be a concert by Dobrynin, whom she loved so much.

Mother, having received the money, bought a tape recorder in the regional center, which cost her a third cheaper than if she had bought it from a catalog, and decided to go to a concert with joy. I phoned my father's sister, Aunt Nina, and she bought four tickets for us. At the circus, a meeting was made with Aunt Nina and her daughter Lariska. The proud bearer of apoplexy, Papa Pleischner, spent the whole time of the concert looking moderately dressed girls from the backup dancer of this very Dobrynin. And I examined blacks. For the first time in my life I met live blacks. Before that, I had only read about them in books. At that time, television was not yet overwhelmed by the muddy stream of Hollywood's vulgar production with its "trademark African-American humor", so these characters were not on the screen.

Two blacks were sitting a row above us, and towards the end of the first part, they were already visibly nervous from my close attention.

- Look, live blacks!

“These are my friends from Angola,” Pleischner said importantly, without looking up from the arena.

“It’s not good to pay attention to people like that!” my mother scolded me. “Look at Pashka better!”

She could not order me to look at the singer, worried that a half-naked backup dancer would damage my fragile morality. She was slightly moved on this basis. When a movie was shown in the club, she always put Pashka and me on chairs in front of her and, at the slightest hint of on-screen “nudity”, covered our eyes with her hands.

- Where are the blacks? Are they alive? Real? - blocking the voice of the singer, the sleepy Pashka revived, who still did not see the arena.

- Look, they're sitting behind us.

- Get out!

- Pointing a finger is rude! my mother scolded me. Pavel, don't turn around!

- It's worms! - gave his version of the father. - It itches from worms, that's why he spins.

- Look at Vlad! - ordered the mother.

We came to the circus to look at each other?

- Don't stop me from listening to songs! They staged some kind of farce, savages! Shame on people!

During the intermission, I went up to the blacks and asked:

- Hello! Do you know Tom Sawyer?

They looked at each other and said nothing.

“And Huckleberry Finn?”

The children of the "black continent" looked at me like sheep at a new gate.

“Mute? Or do they just not understand Russian? I thought and returned to my seat.

- What did they say? - how Pashka was spinning in the pan.

- They are silent.

“What if they are spies?” Do you remember how in that joke that the godfather told?

“Are you going to shut up sometime or not?” mother couldn't resist. - Completely mad. Have you ever seen blacks?

– Have you seen it? - the brother ingenuously asked and began to make faces at the blacks.

- I? I… I don't, - the mother was forced to confess.

- I saw - finally deigned to turn to the discussed persons father.

“Negroes are like Negroes,” he said loudly, pointing binoculars at them. “We had plenty of those at the institute.

Now the whole row, forgetting about the singer, stared at them. The mother, humming: “The blue fog is like a deceit…”, also turned to look.

- What black ones, God forgive me!

- The usual thing, - dad lost interest in them and again aimed the eyepieces at the flashing, slightly covered with colored shreds, charms of the girls.

- God forbid, jinx it! Look how you stare! - the mother took out a knife from her purse and began to baptize the air in front of her with its blade, and then in front of me and Pashka, trying to protect from the evil eye.

The Negroes, watching this, turned visibly pale. One of them said something like "voodoo" to the other.

Look, they're fading! - Pashka noticed, standing up on the seat with his feet and almost reaching his "black brothers" with his excitedly shiny glasses. - Probably, they are not real, but circus ones.

– No, I understand. These are Moors, not Negroes - I did not agree with my brother. - Like Othello.

– Did you pray at night, Desdemona? - immediately responded to the only line he knew from Shakespeare, his father. Why didn't you pray? So pray!

“Where is the handkerchief that I gave you?” I picked up.

– What nah… handkerchief? Dad didn't understand.

- It blew his head, because he does not wear a hat, - the mother reacted, continuing to furiously cut the air with a knife. - Pavel, sit on the seat!

- It's dirty! Pasha was outraged.

- You yourself trampled, - I decided to take part in the upbringing of my brother.

“Yes, he has worms,” Pleishner interjected again. - That's why he fidgets.

The unfortunate blacks, unable to stand it, left the hall on trembling legs.

The spies are leaving! Pashka yelled after them, causing several people to shy away.

– Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us,” the mother prayed loudly, crossing the backs of the hastily departing black guests of the city.

Meanwhile, the concert came to its logical conclusion, that is, the end. The father grabbed a bouquet of tulips prepared by his mother for Dobrynin and, waving binoculars, rushed down the stairs.

“Where are you soaping yourself, you old devil?” - brandishing a knife, his mother rushed after him. - Look at the shameful girls like cancer rolled out. Well, stop!

Excited spectators whistled and hooted after them. Near the exit to the arena, this couple was intercepted by strong young men in civilian clothes and disappeared from our eyes for some time. The audience left the hall, we followed them. Coming out, they stumbled upon a stuffed wolf, and Pashka saddled him with the words:

- I'm Ivan Tsarevich!

- You Ivan the Fool! Get off the wolf immediately! - ordered Aunt Nina, who approached, dragging Lariska in tow. - What kind of big top did you arrange there? The whole circus was looking at you instead of Dobrynin. Have you completely lost your mind in your wilderness?

– What are we? We didn't do anything, I tried to defend myself.

- Get off the wolf, you'll break it!

- Don't cry! - began to act up brother.

At this time, the father came up with a crumpled bouquet in his hands.

- Vit, are you really that? - Aunt Nina twisted her finger at her temple.

“This is for you,” he handed her a tattered bouquet.

Thank you, of course, but still...

“It’s Valka’s fault for everything,” dad hastened to shift the blame onto his wife. She doesn't have everything at home!

"You're fine, you lustful bastard!" – quietly approached the mother. - Rushed to the shameful girls, like a young goat!

"Alright, you'll figure it out on the way home!" interrupted their aunt Nina. Let's get the money for the tickets and bye. And there are plenty of acquaintances. They will then say that we communicate with crazy people.

“I want to be a magician! Or not, better clown!" - a typical childhood desire. According to many circus celebrities in their memoirs, the circus did the most for them. strong impression just in childhood. And today, among the many existing children's entertainment, one of the first places, of course, is the circus. The arena smelling of sawdust, the laughter of the audience, bravura music, jugglers, acrobats, clowns, mysterious uniformists, either lining up at the entrance, or scurrying around the arena with a significant view, conjurers and all kinds of animals with trainers - all this for an adult is nothing more than return to childhood, and for the child - the real Childhood.

The circus, with its childish faith in magic, with extravaganza of performances, with frequent tours, with a complex and mysterious backstage life, it would seem, should be almost main theme children's literature. And here it is not. For children, they rarely write about the circus, carefully. Of course, only people who know the circus from the inside write. And all because the circus does not forgive failures. Each circus show tests "his subjects" for strength. And since the circus can only work true talents, then not everyone can talk about the circus.

These books are about the circus and not only about it.

Loskutov M.P. A story about a talking dog. - M.: Det. lit., 1990. - 52 p.: ill.

“Some people are calm about this: they can’t pierce their tongue, swallow a sword or cook scrambled eggs in a hat - well, nothing, they live like that. Of course, at first they will grieve for a while, and then nothing. But there were two boys who could not get used to the fact that they were not illusionists. From annoyance, they could not sleep at night ... "The names of these boys were simply Valya and Sanya. And they lived in the very town where Dr. Carrabelius once arrived with the circus and where everything that is described in the book of Mikhail Petrovich Loskutov happened. Without revealing the secrets of circus magic, without destroying children's ideas about magicians and wizards, the writer told the children not so much about the circus, but about the meaning of a fabulous, magical person in life.

Dragunsky V.Yu. Girl on the Ball: A Story // Dragunsky V.Yu. Green Leopard: Deniska's stories / Khudozh. V. Losin. - M.: Rosmen, 1998. - S. 61-69.

One of the best works Viktor Yuzefovich Dragunsky wrote about the circus for children. His story "The Girl on the Ball" touches the hearts of more than one generation of young readers, perhaps because the author himself, albeit not for long, just over a year, worked as a red clown in the arena. “I ... try to build my performance in such a way that people laugh not at me, but at my fiction, my mischief ...”<…>“Laughter is joy. I give it with both hands. The pockets of my clown pants are full of laughter ... "- this is how V. Dragunsky wrote in the "adult" story about the circus "Today and Daily", in which there are many autobiographical moments ( Dragunsky V.Yu. Today and Daily: Novels and Stories. - M.: Sovremennik, 1977. - 239 p.: ill.). In the works of V. Dragunsky about the circus, the cheerful side by side with the sad, as in life, joy and sadness are side by side.

Kazakov Yu.P. Teddy: The story of one bear // Kazakov Yu.P. Arcturus is a hound dog. - M.: Sov. Russia, 1980. - S. 5-52.

Let the guys look at the circus a little differently, not carelessly and cheerfully, having got acquainted with the story of Yuri Pavlovich Kazakov “Teddy” - the story of a circus bear that accidentally ended up in the wild after many years of work in the arena. This piercing story will make you think not only about the circus, but also about nature, about the need careful attitude to animals.

Russian classic about the circus

I recall several books whose heroes were circus artists, and these books, talking about the circus people who give joy to the audience, are most often piercingly sad. Once, in childhood, having read the story about the boy-acrobatic "Gutta-percha boy" (1883) by D.V. pp.: ill.), I hid this book away with overwhelming horror, but it miraculously was nearby. It was the most scary book my childhood. The story was not amused A.P. Chekhov "Kashtanka" ( 1887), and stories A.I. Kuprin "In the circus" about circus wrestlers and "White Poodle"(1904) about itinerant entertainers.

A homeless boy from the story gets to the circus performance “Artemka in the circus” by I. Vasilenko (M.: Det. lit., 1987. - 368 p.: ill.) Artemka accidentally found a script for a circus pantomime on the seashore, took it to the circus and received a free ticket to the performance as a reward ... About circus people and “Three Fat Men” by Yu.K., where the main characters- circus artists, and even a cycle of fairy tales "The Wizard of the Emerald City" A.M. Volkov, in which the Emerald City is ruled by a great magician and wizard, and in fact - a skilled illusionist Goodwin.

Circus performers talk about the circus

"Circus! When we entered the hall, I was struck by the abundance of light and people. And immediately the word "circus" became real, tangible, understandable for me. Here it is - a huge dome, an arena covered with a red carpet, the sounds of a tuned orchestra are heard ... ”- this is how he described his first meeting with the circus at the age of five Yury Nikulin in the book “Almost seriously…” (M.: Vagrius, 2002). In it, the famous clown spoke truthfully and with humor about his life and work. This book, getting into the family, is usually read from cover to cover by household members of all ages. Separate, the most amusing pages "fall" even to kids - they are read out, choking with laughter, by especially impressionable adults. Talking about his life, Yuri Vladimirovich was guided by the words of Stanislov Jerzy Lec, he took them as an epigraph: “Life takes a lot of time for people,” and, speaking about the significance of his clown work, he recalled the story “A little grease” by an English science fiction writer Eric Frank Russell about how, in some distant future, intergalactic expeditions one after another fail due to the psychological incompatibility of people, long time located in the enclosed space of the ship. And only when a professional clown was invited to the position of a psychologist in the crew, the space flight was successful. Only a clown with a rare gift to make people laugh managed to get the crew working.

Kuklachev Y. Friends are my cats / Art. A. Kalishevsky. - M.: AST, 1996. - 95 p.: ill.

The formidable sign on the door "No Trespassing" is not for little readers funny adventures, funny and sad stories written famous clown. Yuri Kuklachev will take the young reader behind the scenes of the circus. And there you can meet a magician drinking ordinary tea with a sandwich, and an elephant chewing a carrot, as well as amazing Kukalchev cats Sausage, Sprat, Fifa-bell. Viewers at Y. Kuklachev's performances think that some special, unusual cats work for him. And the "cat clown" talks about the fact that his cats are the most ordinary, and he uses ... the natural behavior of animals to stage tricks.

Yu.Kuklachev not for the first time takes up the pen. Once, after a tour in Paris, he wrote (in collaboration with N. Vladimirova) a children's book of stories about his clown business “The most ordinary chest” (M .: Det. lit., 1988. - 64 p.: ill.). The clown has a treasured chest. It contains the secrets of his craft: clown costumes, hats, air balloons, umbrellas and a small moon to light the way on tour. Nearby lies an unfading rose, sunbeam and a doll - gifts of enthusiastic spectators. And in the chest there is a lot of space for travel experiences, new ideas and reprises.

Zaitsev K. I am a clown: A Tale. - M.: Det. lit., 1979. - 224 p.: ill.

Blagov Yu. Full house: Stories about the circus. - M.: Sov. writer, 1987. - 272 p.: ill.

“The circus gives me immeasurably more than I give to him. This is a world where people stand on their heads, bears race on motorcycles, horses dance a waltz, and life is so eccentric that you don’t even need to invent anything, look and write it down,” this is how Yu. Blagov, a satirist writer, sees the circus. long years worked in a circus. But not in the arena. He worked as a circus scriptwriter, composing clownery, couplets, extravaganzas, amusement scripts and pantomimes.

Katkov S. Hooray! I'm going to the circus. - Saratov: Volga Prince. publishing house, 1987.- 120 p.: ill.

Collection, including the story "I love Russian nuggets" about the Nikitin brothers, who in the 70s XIX years centuries founded the Russian circus, and other stories about the circus.

Durova N.Yu. Animals and Birds - My Life: A Tale and Stories. - M.: ADP publishing house, 1995. - 160 p.: ill.

Every parent in Moscow considers it his duty to take his child to the "Theater of Animals", the director and artistic director which is Natalya Yuryevna Durova - an artist and trainer, the keeper of the traditions of the famous dynasty, famous writer. She wrote novels and short stories, articles, scripts, plays. She writes about her favorite animals - circus performers, about the work of a trainer. In this book for junior schoolchildren included, in addition to stories, a story about the childhood of Natalya Yuryevna, about the Durov family - hereditary trainers.

Durov V.L. My animals: Stories / Il. V. Chernoglazova. - St. Petersburg: Ed. House "Neva"; M.: Olma-Press, 2002. - 112 p.: ill.

The Animal Theater bears the name of its creator Vladimir Leonidovich Durov (1863-1934), “Grandfather Durov,” as his little spectators called him. He wrote stories for kids about the circus, about animals, about the work of a trainer.

Filatov V. Tales of the trainer / Lit. M. Fradkin's entry. - M.: Det. lit., 1980. - 96 p.: ill.

A small book for preschoolers by the world-famous bear trainer Valentin Filatov. In it, he talks about how it is not at all easy to teach animals to be obedient, about how he had to repeatedly be in a bear hug, about an insidious six-meter python, about circus monkeys, elephants, circus horses.

Bugrimova I. In the arena and around it. - M.: Art, 1986. - 252 p.: ill.

Aronov A. Bravo, Araks!: A Tale. - M.: Det. lit., 1971. - 174 p.: ill.

“The circus is my life, my love” - this is how Irina Bugrimova, the first Soviet woman tamer of predators, says about the circus in her memoirs. The story of the director of the circus Alexander Aronov “Bravo, Araks!” tells about the life of Irina Bugrimova, from which you can learn a lot of interesting things about lions, about the difficult and dangerous profession of a trainer.

Barten A. Under the canvas sky: A book about the circus. - L.: Owls. writer, 1988. - 416 p.

The book includes short stories and the novel "Always Thirteen" about circus masters. Did you know that the diameter of the arena is always 13 meters? This damn dozen meters is needed for the optimal distance between the horse running in a circle and the trainer standing in the middle of the arena. By the way, the book about the circus will tell a curious teenager a lot, it even includes a dictionary of circus terms found in the book.

Babushkin L. Circus in the lens. - M.: Det. lit., 1988. - 143 p.: ill.

There are few words in this book, but many bright, memorable photographs. The circus in it is really in the lens - cameras. The author managed to show the children the world of the circus "with its underworld, hellish work and its firmament."

About the circus - seriously

Today is the time of all kinds of encyclopedias, reference books and other voluminous, generalizing publications. Circus despite almost complete silence contemporary writers and poets, was also honored with his encyclopedia:

Circus World: Vol. 1: Clowns / Ch. ed. A. Drigo. - M.: Kladez, 1995. - 510 p.: ill. - (Encyclopedia for children and parents).

The publishing house "Kladez" made an attempt to tell "children and parents" about the circus in 4 volumes of a kind of generalizing publication. It is difficult to call it an encyclopedia in the full sense of the word. But, judging by the first volume about clowns, which was published seven years ago, the publication really intends to cover the topic comprehensively.

Perhaps this is the first time readers have become so familiar with mysterious world magicians of the arena - clowns, illusionists, trainers, acrobats and jugglers. Leading circus experts (there is such a profession) will tell in the encyclopedia about the circus all the most significant - from its origins to the present.

In the first volume you can read about comedians of all times and peoples, from jesters and buffoons to modern clowns. The reader will also be interested in the so-called "pre-circus" history of clowns. It also includes antique carnivals, Italian folk comedy, french memes. Ancient China And Ancient Rus' also contributed to centuries of history clown art. Of course, the book will also tell about the origin of the word "clown", about all types of clowning, about special clown makeup, costume, you will learn what replanting is, that there are clown trainers, clown musicians, clown jugglers, equestrian clowns and other fun clown specialties. The book opens with a preface written by Y. Nikulin: “Now you will open the book, it is about the funniest and most good people on Earth - circus clowns. This fascinating book is about people who have a rare gift - the ability to amuse others. How the unfunny is made funny, how reprises are born, what is a “mask” and how, in the end, to learn to be a clown - a book from all over possible completeness will answer these questions.

If this comprehensive book on clowns does not seem enough to satisfy your curiosity, I have no choice but to invite you to look into the most serious treatise- a monograph on the history of circus clownery, which was written by a doctor of sciences CM. Makarov "Clownery of the World Circus: History and Repertoire" (Moscow: Rosmen, 2001. - 368 p.: ill.). The author's doctoral dissertation served as the basis for the book; Yuri Nikulin himself was its opponent. S. Makarov once acted as a clown in the circus, then wrote a textbook on the history of domestic clowning, and now this serious book about the most "frivolous" occupation in the world.

Large animals, - said the trainer, - will go to the station on their own.

But, as it turned out later, the zebras did not want to go on their own in the evening, in the rain. They did not want to go at all, and with the greatest work they were stuffed into a truck with high sides. No matter how the zebras squealed, they were nevertheless taken away. Then, cheerfully waving its trunk and tail, the elephant left.

And then... And then they came for the donkey. The trainer saw Zhenya near the donkey and said nothing. And Zhenya didn't say anything. And the donkey said nothing. He just got up and went for the trainer. Zhenya followed.

The large backstage gates were wide open in the cold evening rain. Stepping slowly, the donkey walked into this black square, turning his head, looking at Zhenya. He even stumbled upon something as he couldn't see where he was going.

Well, you! Blind chicken! - shouted the trainer and pulled the rope. The donkey went out into the yard and immediately behind the veil of rain began to lose its shape.

Zhenya took a few more steps and stopped. He hardly saw the donkey anymore. The rain trickled down from his head and flooded his eyes, and it was completely dark.

Some kind of indistinct spot blurred in the evening rainy haze, and only slow steps splashing through the puddles were heard from where the donkey went ...

Strange man Zhenya Kablukov. Weird and incomprehensible...

All this happened in the autumn in one small southern town, whose inhabitants are deeply convinced that they live in the center of the universe, and Minsk, Paris, Odessa, London and Kharkov are nothing but the suburbs of their own city. And of course, the city had an operetta theater and a big top circus.

In the spring, the closing of the theater's winter season, and in the fall, the closing of the big top were perceived tragically, as a personal insult to the city.

The inhabitants of this city rightly believed that if the city cannot have its own planetarium, then the circus can work all year round, nothing will happen to it.

In general, it was a good city and it had a good circus.

The circus had a khaki canvas dome and was visible from anywhere in the city. Even from countryside...

Strictly speaking, the city has nothing to do with it. It was just a circus. And the last performance of the summer season was going on in the circus...

However, let's get it right...

First, who are the Mikheevs?

The Mikheevs are Gena and Zina, brother and sister, and Zhenya. But Zhenya is not their relative. He is a partner. And Zhenya's surname is Kablukov, not Mikheev. But they were called “Mikheevs” not at all because there were more Mikheevs in the room than the Kablukovs, but because Gena Mikheev was a more organized being than the other partners. In addition, he was "lower". And thirdly ... However, the above is quite enough for Mikheev to be the leader of the issue. And so they were called "Mikheev".

To be honest, sometimes Zhenya thought that if he had more sonorous surname, he would ask to announce each. Well, for example: “Zinaida and Gennady Mikheev and Evgeny Izumrudov!” But since Zhenya was still Heels, they were announced: “Tempo acrobats artists Mikheevs!”

Zhenya was an enthusiastic person. While still in his third year at the circus school, when he began to rehearse a number with the Mikheevs, he fell in love with Zina, Gena's sister. But this love passed after three months, and Zina was to blame for this. Zhenya realized that he couldn’t love a person who couldn’t be hammered into, that in the back somersault you need to take a tight group! And since Zina did not even suspect that Zhenya was in love with her, the “gap” went unnoticed. The relationship between the partners remained friendly, and this suited all three.

In the very first circus where the Mikheevs made their debut, Zhenya fell in love forever with Clara Guryev, daughter carpet clown. However, after Clara declared that the best book in the world was "Mrs. Bark's Doll", and Yesenin was "just a darling", Zhenya realized that there was no happiness in life and that he was "not created for bliss ...".

Then Zhenya began to write poetry. For some reason, the verses turned out to be sad, with anguish ... Once Zhenya read poems to Gene and Zina. He read, standing in his shorts, barefoot on the props box in the dressing room. And when he got to the lines:

Forever I am chained in the tape of the barrier,

There is only one way out of here - backstage,

I'm in anguish, like luggage, packed.

Don't you understand, you are also an actress ... -

Zina looked at him with wet eyes, and Gena spat and said to Zhenya:

The devil knows what he rewarded! Some kind of sick creativity! .. Zhenya, you better rehearse the somersault-mortale pirouette! And then you fly around the arena with such a squiggle that it’s disgusting to look at!

In the evening of the same day, Zhenya did a brilliant somersault with a pirouette and, having given up writing poetry, he began to invent some kind of “amazing” aerial number with ardor!

He armed himself with a physics textbook for the eighth grade and spent the whole day drawing, drawing and inventing some kind of stunning apparatus. He showed his drawings to the circus engineer, and the "brilliant invention" went to the dustbin. Moreover, the hand that threw out the drawings, notes and drawings was the courageous hand of Zhenya himself.

Zhenya was fiercely devoted to the circus.

They rehearsed to the point of stupor ... They swore, shouted at each other, argued and worked brilliantly at the performances.

Almost every evening, the Mikheevs asked one of their friends to stand at the curtain with a clock and note the time of their work in the arena.

The pace, above all the pace, was considered by the Mikheevs.

Four minutes twelve seconds! - friends shouted when the Mikheevs jumped out backstage.

Zhenya, breathing heavily, clutched his head.

What cretin called us tempo acrobats, I would like to know? Four and twelve! This is a fight with a boa constrictor, a plastic study, anything, but not the pace! We crawled around the arena like sleepy flies! ..

But when the next day the cry of another timekeeper was heard: “Four and seven!” - wet and disheveled Zhenya, gasping for breath, said: "Shine!" - and, without going into the dressing room, he began to pull off the shirt stuck to the body.

Well done partners! shouted Mikheev.

Happy to try! - answered Zina and Zhenya. And they were really happy.

All last week it was raining.

In the morning they enveloped the warm city in a gray veil and by evening they cooled it so much that people huddled chillily in moisture-soaked raincoats, looking at the surrounding objects through streams flowing from the fields of hats.

Wet big top. It got thick dark green and sagged heavily. All the cables and ropes entangling the circus were stretched and, when someone accidentally touched them, they made a long sad sound, dropping hundreds of transparent cold drops to the ground.

The last show was on. The summer season was ending, and the actors went to different circuses.

Having finished their performance, the actors did not run, as usual, to the shower, but, having hastily removed their makeup, changed into old pants, shirts or overalls. Boxes were pulled out from somewhere, props were sorted out, costumes were packed. Everyone tried to finish packing before the end of the show.

The Mikheevs were in the most advantageous position. They were number one. The only thing that bothered them was the rehearsal lounge. The lounge was attached under the dome, and it was possible to remove it only after the performance.

Guys, - said Zina, - what if we rent a lounge during the intermission?

Brilliant idea! Gene said. - Attention, Zhenya! You put on your uniform and go out to the arena during the intermission. From the side of the yard, I climb onto the dome, take off the longue and, on a rope, through the valve of the big top, I lower it into the arena for you. Clear?

Clearly, Zhenya replied. - Only you put on a uniform, and I climb onto the dome.

Who cares?

No. It’s just that if you fell ill with follicular tonsillitis last year in Astrakhan in a forty-degree heat, now up there, pneumonia is guaranteed to you ...

You're crazy, Zhenya!

He's right, Zina said quietly.

Come on, you, - Mikheev dismissed and left the dressing room.