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Mr. Galliano’s Circus is a series of novels featuring the lead character Jimmy Brown, written by British author Enid Blyton. Blyton wrote the first novel in the series, Mr. Galliano’s Circus in 1938. The series of novels is generally regarded as children’s literature.
Order of Mr. Galliano’s Circus Series
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mr Galliano's Circus | 1938 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | Hurrah for the Circus! | 1939 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | Circus Days Again | 1942 | Description / Buy | |
| 4 | Come to the Circus! | 1979 | Description / Buy |
Jimmy Brown is a boy from a poor working class family who loves the circus. At the beginning of the series, his father, an accomplished carpenter is out of work, meaning that money is hard to come by in the Brown household. As such when Mr. Galliano’s Circus struts into town, Jimmy’s best hope of seeing it is becoming a performer and not buying a ticket.
The first novel in the series “Mr. Galliano’s Circus” tells the story of how Jimmy Brown got into the circus. Jimmy loves the circus so much that when Mr. Galliano’s Circus comes into town, he hangs around the grounds providing any help needed by the performers. It gets even better for Jimmy when the circus offers his father the odd-job position, which becomes a full-time position and an invite to his family to join him at the circus.
What follows is an exposition of the life of the lead protagonist in Mr. Galliano’s Circus, as he helps capture a thief, rescues an escape an escaped chimpanzee, trains his circus dog and learns the inner workings of a circus. The smooth adventure and fun in this novel shows why the series is one of Enid Blyton’s most popular and critically acclaimed works.
BEST MR. GALLIANO’S CIRCUS BOOKS
Mr. Galliano’s Circus: The first novel is one of the most highly regarded novels in the series. Blyton has an uncanny aptitude of tapping into the secret world of wish fulfillment and childhood dreams that no other writer seems to have. The aspect of the story such as Jimmy running away to be free of parental figures and going to a new place where one can excel and shine, while being recognized and rewarded for their hard work and talent, still strikes a chord. Mr. Galliano’s Circus seems like the perfect place that one would like to live and work, regardless of whether one is eight or forty-eight years old.
Hurrah for the Circus: The second novel in the series is the sequel to the first “Mr. Galliano’s Circus”. The novel follows the adventures of Jimmy Brown as he now lives with the circus where his father works. With his father as handyman, Brown has the good fortune to be allowed to travel in the circus caravan with him. The novel is classic Enid Blyton in having that unique magic that everyone occasionally needs when fed up with being an adult. The novel is a perfect retreat for that time when you need that childlike adventure or a trip into the carefree life that you will not find in adult life.
Circus Days Again: The last of the Mr. Galliano’s Circus novels is another remarkable novel in the series. Now fully acclimatized to the work and life demands of the circus, Jimmy and his performing dog never endure a moment of boredom. In addition to the friends he made in the earlier novels such as Lotta, Mr. Galliano’s circus now brings in new faces and even more adventure. Some of the new acts including the forbidding yet brilliant conjuror, three more clowns, a performing seal, and talking parrots all make nice additions to the novel’s storyline. But Mr. Galliano’s wife falls ill, leaving Britomart the cruel as the ringmaster of the troop. It is not long before many of the circus troop grow resentful of their new boss, and talk of leaving grows to a fever pitch. Lotta and Jimmy are devastated – Could this spell the end of the Galliano Circus? A workplace they had come to consider home and family.
OTHER BOOK SERIES YOU MAY LIKE
Many fans of the Mr. Galliano’s Circus series of novels also loved the “Sweet Valley Kids” series of novels by Francine Pascal. These are children’s novels following the adventures of identical twins Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield. In addition to using their likeness to befuddle and prank others they are also involved in a range of fun and adventurous childhood activities.
Mr. Galliano’s Circus fans also enjoyed the “Beast Quest” series of novels by Adam Blade. These children’s novels follow the exploits of Tom, a boy on a quest to save his village and the entire kingdom, from an attack by a variety of beasts that threaten total annihilation.
What Is The Next Book in The Mr. Galliano’s Circus Series ?
There doesn't seem to be an upcoming book in The Mr. Galliano’s Circus Series . The newest book is Come to the Circus! and was released on August, 31st 1979.
I haven’t read this series; in fact, I hadn’t heard of it before reading this article, but I think I found my next series to start reading! It does seem that they’re directed at children but the plot sounds enjoyable, and that makes me hopeful that these books would be enough to get my nephew into reading – finally 😉
Planning on reading the first book to see how it goes, and suggest or gift them to my nephew after that.