Extraordinary Jane

Starred review from January 27, 2014
"Jane was ordinary, in a world that was extraordinary," opens Harrison's picture book about a shaggy, dewy-eyed white dog. It's no understatement: tiny Jane is shown in the corner of a three-ring circus while monkeys play brass, a beret-wearing elephant paints a portrait, and a bear rides a bicycle across a tightrope. Jane doesn't even stack up within her own family. "She wasn't graceful like her mother," Harrison writes, as the elder dog stands ballerina-perfect atop a galloping horse while wearing a frilly pink dress and crown of roses. She isn't "mighty like her father," eitherâhe can lift an elephant, but a bucket labeled "elephant poop" is all Jane can manage. This is an exceptionally polished first book. Harrison's acrylic paintings, which blend realistic animal portraits with a charmingly old-fashioned circus setting to very funny effect, are the star of the show, but her understated storytelling and pacing are equally on the mark. Jane's under-the-radar helpfulness and all-around sweetness confirm the story's closing sentiment that being "a really good dog" is something extraordinary in itself. Ages 3â5. Agent: Abigail Samoun, Red Fox Literary.

Starred review from January 15, 2014
Jane may not be the strongest or most fearless performer in the Barnaby Beluchi Circus, but she's a really good dog. In this sparely written read-aloud, the pictures tell the story. Jane cowers in a corner, paws over eyes, while her six brothers are shot out of cannons. She scratches a possible flea while her ballerina mother dances atop a galloping horse. Not daring, not graceful, "Jane was just Jane." Youngsters will relate to the fear of not living up to the expectations of others...but they will also recognize how treasured the loving puppy is: Adoration shines from the eyes of her dear friend the ringmaster. Harrison's expressive, beautifully rendered acrylic-on-board paintings effectively capture Jane's quiet role in the exciting, extravagant world of the big top. The colorful compositions are all the more striking due to the crisp white backgrounds and dramatically varied perspectives, from the dizzying high wire to circus ring-level, where Jane accidentally plows down her fellow performers with a giant red balancing ball. Small moments steal the show here, both heartrendingly cute ones, like the ringmaster toweling Jane off after her bath, and funny ones, such as the contrast of Jane's blob painting of the ringmaster with the artistic elephant's more refined portrait. A touching, delectably illustrated circus story that applauds the underdog. (Picture book. 3-5)

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Starred review from March 1, 2014

PreS-Gr 1-Jane is an ordinary dog, which under normal circumstances shouldn't be cause for much angst. But as part of a circus troupe in which all of the other members of her family are extraordinarily graceful, strong, or brave, she feels the need to find her special talent. Unfortunately, she's afraid of heights, is not all that artistic, "and then there was that whole balancing ball disaster." Readers will notice that the ringmaster has a soft spot in his heart for Jane and understand how he could be perfectly content with her being "a really good dog." Harrison's detailed and expressive illustrations give the circus animals plenty of personality and lend an air of grandeur to their talents. The pages depicting Jane's disaster-prone circus tricks and the resulting emergency room visit are particularly funny. In a world full of competition for kids to be the fastest, smartest, and best at everything, this story's message is a worthy one. Jane is exceptionally good at being herself, and for that, she is loved.-Jenna Boles, Greene County Public Library, Beavercreek, OH

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2014
Preschool-K In this darling picture-book debut, Jane, a little white dog, sits under a series of circus posters touting the amazing feats performed by animals including her own family members: mother, a graceful rider; father, the strong man; brothers, daring canine cannonballs; sisters, fearless on the high wire! Is Jane extraordinary, too? Minimal text provides the thought thread, but it's the bold acrylic paintings bursting with primary colors set against white backgrounds that capture the action as well as the comical but pointed comparisons. Mother's fur flies as she balances atop a horse; Jane's fur flies when she scratches fleas. Father heaves an elephant overhead; poor Jane can hardly drag the bucket containing the elephant's poop! Jane's attempts to find her special talent, illustrated in a few dramatic, dizzying spreads, end in spectacular disaster. Youngsters will sympathize with Jane's struggles, but they will also notice and be reassured by how fondly the ringmaster looks at Jane, who is, in fact, an excellent companion. Tots will sit, stay, listen, and beg, Again! (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2014
Jane, a small circus dog, doesn't measure up to her talented doggy parents and siblings who can get shot from a cannon, lift an elephant, tightrope walk, etc. The detailed acrylic illustrations set against white backgrounds distinguish the slight story; the colorful circus milieu and aerial perspectives convey Jane's ordinariness, which turns out to be enough for her ringmaster owner.

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)