Book review – I Want to be A Clown – a children’s book introducing clowning
I Want to be A Clown, by Ivan Bulloch and Diane James
I Want to be A Clown is a short (32 pages) book for children, aimed at introducing them to clowning. It begins by discussing the design of your clown face, and a quick introduction to clown make up (using face paints, not grease paint). The book then proceeds to costuming, with some simple make-at-home hats, including instructions for making paper flowers for use in the hat. My wife perked up upon seeing that, realizing that she could use the paper/pipe cleaner flowers for her own clown character.
The book spends two or three pages on clown costuming, and then spends two pages describing how to make a squirting flower. Again, a prop that “real” clowns could easily use. The next two pages are a very brief introduction to ballooning, and the next two are spent discussing “taking a fall” as one clown takes away a chair just as another clown starts to sit. This is actually done very well, discussing the safety aspects of this, and how to “fall” off the chair without being hurt. The next several pages discuss some classic clown skits (being chased with a bucket of water/confetti, the ‘strongest clown in the world,’) and wraps up with a discussion of how to tie everything together to put on a show for your family.
In a nutshell, a nice introduction to clowning for children, the intended audience. I rate it 3 clowns out of 5.
Updated 10/3/2020