The Circus Comes to the Village [Hardcover]

When fall arrives, the circus comes to Paghman village, one of the few pleasures for the villagers. Yamo and his friend Mirado are very excited. Yamo misses his brother, who has gone off to war. Mirado’s father is also away at war. At the circus, the boys browse the vendors, ride the swings and enjoy the shows. Mirado plays his father’s flute with the circus band and his music moves the people’s hearts. When the circus moves on the next day, Mirado leaves with it. As the villagers prepare for the severe winter ahead, Yamo thinks about his friend Mirado and wonders how he is doing. Finally, snow falls. The villagers are happy, since the snow leads to the next year’s harvest. Kobayashi's illustrations portray the beautiful village life that fall. Then, on the final page we are stunned to learn: "This winter, my village was destroyed by the war, and people escaped to other villages.” But the reader is left with hope: “As the spring must come after the hard winter, Paghman village has been waiting for the people to return" follows. This statement adds a feeling of hope for the third book in the series.

"FollowingThe Most Beautiful Village in the World(2018), Kobayashi offers a second picture book featuring Yamo, a boy who lives in a bucolic village in the Afghan mountains. The opening spread depicts a scene of everyday village life: men gathered in a pavilion drinking tea, a street vendor, donkeys laden with cargo, boys playing simple games. But the arrival of the circus makes this day extraordinary, and an excited Yamo runs home with the news. Yamo and his friend Mirado, however, must work in the fields, harvesting wheat and yams. The following day they enjoy the circus, where the highlight for Mirado, whose father "went to the war," is playing his father's flute with the traditional instrumental band accompanying a "beautiful" singer. Mirado enchants the audience with l€