#902 of 1001 · January 19, 2023

Barbara Cooney presents a merry version of an old tale in The Little Juggler. To earn a living, young orphan Barnaby performs in the town square, local inns, and castle courts. A nimble and graceful entertainer, he leaps, dances, sings, and juggles, all to his audiences’ great delight. One winter, a brotherhood of monks takes him in and gives him food and shelter in their abbey. He watches them express their religious worship through writing, art, and music and feels ashamed that he has no similar gift to offer. Barnaby soon begins expressing his devotion to the Virgin Mary in the only way he knows how: by performing. Each night in a little chapel, he juggles and tumbles before the altar in secret, an unorthodox but reverential act of prayer. One day, another monk discovers Barnaby’s hidden activities. He and the abbot himself witness the Virgin Mary descend to thank the little juggler after he has fallen asleep. Thus, they come to understand the holiness of the boy’s actions and recognize him as a saint. With eloquent text and stately black and white illustrations accented with bright fields of red, green, and blue, Cooney celebrates gentleness and compassion as qualities of true nobility. A note for folklore enthusiasts: Cooney’s source material is a medieval French legend, which has inspired adaptations into numerous media, including books, films, and even an opera. #boy #juggling #monk #book #books #childrensbooks #beautifulbook #beautifulbooks #beautifulbookcover #beautifulbookcovers #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #picturebookillustrations #picturebookart #classicchildrensbooks #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks