Mr Galliano's Circus Story Collection (Bumper Short Story Collections)

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I remember this book from my childhood. It used to be one of my favourites and I would always take it out to read whenever my parents made pulao. Yes, I read while eating. Still do!

Oona just happens to have seen a dog cured of jaundice before, and knows which circus the woman is currently with, and Mr Galliano knows immediately where that circus is. Yes, Gordon Landsborough seems to have been savvy enough to know how to cater for a young audience. I wonder if his daughters could be found after all of these years? They might be able to shed some interesting light on the development of both Armada and Dragon.

Galliano's Circus Books, Stories and Games

Google' (a name used for one of the clowns) is a funny little word that the author used several months later in a Sunny Stories serial entitled The Magic Faraway Tree. The children sampled Google Buns which have a currant in the centre that, when bitten, froths out with sherbet and fills the mouth with delicious-tasting bubbles. Even as a child, I knew Blyton was writing fantasy. Even when, or especially when, the story seemed rooted in everyday life.

The days go by and we are not left without the various descriptions of everyday life which the author was so good at passing on — the interesting asides which teach us a little more about the day-to-day existence of Galliano's employees. One problem arises — the seal-owner's daughters have it in for Jimmy and are not averse to telling fibs about him which means that difficulty could be brewing for the young lad. Jeanne and Lisa are out to cause trouble it seems!

One further Galliano story - A Circus Adventure was published in the Sunny Stories magazine and reprinted in Enid Blyton's Omnibus (published in 1952). [1] Look out for more Enid Blyton bumper story collections with: Fireworks in Fairyland, The Wizards Umbrella and Cherry Tree Farm. Mr Galliano's Circus was one of my favourite Enid Blyton books (the other being The Secret Island). I have no idea how many times I reread them. A conservative estimate would be three or four times each for about five or six years. Blyton ensures we get a strong all round image of the circus folk – and how they compare to the Brown family. Although she doesn’t make the circus folk look “bad”, she gently suggests it’s important to be like Jimmy – clean, able to read and write etc.

I was always saddened as a kid that none of my friends had read these series of books. To me it was a bit of a travesty! How would they get by without Jimmy's mum's wonderful advice of using misfortune as a stepping stone to something better for example? There are certain words, phrases or circumstances that can spring to the reader's mind whenever a particular book is opened. In the previous one belonging to this series it was the thought of Lotta the circus child grabbing a hairdresser's scissors and proceeding to lop off her own tresses. In Circus Days Again, the key-word for me is Britomart! Where the author found this word could be anyone's guess but a 'Britomart' could be one of those great big shopping-malls where young people congregate to chat each other up or maybe it signifies a unit of British currency. It's quite a nice word — easy enough to pronounce and it plays a big part in this final book about Mr. Galliano's circus. I always love comparing the intro description of this book with the later book 'Five Go Of In A Caravan' Blyton's ability to tap into the secret world of childhood dreams and wish fulfilment was extraordinary. I'm sure there would be/could be/should be a psychological study into the Blyton we love and what it says about us.It’s said that Lal loves punch, yet she made no effort to help Jimmy look after the dog, or find a cure? She is able to convey a similar feel and excitement about the Famous Fives Circus with far fewer pen/typewriter strokes,and yet both descriptions work well and accomplish much the same thing,desire,anticipation,mystery,the exotic and the unknown life that goes along with a circus.

I strongly suspect that Peter Archer was responsible for the five Armada covers of the Secret series from the early 1970s, and also for the six Barney series covers from the late 1970s: Much to Jimmy's disappointment, Lotta is right into playing dolls with Jeanne and Lisa and the boy seems very much left out but life must go on and it does with the new performers settling in and being accepted by the rest of the circus folk although Google the clown and Pierre's daughters are on the fringes as is Britomart but he's not generally around in between shows.Previously published as The Circus Collection, this bumper story collection contains three full-length books: Mr Galliano's Circus (1938), Hurrah for the Circus (1939) and Circus Days Again (1942) and contains 26 stories in total. It's clear in this book that while "ordinary people" love the circus and are thrilled and delighted with the acts and performing animals, outside the ring the circus folk are thought of as a little odd – dirty and uncouth, probably "bad sorts" who will steal things from under your nose if you're not careful. In fact this is a common theme in many of Blyton's books that involve a travelling circus, or fair folk, or gypsies – especially throughout the Famous Five series. But while sometimes they really are bad sorts (as in Five Go To Mystery Moor), more often than not they're just seen that way on the surface. In Five Have a Wonderful Time the folk are really very unfriendly indeed... until Jo shows up, after which they're a warm, happy bunch. It really depends on which side of the fence you're standing on, and in Mr Galliano's Circus we get to live the lives of the circus folk and see through their eyes how ignorant the rest of the world is. My two favourites involved running away to make a new life for yourself free of the restraints of parental figures or everyday routines. New places where you could shine and excel and be rewarded/recognised for your talents and hard work. Golly — doesn't it look exciting?' said George. 'I wish I belonged to a circus that went wandering all over the place all the year. That's just the sort of life I'd like.'