No Place Like Home
Colin Thompson
Anna Pignataro

Hodder Childrens, 2001

32p., hbk., $27.95

0733613233

No Place Like Home is a picture story book about a circus family and their horse, Big Jim. The circus family travels around during the summer months showing the people their circus act. They have been travelling to the same towns for so many years that Big Jim knows the way.

Big Jim likes to travel with the circus and to give rides to the children of the towns they stop at. He likes to watch the family perform and is still amazed at the magic tricks. He remembers when his mother pulled the circus caravan. When she got too old to travel with the family, Big Jim took over.

Big Jim is tired. He misses his home with the fresh green grass and he longs for the day he can retire to his favourite field. But there is no little Big Jim to take over for him.

One day when the family was passing through a town, a man came to the circus family with a pure white horse that he wanted to sell. After lots of bargaining, Big Jims family and the man who owned the horse agreed on a price they both thought was fair.

The white horse was called Misty. Misty was hitched up to the wagon and travelled with the family until they came home for the winter.

Big Jim was glad to be home. He showed Misty all his favourite places and he watched while the children rode him around the paddock.

Big Jim realised that when next summer came, it would be Misty who pulled the circus caravan and he would be able to stay home in his favourite field.

This book makes you feel like you are in it. Its an exciting life for the circus family and it would be fun travelling from town to town but it is hard work for an old horse.

I really liked the pictures of Big Jim and his circus family. I liked the look of his field and the night sky when he was plodding along between each town. The pictures made me think about how tired and sort of sad Big Jim was. He looked happy when he was giving the children rides and when he was showing Misty his field at home but most of the time he looked tired and sad. The pictures made me realise how much hard work Big Jim did pulling the wagon each summer. They really suited the story.

I would have like the story to be a bit longer. It ended with Big Jim realising that he wouldnt be going with the family next summer but I would have liked to see Big Jim happy in his field and smiling as Misty pulled the wagon for the first time. It would have been a happier ending rather than one that is just sort of tired.

I would score the book 7 out of 10 and think the story would be enjoyed by 5 to 10 year old children.

Laura, 8, Mooroolbark, Vic