“The man’s face looked as if a smile had been a stranger to it for a long time; but one did pay it a visit just then….”
James Otis, Toby Tyler: Ten Weeks with a Circus
James Otis’s Toby Tyler: Ten Weeks with a Circus releases from Bookmonkey Press today!
I had the privilege of reading an advance copy of James Otis’ Toby Tyler, a children’s novel originally published in 1881 after being serialized in a magazine. Now, Bookmonkey Press is publishing a new edition for the next generation, lightly edited to reflect modern grammar but retaining all the charming syntax and dialogue of 1881.
When Toby Tyler runs away to join the circus, he’s convinced it will be all fun and games. After all, isn’t that what a circus is about? Although Mr. Lord seems stern and leaving his uncle seems unwise, Toby decides to make his own way in the world of the circus.
But in taking this chance with the circus, is he chancing too much?
Reading this story—especially the ending—I was strongly reminded of the Parable of the Prodigal Son. The themes of leaving home, struggle, and longing for a return are prevalent in both stories, and Otis’s writing is shot through with the hope and longing of both Toby Tyler and the Prodigal Jesus told of.
“But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.”
Luke 15:20, King James Version
For people who love monkeys, circuses, and small, mischievous boys; for people who love homecomings and happy endings; for people who love classic children’s literature: Toby Tyler is the perfect read for you and the adventurous children in your life.
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