The Flying Garbanzos

"When the Flying Garbanzos throw a birthday party for two-year-old Beanie, they don't need to rent a clown or circus animals. A trapeze already hangs from their kitchen ceiling, and an elephant, seal and monkey live with them in their multicolored Victorian abode. They require only a special cake. . . . Saltzberg builds anticipation for the elusive confection: 'Are you going to sing to your cake?' Beanie's mom asks. 'I bet you're going to kiss your cake when you get it!' says his brother. Big, bold exclamations and smaller narrative text mimic the spectacular swoops and tumbles of the Garbanzos, who always land on their
feet. . . . Fast action and shouted dialogue ensure that the pages turn in a hurry, and Beanie culminates this amiable tale like a true Garbanzo: with a death-defying swan dive into the icing."--Publishers Weekly
"Full of suspense and death-defying antics, this birthday party is more fun than a circus."--Booklist

"This is sure to be a hit after a visit to the circus, at birthday time, or anytime at all."--School Library Journal

BARNEY SALTZBERG has written an illustrated a number of picture books and pop-up books for children, including Mrs' Morgan's lawn; Where, Oh, Where's My Underwear?; Show and Tell; and Phoebe and the Spelling Bee. He also performs for children, playing guitar and singing original songs. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Susan, and their two children, Lily and Arthur, along with a menagerie of dogs, frogs, and fish, and a hamster named pinky.