By Tomie de Paola (Harcourt)
SUMMARY
THE CLOWN OF GOD takes place in the Italian town of Sorrento, where a young boy begs for
bread and juggles for pleasure. When a group of wandering entertainers comes to the boy’s town,
the boy begs to be included in the show as a juggler. Soon the boy is introducing the show with
his juggling and pleasing crowds wherever he performs.
Time goes on and the boy grows older. At one point in his travels, the young juggler meets two
brothers of a religious order who explain to him that his work is the work of God.
As the juggler, now elderly, decides to go home by journeying to the monastery where he can live out his days. Once there, he arrives in time for the celebration of the birthday of the Christ child. As a gift, the juggler performs for the child, who is seen in a picture on the lap of Our Lady. The child appears sad to the juggler and the juggler determines to make him happy. When the juggler finishes his performance, his heart stops beating. The brothers who come and find him discover that the Christ child is now pictured with a smiling face, holding one of the juggler’s golden balls.
DISCUSSION STARTERS
Ask about the character of the boy juggler. What do we know about him?
(Answers: He is poor, loves to juggle, happy at first, a good juggler.)
Draw pictures or write a "character sketch" of the juggler at the different times of his life.
Review basic reading comprehension information:
• What was the juggler juggling?
• Did the juggler ever miss?
• How did you feel when you read about the juggler performing?
• Would you like to be a juggler? Why? Why not?
• What helped the juggler in the story get better and better at juggling?
POSSIBLE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR DELVING DEEPER:
• What might have happened if he simply gave up when the man who ran the show said that he could not perform with them?
• How do you think he felt about performing for crowds of people?
• How do you think he felt when he heard the applause?
• What happened when the brothers told the juggler when he met them.
• Have you ever heard the expression planting seeds or sowing seeds of faith?
• Did you ever feel like giving up?
• What made you decide to keep trying?
• Are you glad you kept trying? Why?
• How did the icon help the juggler come closer to God (who is definitely NOT the icon itself)?
• What gift did the juggler give to God?
• Why does Tomie dePaula end the story with the smile and the ball?
• What gifts do you give to God?
• How might this be related to gift giving at Christmas?
Note to self: What follows is the original version of part of this study guide before I revised it. A classic example of "tolerance". This guided discussion (as is) leads children to believe that all religious beliefs are perfectly valid and paints them into the catagory of opinion. Bolding is my emphasis.
"Have children recall what the brothers told the juggler when he met them. Explain that people
have many different kinds of religious beliefs, and, the beliefs of the brothers in the story are just
one of them. Have children who care to share their own religious beliefs with others in the
group. Encourage children to think about the ways their own beliefs are similar to, and different
from, their classmates"
source of original study guide: Weston Woods video.
