A young boy is deeply distraught when the play horse that stands outside of shop next door to his apartment building is taken down and replaced with a play rocket in this wordless picture-book from British artist Peter Collington. That night he dreams (or does he?) that the horse carries him to a midnight circus, where he and his equine friend become stars. The next day the boy awakens and finds that the kind shopkeeper has restored the horse to his proper place...

The fourth picture-book that I have read from Collington, and the third that is wordless, following upon On Christmas Eve and The Tooth Fairy, The Midnight Circus has the same beautiful, light-infused illustrations I have come to expect from this artist. The visuals are more than capable of carrying the story, and the whole book has a dream-like quality that is quite fitting, given the subject matter. I would recommend this one to fans of the artist, and of wordless picture-books, as well as to children who dream of having nighttime adventures. Those who are taken with the theme might also want to examine Etienne Delessert's Night Circus. ( )