P.T. Barnum books

 We Are All His Creatures: Tales of P.T. Barnum, the Greatest Showman by Deborah Noyes. Candlewick, 2020. Historical fiction. YA

P. T. Barnum was a real person. His promotion of Jenny Lind, General Tom Thumb, and other unusual beings made him famous. This fictional series of short pieces each showcase one of the people in his life, one of the people or exhibits in his vast collection, or an event that featured such. Barnum was, no doubt, a great marketer. But, his personal life and treatment of his family and employees did not make him a person to imitate. Noyes does a good job of tying together these fascinating, but rather bleak, imagined narratives. Each is illustrated by a small photograph that helps make the people real.

 The Great and Only Barnum: The Tremendous, Stupendous Life of Showman P.T. Barnum by Candace Fleming. Illustrations by Ray Fenwick. Schwartz and Wade Books, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, 2009. Middle grades and up. Biography.

This is a biography of P.T. Barnum, but so much more! It uses photographs, circus posters, drawings, and text boxes to tell the story of his life and work. When he died in 1891, his fame had made him known worldwide. Fleming is objective in balancing the unique aspects of his collection with the "side show" nature of his advertisements. She even includes a link where readers can hear Barnum himself speak online. Photographs chart the history of Barnum's museum and circus development.

So many of the state tests ask students to compare works of fiction and nonfiction. These two books would capture the interest of many, but provide very different perspectives on Barnum. Readers curious about P.T. Barnum will want to read both!