The Fabulous Foskett Family Circus

“Roll up, roll up, the Foskett Family’s Here to offer lots of fun: Circus acts to thrill you all, From five years old to ninety-one.” The Fabulous Foskett Family Circus is like a big family photo album which introduces us to some of the wild, wacky, colourful and quirky characters that must inhabit Quentin Blake’s imagination. His style is just the right match for imparting the eclectic nature of a circus, and makes great use of white space. Since 2005, Blake has created artworks for hospitals and clinics, and The Fabulous Foskett Family Circus had its genesis in that. The illustrations were originally produced for the walls of a hospital ward, with the words written by John Yeoman some time afterwards. It’s a simple story about an unusual family. The fabulous Foskett family is made up of many curious characters. We meet them all, starting with a scraggly, pyjama-wearing, trumpet-playing man on the first page. There’s Aunt Esmerelda and her singing menagerie, Auntie May the floral artist, Philbert the egg juggler, and Uncle Decimus and his parrot. Amongst the rest of the family you’ll also find two dogs - Fido and Towser - and a green duck. Children will enjoy telling their own stories about the many and varied family members depicted in the portraits, and perhaps be inspired to talk about their own families.