Picasso and the greatest show on earth by Anna Fienberg

Picasso and the Greatest Show on Earth by Anna Fienberg is a gentle story about friendship, human fragility and finding happiness. Exploring emotions and relationships, this story will engage the reader to reflect and enjoy the meandering storyline. Delving into the different ways, we as humans, deal with loss, blame and embarrassment, the reader shares in the beauty and power of art and nature triumphing overall.  

The story's protagonist, Frances, finds herself in a new place, new high school and new home. Her family have recently been through the trauma of losing a loved one and are all dealing with it in their own ways. Frances has been gifted a troubled puppy called Picasso. She doesn’t know how to interact properly with the puppy and finds his germs unnerving. Frances is passionate about all germs. She draws them, researches them and is fascinated by their properties, and dogs can have lots of germs!

When Frances meets and befriends a boy at school, Kit, their love of art ignites a strong connection. But both characters have their own issues that they are dealing with. Slowly they begin to share snippets of their past, and their love of art draws them together. Sharing time together and exploring the beauty of the natural environment, Frances finds comfort in their friendship.

When given a task to create a large wall mural at the school, they both immerse themselves in the task of bringing their love of the natural world and art together. However, as things get rocky for them both, will their relationship be strong enough to withstand the challenges. Will they be able to really trust each other, or will their deep secrets tear them apart?  

Anna Fienberg has created an engaging and thought-provoking storyline. Beautifully written to capture the emotions and feelings, this novel would appeal to those who enjoy exploring the human interactions and the importance of communication and understanding. Dealing with personal relationships, adversities, feelings, complexities and more, this novel has everything to keep the audience engaged. Teacher's notes are available from the publisher.

Themes: Relationships, Family, Art, Nature, Bullying, Mental Health, Science.

Michelle O'Connell