Madame Saqui

January 6, 2020
Eighteenth-century circus child Marguerite-Antoinette Lalanne wants to be a tightrope dancer. Her resolution is so firm that even after her circus performer parents forbid it—they do not want her to suffer a career-ending fall like her father—she finds another teacher, studies in secret, and is up on a tightrope performing by age nine. In this way she resuscitates the fortunes of her family, who form a new circus around her. She wins fame and performs through adulthood on into her 70s: “Madame Saqui simply could not say farewell.” Robinson (Pirates Don’t Go to Kindergarten!) provides background about the French Revolution, explaining how it affects the family’s fortunes (“as riots erupted through the city’s streets, the Lalannes fled to the countryside”). At the height of her fame, Madame Saqui becomes Napoleon’s favorite acrobat, reenacting military battles on her tightrope. Mixed media illustrations by Green (A Year with Mama Earth) in dusky pastels provide period atmosphere with fancy costumes, dramatic lighting, and figures that look just a bit like marionettes. It’s an excursion into a long-ago era, but the iron determination of this story’s hero feels very modern. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Alyssa Eisner Henkin, Trident Media Group. Illustrator’s agent: Nicole Tugeau, Tugeau 2.

January 1, 2020
In the first picture-book biography of Madame Saqui, readers meet the talented, persevering French tightrope walker who defied gravity. Marguerite-Antoinette Lalanne and her family flip and tumble onstage in late-18th-century Paris. Marguerite longs to dance on a tightrope, like her parents. But political upheaval in revolutionary-era France drives the family to the countryside, where, secretly, Marguerite takes ropewalking lessons. When her parents see her perform, they decide to return to circus life. After Marguerite marries, performing as Madame Saqui in her husband's family circus, she heads back to Paris, becoming its "darling" and Napoleon's favored acrobat. An inspirational tone -- emphasizing the setbacks Saqui faced, her strong-willed spirit, and her daring feats (including ropewalking between the towers of Notre Dame de Paris)--pervades the story: "And she never fell," readers learn on the final page, as an elderly Saqui ropewalks in her 70s. Green's muted, stylized illustrations feature dramatic moments, as when Saqui, clad in a flowing white dress, dances across a tightrope as fireworks and stars twinkle in the Parisian sky. Saqui and most characters are white, but there is some diversity among other performers. Where readers fall on the complex legacy of Napoleon (warmonger or French hero?) may color their feelings about the book's tone; as he "waged war across Europe, Madame Saqui reenacted his battles." Italicized French words are sporadically incorporated into the text. A reverent introduction to a trailblazing performer. (glossary) (Picture book. 6-12)

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April 1, 2020

PreS-Gr 3-During the French Revolution, Madame Saqui (1786-1886) may not have been a revolutionary herself; but her style, attitude, and passion for rope dancing were revolutionary ideas indeed. Long before Philippe Petit, who walked between the World Trade Center Buildings, or Charles Blondin, who walked on a wire across Niagara Falls, Madame Saqui achieved international fame as a rope dancer and wire walker. Born Marguerite-Antoinette Lalanne, she grew up in Paris with a dream to perform on a tightrope just like her parents. Not satisfied with making bonnets, she secretly practiced rope dancing at the fairgrounds, reigniting her family's passion for performing. She married fellow acrobat Julien Saqui and danced into the heart of Paris and gained the admiration of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. Through both fame and hardship, Madame Saqui danced on without falling; Robinson's high regard for her subject creates a glowing tribute to the rope dancer. Green's palette of soft colors and gouache illustrations provide luminous visuals of early 1800s Paris and highlight the magic of these performances. An author's note, a glossary of French terms, and a bibliography are included. VERDICT This lesser-known subject is an inspiration for daring girls. An excellent addition to biography collections.-Jamie Jensen, Wayne Cox Elementary School, Roanoke, TX

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2020
Grades 1-3 In 1791 Paris, Marguerite-Antoinette Lalanne performed with the circus for the first time, as her parents danced on a rope high overhead; the five-year-old couldn't wait until she could join them up there. Her dreams were paused after a fall left her father injured and political turbulence erupted in Paris, but Marguerite didn't let that keep her down. At age nine, she staged her own petite revolution and began training in secret. Robinson describes Marguerite's ascent to stardom as Madame Saqui, wonderfully rendered by Green, who captures Marguerite's joy and passion for performance in illustrations dancing with country blues and coral. Whether in panoramic panels or in full-page close-ups, the art places the reader among the dazzled audiences. Years before the Wallendas or Philippe Petit, Marguerite was skipping between the towers of Notre-Dame; she was even honored by Napoleon. This celebration of an astonishing artist will fill readers with wonder and, perhaps, the desire to join the circus. Back matter includes an author's note on Madame Saqui, a French glossary, and a bibliography.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)