By acclaimed author-illustrator of The Grand Hotel of Feelings, this fantastical adventure takes children on an uplifting journey of reflection and self-acceptance.

“This magical picture book presents a grounded lesson on acknowledging and accepting every part of yourself.”- Foreword Starred Review

Lika has never given much thought to her shadow. Sometimes it’s long, sometimes it’s short… but it's never anything more than a shadow. That is until the day it starts acting strangely. When Lika waves a hand, Shadow raises a foot. When Lika sits down, Shadow stands up. Lika tries to hide, but the smaller she makes herself, the bigger Shadow becomes. When Shadow whisks Lika off to a curious land of shadows – and right into a spooky shadow circus – she must look deep inside herself to find her way back home.

An poignant and uplifting book about exploring and acknowledging the parts of ourselves that we try to hide from and embracing the shadows within.

Praise for Brankovic's The Grand Hotel of Feelings (Cicada, 2023):

"Perfect for small group or 1-1 discussion, especially for children experiencing emotional dysregulation and struggling to understand or articulate how they are feeling." - The Literacy Tree

"An accessible entry into discussions on the complexity of feelings, this picturebook will be returned to time and time again." - Foreword Starred Review

Lidia Brankovic is an artist and author from Berlin, Germany. She studied Communication Design at the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam, graduating in 2022. Her debut, The Grand Hotel of Feelings (Cicada, 2023), was received to much critical acclaim and is now available in 24 languages. Circus of Shadows continues to give voice to her fascination with the human psyche, exploring the subconscious mind and the shadows that it casts upon our daily lives.

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