The Only Kid on the Carnival: An Extraordinary Childhood

by Bill Jackson

During that wonderful golden age of local children's television, many talented people pooled their skills to enthrall and edify the impressionable, appreciative viewers. Yet with no disrespect intended toward any of the others, one person stood out in his ability to spin gold out of straw: Bill Jackson.

Bill's legion of fans still cherish his amazing adventures with the memorable puppet characters that sprung from his fertile imagination on...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 059551748X
• ISBN13: 9780595517480
• Release Date: June 2008
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Length: 232 Pages
• Weight: 0.86 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Brilliant look at an extraordinary person

Those of you who recall Bill "BJ" Jackson from his days in Chicago childrens' television are in for an amazing treat. Those of you who do not, hey, you're in for an amazing treat as well. Many books contain subtitles that are exaggerated, but if anything, calling Mr. Jackson's childhood "extraordinary" is an exercise in understatement. This brilliant memoir, though it covers much of Jackson's life up to his entrance in college, is at its most powerful when it focuses on Jackson's relationship with his father, an enigmatic and most memorable character. This book would be amazing enough were it fiction; knowing that this all really happened makes it that much more profound. In the vast throng of books published each day, it can be hard to pick out those that are truly remarkable, whose words leave the page to touch the soul. This is one of them.

A journey to "simpler" times

Even though it would be some 30 years before I would put my footprint on this planet, this book makes one feel like they were there even when they weren't born yet. Starting late in the great depression and going through the late 50's, we see what life was like for young Bill Ray and everybody in the small town in Missouri, as well to look at life on the road for a family that worked a carnival. This is a must read for ALL ages.

Thanks for the great read!

Bill Jackson, best known as one of the original pioneers in children's television, proves that his talent extends beyond cartooning and puppetry with "The Only Kid on The Carnival." Colorfully and tightly written, the book chronicles Bill's early years, first as pre-schooler traveling with a literal carnival of colorful characters - then as a boy and teen in small town Missouri. Tales of a simpler time such as fishing, fixing up a first car and rehearsing for the school play are spun as entertaining yarns in a style not unlike another famous Missourian - Mark Twain. Readers in search of a funny, yet heartfelt reminiscence of pre-computer age small town America will delight in "The Only Kid On The Carnival."

A valuable piece of American life

This is an absolutely wonderful book--I am so glad it was written. It preserves a moment in time of the American experience and it does it so effortlessly and with such clarity. The author writes with a transparency and a candidness that is so refreshing for this genre that is often filled with books that seem written with other motives in mind. It is a candid memoir of a time gone by and a life fully lived in the moment. It is a story of a rose colored, often magical life, as seen through the eyes of a child, and yet also one that confronts the harsh realities and challenges faced by the child of a man who was haunted by a phantom ...... I loved the stories--it made me laugh--it made me cry. I couldn't put it down, and I only hope there is a sequel. It is a slice of Americana at it's very, very best. Thank you Mr. Jackson for writing such a thought provoking, yet feel-good book.