Starred Review ALA Booklist

Starred Review Henry lives in sleepy Muskegon, Michigan, where nothing much happens until the summertime, when a troupe of vaudeville performers mplete with elephants, zebras, and the Three Keatons mes to spend the sweltering summer at a lake resort in nearby Bluffton. Henry is fascinated by his new friend, Buster Keaton, and consumed with jealousy over his thrilling life of performance on the road. But by the time Buster gets to Bluffton each year, all he wants to do is play baseball and prank his friends, much to Henry's eternal frustration. Henry idolizes Buster and his exciting life of stardom, but Phelan (Around the World, 2011) doesn't shy away from depicting the hard parts of Buster's life s bitter, alcoholic father; controversy over the Three Keatons' slapstick act; and the demanding reality of life on the road. Phelan's soft, pastel watercolors perfectly depict the idyllic lakeside summer as well as the riotous circus antics and elaborate pranks Buster and his family pull, both on and off the stage. There's enough background about vaudeville, Buster Keaton, and the real-life Actors' Colony in Bluffton to make this an informative glimpse into American history, but it's compellingly, solidly centered on Henry's discovery that, though the grass on the other side may appear greener, more exciting, and full of the thrill of fame, the grass on his own side, where he's happy being himself, is just as good.

Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

In this winsome, sparely spun graphic novel by Phelan (The Storm in the Barn, 2011), Henry Harrison gets a tantalizing taste of the outside world when a young Buster Keaton and more vacationing vaudevillians tumble into his small Michigan town. The scene opens on a tranquil Muskegon street, with a glimpse of the suspender-sporting Henry sweeping up his dad's hardware store. Strolling men in bowler hats, long-skirted women and a June 1908 calendar offer the initial whiff of an era long gone. Nothing like an elephant to shake things up! When the show people come to town one summer, nearby Bluffton springs to life, as does Henry's yearslong infatuation with Buster Keaton, who, wincingly, was then best known as the tossed-around but indestructible "Human Mop." Frame by frame, in pencil and watercolor, the artist captures the joys of lakeside summers of fishing, baseball and harmless pranks, all the while skillfully communicating the emotional intensity of youth. Despite the painful sense of longing the worldly Buster stirs up in Henry, a 1927 epilogue of sorts assures readers that Henry finds his own path in life…and his own special brand of show biz. An author's note explains that the Actors' Colony at Bluffton really did exist, from 1908 to 1938. Thrilling--a spirited, poignant coming-of-age vignette and an intriguing window into a little-known chapter in vaudeville history. (art not seen in full color) (author's note) (Graphic historical fiction. 9-12)

School Library Journal Starred Review

Gr 3-6 Henry and his hometown of Muskegon, Michigan, may be ordinary, but neighboring Bluffton is anything but. The year is 1908, and vaudevillians have come to the resort town to relax for the summer. Intrigued by the visitors, Henry heads off to Bluffton and meets a young actor named Buster Keaton. The two boys quickly become friends, but each of them yearns for what the other has-Henry wants a life of show business and fame, while Buster wants a normal life filled with baseball and fishing. Phelan does an excellent job of showing an accurate portrayal of Buster Keaton, from his dangerous physical comedy routines to his alcoholic father; the facts flow so smoothly that it does not feel like historical fiction at all. Henry is undeveloped in the beginning and simply moves along Buster's story, but the character really comes into his own later on when feuding with Buster and trying to put on a show of his own. Phelan's watercolors are expertly rendered and soft in focus, but pop at just the right moments, simultaneously showing the sleepiness of the town, the glamour of show business, and the energy of summer. An author's note and some photos explain a bit more about the real Buster Keaton. Overall, Bluffton is a rich and engaging story with a lot of charm, and will be a great choice for early chapter-book readers and graphic-novel fans.— Peter Blenski, Greenfield Public Library, WI

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

In this winsome, sparely spun graphic novel by Phelan (The Storm in the Barn, 2011), Henry Harrison gets a tantalizing taste of the outside world when a young Buster Keaton and more vacationing vaudevillians tumble into his small Michigan town. The scene opens on a tranquil Muskegon street, with a glimpse of the suspender-sporting Henry sweeping up his dad's hardware store. Strolling men in bowler hats, long-skirted women and a June 1908 calendar offer the initial whiff of an era long gone. Nothing like an elephant to shake things up! When the show people come to town one summer, nearby Bluffton springs to life, as does Henry's yearslong infatuation with Buster Keaton, who, wincingly, was then best known as the tossed-around but indestructible "Human Mop." Frame by frame, in pencil and watercolor, the artist captures the joys of lakeside summers of fishing, baseball and harmless pranks, all the while skillfully communicating the emotional intensity of youth. Despite the painful sense of longing the worldly Buster stirs up in Henry, a 1927 epilogue of sorts assures readers that Henry finds his own path in life…and his own special brand of show biz. An author's note explains that the Actors' Colony at Bluffton really did exist, from 1908 to 1938. Thrilling--a spirited, poignant coming-of-age vignette and an intriguing window into a little-known chapter in vaudeville history. (art not seen in full color) (author's note) (Graphic historical fiction. 9-12)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Historical detail, a rich sense of place, expert pacing-Phelan (Around the World) keeps all the plates in the air in this fictionalized recreation of the boyhood summers of Buster Keaton. In lightly sketched, gently tinted watercolor panels, Phelan conveys the excitement a troupe of summering vaudeville actors brings to sleepy Bluffton, a small resort town on Lake Michigan. It's easy to understand the envy the boy narrator Henry feels for his new friend, the child star Keaton, who performs in a comic act in which he's tossed about by his father. Buster's stunts and pratfalls are polished, and his signature deadpan gaze is already perfected. Simultaneously, Phelan hints at darker truths behind Buster's poise: his father's drinking, and the charges of child abuse that dog their act. "Buster's never been hurt in his life!" his red-faced father claims. "Well, not bad, anyway." Over several summers and endless baseball games-Buster's real passion-Henry considers the meaning of his own ordinary life in the light of his friend's celebrity in a way that's believable and satisfying. An unapologetically nostalgic piece of Americana. Ages 9-12. Agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House. (July)