"A rollercoaster ride of laughter and tears from The Great Depression to the Elvis Fifties."

    At age five, Bill Ray Jackson hammers the drum for the carnival’s “Belles of Broadway;” shills for Pitchman, the midway magician; and takes tickets for Hydra, the Two Headed Goat. In grade school, the imaginative boy draws outlandish comic strips; performs on stage in his long underwear; and writes a love letter that gets him a lickin' on the last day of school.  High school brings First Kiss, First Car, and First Being Run out of Town by Iowa Boys.

     The boy idolizes his vagabond father Tramp, who follows wee-hours whispers from the Phantom, a self-devised spirit. The Phantom’s whisper launches a dream of P. T. Barnum proportions.  The dream crashes - so does Tramp, and at age sixteen Bill Ray is cast adrift. Then, at an improbable time and unlikely place, a whisper from the boy's own Phantom changes his life forever.

 "Enjoying this book does not require you be familiar with his classic shows, but it certainly displays the source of his amazing creativity. "

"The subtitle of this book is no exaggeration; Jackson' childhood was     certainly extraordinary. And although this book contains  anecdotes about many times and people, it is at its most powerful and touching when it describes the relationship between Jackson and his father, "Tramp", a truly enigmatic and memorable individual. It's hard to find the words to describe that relationship; it will have to suffice it to say that the humorous  tales and the heartbreaking stories are intermingled throughout the book.  Do not miss the chance to read this remarkable memoir."

"It made me laugh; it made me cry.  Thank you, Mr. Jackson, for writing such a provoking, yet feel good, book."

"What a fantastic read, a wonderful and poignant story, all the more powerful because it's true. Even someone who had never heard of "Bill Jackson" before will I'm sure be moved by the story, but for those of us who remember you from our childhoods, your tale has special significance; we now know the source of the magic of Cartoon Town and Gigglesnort Hotel."

 "I know it sounds cliché,  but I both laughed and cried when I read it."

"Jean Shepherd, the one who created Ralphy (The Christmas Story), has been dead for almost 10 years now, which left a void. But, then The Only Kid On The Carnival comes along and fills that void."

Personal Review by Ted Okuda, author of The Golden Years of Chicago Children's Television:

"... my congratulations to you on an exceptionally well-written, compelling coming-of-age story. Your wonderful writing style -- vivid, colorful descriptions of people and places -- provides an immediate and genuine you-are-there quality that I don’t find in many other books. (And what great cover art!)