The Circus Ship [Hardcover]

Chris Van Dusen (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 22, 2009 | Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

With stunning artwork and a rhyming text, the illustrator of the Mercy Watson books tells a tale of human-animal connection full of humor and heart.

When a circus ship runs aground off the coast of Maine, the poor animals are left on their own to swim the chilly waters. Staggering onto a nearby island, they soon win over the wary townspeople with their kind, courageous ways. So well do the critters blend in that when the greedy circus owner returns to claim them, villagers of all species conspire to outsmart the bloated blowhard. With buoyant rhymes and brilliantly caricatured illustrations evoking the early nineteenth century, Chris Van Dusen presents a hugely entertaining tale about the bonds of community — and a rare hidden-pictures spread for eagle-eyed readers of all ages.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1—After their steamship en route to Boston is wrecked in a storm, a troupe of circus animals escapes bad treatment and disaster, finding its way to an island off the coast of Maine. The 1800s residents are surprised to find zebras eating their gardens and alligators lounging on woodpiles. Sympathies change when a tiger saves a toddler from a blazing shed. When a messenger announces that the cruel circus owner is returning to claim his menagerie, the citizens assist the animals in disguises and camouflage that confound him, leaving the friends to a peaceful coexistence. Van Dusen's rhymed text keeps a rollicking beat. His illustrations burst with color and energy and utilize perspective and texture to add drama and humor. Period details create a counterpoint with elements like a gorilla in a lifeboat. The spread of the animals in "hiding" is pure genius. The book honors the real circus animals that inspired this story.—Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA END

About the Author

Chris Van Dusen is the illustrator of the Mercy Watson books by Kate DiCamillo. He wrote and illustrated IF I BUILT A CAR, an E.B. White Read Aloud Award Winner. He lives in Maine.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick (September 22, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 076363090X
• ISBN-13: 978-0763630904
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 0.4 x 10.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,872 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #34 in Books > Children's Books > Literature & Fiction > Historical Fiction > United States

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A cute children's story with ties to real life incident., September 22, 2009

By 

K. Callender (Connecticut. USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Circus Ship (Hardcover)

The fictional story, written in verse, will captivate young readers. It's about a ship full of circus animals that runs into thick fog and crashes off the coast of Maine. The animals find their way to nearby island; much to the dismay of the people who live there. They wake to find elephants walking around, monkeys hanging from their clotheslines, hippos bathing in the streams, and exotic snakes peeking in their pantries. At first the people are worried and annoyed at the chaos the new arrivals have created. Then a brave rescue of one of the children changes their minds. Just as they all begin to live happily together, the circus boss returns to bring his animals back to work. Will the people be able to rescue them? You'll have to find out.

The Circus Ship by Chris Van Dusen is intended for children ages 4-8 years old and makes a great book for beginner readers. My daughter loved the story for its rhyming lines and the animals. I really enjoyed that this book was based on a historical event. It encouraged me to learn more about The Royal Tar. Any book that inspires actions after reading is sure to be a big hit with kids, parents, and teachers.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A read-aloud hit!, October 5, 2009

By 

Library mom (Tx) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Circus Ship (Hardcover)

Others have summarized this book, but I'd like to add that as an elementary school librarian, this book was a big hit with my 1st-3rd graders. They were totally engrossed in the story, cheering the townspeople who took care of the courageous animals and protected them from the circus boss who callously left them behind when the ship sank. They loved finding the "hidden" animals. After hearing the original story that inspired this book, they looked forward to a happy ending. I'll have to get multiple copies for the library and would love to see this made into a movie! It's a roller coaster of a read!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful to read with a child who is learning to read, November 27, 2009

By 

Make it Funny (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Circus Ship (Hardcover)

This book was a lot of fun to read with my 6 year old. The rhymes are perfect for reading with a young child who is learning to read. I would read a page and then she would read the same page independently using the rhyme as a guide to 'remember'. A great help in learning how to read and learning how to predict the words to come. Rhyming books are great exercises for that.

The story is also a lot of fun to read. There was a page where all of the animals are 'hidden' by the townspeople who are trying to prevent the abusive circus owner from finding the animals and taking them away. It was fun searching for all of the hidden animals.

I highly recommend this book.