Down to the Sea with Mr. Magee (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "MR. MAGEE and his little dog, DEE Loved spending time in their boat on the sea..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A chrome kitchen table, a buttercream-yellow Studebaker and other campy 1950s accessories distinguish this ebullient picture book. At daybreak, Mr. Magee, sporting a spiffy straw boater, and his black-and-white beagle, Dee, pack a picnic basket and drive to the seaside. They hop into their red-and-silver motorboat and putter across a hyper-blue ocean, past rocky islands that suggest the Maine coastline. As they admire a pod of whales in the distance, a stray baby whale grows curious. "From under the sea the little whale spied/ Magee and Dee's boat--but not them inside./ He longed for adventure. He wanted to play./ So he bumped at the boat in a most friendly way." Van Dusen (illus. of Silas, the Bookstore Cat) radically shifts perspective from spread to spread. Readers get a bird's-eye view of the boat with the immense whale below it, a lobster's-eye view of the whale beneath the tiny boat and a breathtaking close-up of Magee and Dee, who are airborne when the whale spouts a plume of water. The narrative bounces along on merrily measured meter, which maintains a lighthearted mood as the other whales get Magee and Dee out of trouble. The story ends at nightfall, with the sailors back on dry land. Van Dusen's exacting verse and kitschy, perfectionistic gouaches make this one whale of a tale. Ages 4-8. (Mar.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1-Mr. Magee and his dog Dee set out in their boat for a calm day on the water. While they admire a pod of whales, a stray comes up from underneath their boat and gives a big blow. The boat goes flying through the air and lands in a tree. Eventually, the whales come to their rescue and Mr. Magee and Dee return safely home after their crazy adventure. The momentum of the story is fast, and the rhyming text is sure to delight children. The gouache cartoons have a nostalgic '50s look and are bright, comical, and alive with color and detail. Each double-page spread offers a new perspective on the action. A strong debut for Van Dusen.
Hennie Vaandrager, Byron Township Library, Byron Center, MI
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 36 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (February 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811824993
• ISBN-13: 978-0811824996
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 7.7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #771,589 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fantastic Book!, July 1, 2004

By	M. Allen Greenbaum (California) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

You'll be amazed at just how vivid and bright van Dusen's pictures look in this unexpected treat. The colors seem to jump off the page. Add that to some super-detailed work (especially his splashes of water), multiple perspectives, and purposive lack of shading, and you have a kind of magical realism that recalls the best of Pixar animation. Yet van Dusen paradoxically evokes a decidedly 50's retro setting and style in his neon-bright gouache illustrations.

This is a fun all-rhyming story that quickly engages the reader. Mr. Magee and his dog Dee decide to go to the sea. Soon,

"they suddenly spied off the bow to the east
A big pod of whales (there were fifty at least!)"

When a "little whale" (it's huge) playfully blows them 50 feet up in the air with a blast of water, the boat lands on the top of a huge tree. Their surprising rescue takes the book to its happy conclusion.

Van Dusen's uniquely bold colors and old-fashioned sensibilities combine wonderfully, and the rhyming story flows smoothly with its enthralling pictures and subtle wit. A great book for elementary school age kids (and anyone else, really) to look at and read aloud; I recommend it very highly!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Vivid Illustration, Cut writing, very nice author, September 21, 2003

By	L. Chapman (Hudson Valley, NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

My wife and I had our 14 month old son, Matthew, up at LL Bean's flagship store in Freeport, Maine this past July. On our way out, we saw author Chris Van Dusen autographing two of his books - this one, and the one about camping with Mr. Magee. We chose this one because in Maine, we were staying by the sea. Mr. Van Dusen not only signed the book, but also drew a wonderful picture of a whale and gave an inscription wrote an inscreption to our "adventurous boy" Matthew. He posed for pictures and introduced us to his own family (with 2 boys).

We read constantly to our young son Matthew (probably having well over 200 books) and this is among his top favorites. He points to the vivid illustrations and loves the little dog Dee. We are sure this is among is favorites because of the great colors and cute pictures. It is among our favorites for the same reason, but also because of all the autographed children's books we have, we know this is a terrific author who takes the time to do more than quickly sign his name. Thanks Chris!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars real genius, February 25, 2000

By	Amy Rawe (brooklin, maine) - See all my reviews

Down to the Sea with Mr. Magee is brilliantly fun. The story brought me back to my days of chanting Dr. Seuss lines, and the expressions--from Magee's surprised face to the squawking seagulls--made me laugh out loud. The retro yellows and rich sea blues make me want to climb into the illustrations, but the real genius of the book is the variety of perspectives. On one page, you're taken under water for a whale's eye view; on another you're high up on top of a spruce tree, looking down on the islands...

"Then the whale blew a blast as hard as he could

(Much harder in fact, than a little whale should)

And that final blast blew the boat up in the sky

First thirty, then forty, then fifty feet high."

I love this beautiful book of adventure, and I'm buying it for every kid I know. Heck, for adults too...and I'll be eagerly watching for Chris Van Dusen's next work of art.