Before long, animals and islanders are living harmoniously side by side.

When a circus ship founders off the coast of Maine, the animals manage to swim to the safety of a small island, whose inhabitants are not a little surprised to find their home suddenly full of exotic creatures. Or are they? One morning Mr Paine arrives on his ship to seize them back, and the villagers must use all their ingenuity to help their new friends avoid capture. Before long, animals and islanders are living harmoniously side by side - and, best of all, the circus creatures are free from the tyranny of Mr Paine, the cruel circus owner. A feast of humorous verse and delicious cartoon art from award-winning illustrator Chris Van Dusen.When a circus ship founders off the coast of Maine, the animals manage to swim to the safety of a small island, whose inhabitants are not a little surprised to find their home suddenly full of exotic creatures. He lives in Maine.Book Description Hardcover. He wrote and illustrated Down to the Sea with Mr. Splendid!Ībout the Author Chris Van Dusen is the illustrator of the Mercy Watson books by Kate DiCamillo.

Bright, lampooning gouaches (familiar from the Mercy Watson series) and dizzying perspective perfectly suit this picaresque tale.Children will pore over panoramic spreads that invite them to find each of the 15 animals and celebrate a denouement that serves up Mr. The verse is sprightly, but the pictures are the true stunners. 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. 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.

Staggering onto a nearby island, they soon win over the wary townspeople with their kind, courageous ways. When a circus ship runs aground off the coast of Maine, the poor animals are left on their own to swim the chilly waters. Full color.īook Synopsis 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. About the Book With stunning artwork, the illustrator of Kate DiCamillo's Mercy Watson books tells a tale of human-animal connection, with buoyant rhymes and brilliantly caricatured illustrations evoking the early 19th century.

The circus ship by chris van dusen