Down to the Sea with Mr. Magee

Both of Chris Van Dusen's Mr Magee books are incredible, engrossing, beautifully illustrated (and wacky) tales. No kid I know can put them down. My nephew asked to have it read 10 times a day the first week he got it! The story is about a retro guy and his dog that go out boating for the day and end up stuck in a tree. They are rescued by whales. While full of drama and adventure both stories end in a relaxing shared meal ;)

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 eastA 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!

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!

I was just in our local book store, checking out new childrensbooks,as I have an interest in illustrating. This book stood outabove all the rest on the shelf that night. The illustration on the cover has a retro scheme that combines clean, fresh artistry with writing that is as silly and fun as Dr. Seuss. The book really got rave reviews from my six year old. He especially loves the part when MaGee and his dog,Dee, get their boat stuck "fifty-something-feet-up" in a tree. The book is playful. The artistry is amazing. Pick it up-you'll be glad you did! END

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 skyFirst 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.