The Circus Ship (2009)

Miserly circus owner Mr. Paine and fifteen of his most exotic animals are caught up in a shipwreck.. Abandoned by their cruel owner, who decides to save himself, the animals make their way ashore on a small Maine island, where their kindness to the human locals soon wins them friends. When the islanders get word that Mr. Paine is headed their way, determined to reclaim his animal performers, they spring in to gear to protect and hide these unexpected new residents.

Miserly circus owner Mr. Paine and fifteen of his most exotic animals are caught up in a shipwreck in this rhyming tale from author/illustrator Chris Van Dusen. Abandoned by their cruel owner, who decides to save himself, the animals make their way ashore on a small Maine island, where their kindness to the human locals soon wins them friends. When the islanders get word that Mr. Paine is headed their way, determined to reclaim his animal performers, they spring in to gear to protect and hide these unexpected new residents...

Apparently inspired by a real incident from history, in which a ship carrying a circus sank off the Maine coast in 1836, The Circus Ship pairs an entertaining read-aloud tale in rhyme with brightly-colored, immensely expressive illustrations. I enjoyed pretty much everything about this one, from the story itself to the rhyming text, the eye-catching artwork to the seek-and-find element in the scene in which the villagers hide the animals in plain sight. I know Van Dusen largely through his work on Kate DiCamillo's Mercy Watson books, although I have read one of his own picture-books - Hattie & Hudson - as well. I'm glad to have now read another, and I thank my boss Tim for giving me a copy. I can certainly understand why it is a family favorite! Recommended to picture-book readers who enjoy animal stories, as well as to fans of Chris Van Dusen's vibrantly colorful artwork. ( )

Cute picture book. I know a song about the actual incident that sparked this story (though this is not true to life). The story here is much more cheerful than the real one - the animals make it to shore and make friends. The rhymes are nice; the words are not particularly contorted to make them rhyme. I enjoyed the one spread with all the circus animals hiding in it; the other pages, with various other animals (gulls, crabs) on them are amusing too. The art is somewhat cartoony but sufficiently detailed to make it worth looking at all of it. Enjoyable. ( )

This book has so much detail in the illustrations and the rhyme in it grabs the attention of the reader.

I really enjoyed this story it has just enough conflict to keep a young reader interested and the illustrations are vivid, lively and crisp! I couldn't help, but stare at the images. The rhyming text made the book fun to read and requires a lot of expression in order to convey the humor. I like the fact that the story could be an interactive one with animals being hidden throughout the book. ( )