The Circus Ship

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.

Age Range: 4 - 8 years

Grade Level: Preschool - 3

Lexile Measure: AD600L

Hardcover: 40 pages

Publisher: Candlewick (September 22 2009)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 076363090X

ISBN-13: 978-0763630904

Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 0.4 x 10.6 inches

Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds