Some stories of your childhood follow you into adulthood through memory; other times, the voice of those beloved rhymes returns to read them to you. Twenty years since the release of If I Built a Car, the first in its series, Maine author Chris Van Dusen is releasing his newest book, If I Built a Town, at Longfellow Books in Portland. 

If the name Mr. Magee and his little dog Dee rings a nostalgic bell, you may remember Chris Van Dusen’s first book, Down to the Sea with Mr. Magee, a revered favorite by those on the coast. At the time inspiration for the book struck, Van Dusen was a freelance illustrator who made appearances in magazines such as Nickelodeon and Disney Adventures. The Maine author describes a comedic image he wanted to draw. The image that started it all: a boat stuck at the top of a tree, and the rhyme, “Mr. Magee and his little dog Dee hopped in the car and drove down to the sea.” Published in 2000, Down to the Sea with Mr. Magee was an immediate maritime favorite, and soon to follow were more silly adventures in the series. 

Although Van Dusen’s books are repeated fan favorites, his first book tugged at the heartstrings of many of those in Maine. Since the book’s release, its popularity can be seen throughout the state. In 2019, the Maine brand Sea Bag collaborated with Van Dusen to create a special edition tote bag featuring Mr. Magee and his boat atop a friendly whale coming to the surface of the water.

This collaboration also partnered and donated part of its proceeds to The Children’s Museum and Theatre of Maine in Portland, which, from 2015 to 2021, installed an immersive outdoor adventure exhibit, allowing children to dive into beloved scenes of Van Dusen’s books. The exhibit enabled children to engage interactively with literacy, exemplifying the museum’s core philosophy of “learning through play.”

As recently as February of this year, the popularity of the book, twenty-five years later, refuses to quit. The Maine Maritime Museum in Bath opened its Chris Van Dusen-inspired exhibit “Upon That Isle” earlier this year, featuring scenes and characters from Hattie & Hudson, The Circus Ship, Down to the Sea with Mr. Magee, and Big Truck, Little Island.

The Maritime Museum chose to feature Van Dusen’s stories and illustrations, along with several other Maine artists, because of the focus on the maritime coast. In an interview with the Portland Press Herald, the executive director of the museum mentions the importance of maritime-themed books “as a way to help highlight how the Maine coast is viewed and how it’s portrayed in books and popular culture.” News Center Maine commented, “Van Dusen hopes those who check out the exhibit will enjoy learning about storytelling and maybe even be inspired to lean into their creative side.”

Twenty years since the release of If I Built a Car, his third publication, awarding Van Dusen the E.B. White Read-Aloud Award in 2006, comes the next in the series: If I Built a Town. Praise for the book by Kirkus details its “Racially diverse populace enjoying all the benefits shown in the enticing illustrations,” calling the book “Sunny, inclusive, and imaginary.”

If I Built a Car will be read aloud by the author and illustrator himself at Longfellow Books in Portland on September 28^th. Whether you’re a longstanding fan coming to reminisce in nostalgia or searching for whimsy for you or a little one, come join the inventive and creative world with Van Dusen at his read-along launch.