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222nd out of 750 books
—
858 voters
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...more
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...more
Hardcover, 40 pages
Published
September 22nd 2009
by Candlewick Press
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3.5 stars
The illustrations are nice although a little too cartoony for my taste. The story is sweet if a bit daft and the rhyming is done well, not forced. The best part were the pages near the end of the book where you have to look to find where the animals were hidden. A couple were too obvious but some took me a couple of minutes to find. Things like that make books more interactive and therefore more fun and a better learning tool.
The illustrations are nice although a little too cartoony for my taste. The story is sweet if a bit daft and the rhyming is done well, not forced. The best part were the pages near the end of the book where you have to look to find where the animals were hidden. A couple were too obvious but some took me a couple of minutes to find. Things like that make books more interactive and therefore more fun and a better learning tool.
Absolutely beautiful pictures and wonderful rhymes telling a fun and enjoyable story about circus animals that find a new home in a small island town. This book deserves an award of some sort and the artwork should be hanging in a museum.
This is one of my absolute favorite from this year’s 2x2 List. I read it to every Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade class and never grew tired of it. The students loved the bouncy rhyming text and the pictures are the best part.
Chris Van Drussen took the true story of a ship that sunk in 1836, and wove this rhythmic tale of circus animals that survived the wreck and came ashore in this little town in Main. The circus boss Mr. Paine is horribly mean and was willing to let the animals drown when the...more
Chris Van Drussen took the true story of a ship that sunk in 1836, and wove this rhythmic tale of circus animals that survived the wreck and came ashore in this little town in Main. The circus boss Mr. Paine is horribly mean and was willing to let the animals drown when the...more
Although I don't normally purchase new books for the library that have older copyright dates, this book was a necessary addition to our collection. The book came with rave reviews from my four year old niece and nephew and let me just say they have an eye and ear for great books! The Circus Ship is the story of a ship that runs aground off the coast of Maine. The animals traveling on the ship are now stranded on a small island with suspicious townspeople. When the greedy circus owner comes looki...more
Audience: Kindergarten - 2nd Grade
Appeal: For starters the illustrations in this book are amazing. They are definitely a great addition to the book. Second the book is told in rhyme which makes it fun to read aloud. The story is about a circus ship that runs aground, which forces the animals, circus owner, and crew member to find a way ashore. Mr. Paine, the circus owner, is exactly the kind of person his name implies. The animals arrive safely and amuse the readers with their antics although th...more
Appeal: For starters the illustrations in this book are amazing. They are definitely a great addition to the book. Second the book is told in rhyme which makes it fun to read aloud. The story is about a circus ship that runs aground, which forces the animals, circus owner, and crew member to find a way ashore. Mr. Paine, the circus owner, is exactly the kind of person his name implies. The animals arrive safely and amuse the readers with their antics although th...more
Mar 15, 2011
An Abundance of Books
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Shelves:
picture-books,
2011-a-blogger-made-me-buy-it
Featured at An Abundance of Books
Jaunty rhymes take us through the story of fifteen circus animals who were abandoned by Mr. Paine, the circus owner, during the sinking of their ship. They swim through the night and finally make it to an island just before dawn. The exhausted animals wandered throughout the village looking for a place to rest (or some daisies to munch on). Unfortunately the poor villagers didn't know what to make of the tiger in the tulips, the python in the pantry, or the monke...more
Jaunty rhymes take us through the story of fifteen circus animals who were abandoned by Mr. Paine, the circus owner, during the sinking of their ship. They swim through the night and finally make it to an island just before dawn. The exhausted animals wandered throughout the village looking for a place to rest (or some daisies to munch on). Unfortunately the poor villagers didn't know what to make of the tiger in the tulips, the python in the pantry, or the monke...more
Animals...check. Circus....check. Ship...check. Drama....check. This book was amazing. We saw it on the book shelf and had to have it. Again, went to my favorite discount book store and was able to snatch up this beautiful hardback story book for only 3.99. The story truly came to life for my son and he was engaged from beginning to end. He loved that the animals swam to shore and they were able to escape the naughty, mean Mr. Paine. My son loved trying to spot the animals that were hiding in ea...more
Audience:The audience for the book is primary elementary. I think it would best fit third grade.
Appeal: I think boys and girls would find this interesting since it contains circus animals. It takes place in the sea and on an island which also appeals to children who may not have experience knowing what it is.
Application: I would use this book in the language arts content area as the book is written in rhymes and could easily be incorporated in a poetry lesson. It could also be used as a read alo...more
Appeal: I think boys and girls would find this interesting since it contains circus animals. It takes place in the sea and on an island which also appeals to children who may not have experience knowing what it is.
Application: I would use this book in the language arts content area as the book is written in rhymes and could easily be incorporated in a poetry lesson. It could also be used as a read alo...more
Van Dusen, Chris The Circus Ship pgs.40 Candlewick Language~G; Sexual Content~G; Violence~G
When the Circus ship runs a-ground off the coast of Maine a delightful adventure begins! The mean spirited cirucs owner saves himself and leaves the animals to fend for themselves. The fifteen animals all swim into harbor and when the towns people wake up in the morning there are quite a few surprises. They grow to love the animals, however, and when the ringmaster returns they work with the animals to tri...more
When the Circus ship runs a-ground off the coast of Maine a delightful adventure begins! The mean spirited cirucs owner saves himself and leaves the animals to fend for themselves. The fifteen animals all swim into harbor and when the towns people wake up in the morning there are quite a few surprises. They grow to love the animals, however, and when the ringmaster returns they work with the animals to tri...more
When a Circus Ship is destroyed at sea, the animals are forced to swim to shore, landing at a small town on the Maine coast. At first, the residents are nervous. Who wouldn't be, with elephants and tigers and lions roaming the streets? But after the fearful events of one night, the residents come to befriend the animals. In fact, when the angry ringmaster comes searching for his show, the townspeople come up with a clever plan to keep their animal friends safe.
This lyrical story is great fun, bu...more
This lyrical story is great fun, bu...more
When a circus ship is wrecked on a ledge near a small Maine town on its way to Boston, the owner is more concerned about saving his own life than the lives of his animals. They manage to make their way to shore where the giraffe, hippo, and monkey, among others, cause havoc among the towns' citizens. They have an uneasy coexistence until the tiger rescues a girl in a burning house. When the animals' owner arrives to take them back, the animals are nowhere to be found. Young readers will enjoy sp...more
This book is so much fun! I must say that I am not usually a fan of circus books but this one is great because the animals get away from the mean circus boss, woo hoo! What I really love are the illustrations and seeing how the animals fit in with life on the island--I won't add any spoilers but there's one spread that is absolutely fabulous and contains "hidden" animals. Overall, I found this a delightful read.
Parents may wish to skip reading aloud the author's note at the end which shares his...more
Parents may wish to skip reading aloud the author's note at the end which shares his...more
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Beautiful illustrations, wonderful heart-feld story with adventure and great read aloud (it rhymes). Great for grades 1-4.
About a circus ship that sinks in the night. The greedy circus owner is only concerned with his life so he doesn't bother to save the animals. All the animals swim to safety to an island where they startle the townspeople. At first the people think the animals are pesky, but when the tiger saves little Emma Rose from the fire, their minds are changed.
Soon word comes that the...more
About a circus ship that sinks in the night. The greedy circus owner is only concerned with his life so he doesn't bother to save the animals. All the animals swim to safety to an island where they startle the townspeople. At first the people think the animals are pesky, but when the tiger saves little Emma Rose from the fire, their minds are changed.
Soon word comes that the...more
I had to grab this one for a surprise, last-minute, circus themed preschool class visit where we read them a story. Something that surprised me: There don't seem to be a lot of circus books out there--I only could find about 3 on our shelves and none were very appropriate for preschool. This was the best one. And for preschool, it's a bit too long. Luckily, this group is really good listeners, and they did love the pictures--especially the ones where all of the animals are hiding. That went over...more
Mr. Van Dusen does rhyme "right!" Where some authors sacrifice rhythm for the sake of the rhymed words, Chris Van Dusen works hard to make sure the rhythm of the book is uninterrupted. The text flows, includes great descriptions, and the accompanying illustrations are fantastic. What's not to love about a book that has a blow-hard villain bent on forcing circus animals back into captivity when they've found a great island home? The "hide and seek" illustration near the end really engages readers...more
The Circus Ship has all of the elements of a lovely picture book. It’s bright and colorful, cute and funny, lively and real. An actual true story of a ship containing a circus full of animals was the inspiration for this story, but author Chris Van Dusen turns the story into a tale of animals who gain freedom from the shipwreck. An elephant, a zebra, a tiger, a lion, and a monkey are just a few of the creatures featured in this book. When their ocean trip to Boston is broken up, they swim to a...more
i only add books that I read to O&E if they've passed the one week test - that is, if they're still clamoring to sit on my lap one week after introduction to the book and want it repeated at least three times per sitting.
I love the illustrations in this book and my kids can't get enough of it. In fact, my daughter esme has memorized parts of it and when she "reads" other books to me, she's really just reciting this one. We've been reading this an average of 15 times per week for the past mo...more
I love the illustrations in this book and my kids can't get enough of it. In fact, my daughter esme has memorized parts of it and when she "reads" other books to me, she's really just reciting this one. We've been reading this an average of 15 times per week for the past mo...more
Beautiful illustrations meld with a cute story of a circus ship that runs aground. The nasty circus owner callously saves himself and leaves his animals to drown, but they make their way to an island where the inhabitants soon learn to love the animals. When the nasty circus owner comes to try to claim his beasts, everyone conspires to hide the animals on a delightful "seek and find" page. Smoothly flowing rhyme and rhytmm will appeal to all kids, and will make this a good choice for group read...more
The Circus Ship is a fun, colorful book that tells the story of an unfortunate group of circus animals that gets stranded on land when they are thrown from their ship during a dangerous and foggy ride to their next show. Fortunately, the people who live near where they are stranded are friendly and help the animals hide and keep from being taken away when their harsh circus boss comes looking for them. Will he find them and make them return to the circus or will they get to stay where they are w...more
This is one of my favorite books to read with the students when they come to my library. They love the story of the animals surviving a horrible crash and escaping a terrible boss. The story is written in a beautiful cadence, which helps kids learn the sound and rhythm of reading aloud. The pictures are vivid and beautiful. The kids love to find the animals on the page when they are hiding from Mr. Paine.
This book is a great addition in the school library (where I work) as well as a kid's home...more
This book is a great addition in the school library (where I work) as well as a kid's home...more
Jul 22, 2011
Paula
added it
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.
When with a small group the last page could be an activity to find the animals.
Washington children's picture book...more
When with a small group the last page could be an activity to find the animals.
Washington children's picture book...more
What a fun book - story and illustations. The story is based on a real event in 1836 when a ship carrying a circus sank during a storm. Of course Van Dusen has written the story as would make a fantastic children's book, but in actuality, most of the animals on board perished. The story is written in quatrain and Van Dusen has made a story worth reading many times. The illustrations move the story along and the ending is one that is laugh-aloud hillarious. Children will love this book.
Nov 04, 2010
Kimberly
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommended to Kimberly by:
Read-Aloud-Dad blog
Shelves:
picture-books,
want-to-buy
How is it that someone who searches as avidly as I do for great picture books could have missed those by Chris Van Dusen? He's my favorite new author/illustrator of kids' books. Run, don't walk, to your nearest library or book store and get The Circus Ship and If I Built a Car. (Those are the only two books of his that I've read so far.) Both the rhyming text and illustrations are delightful. Okay, I know people's taste can differ markedly when it comes to books, but give these a try.
When a ship carrying 15 circus animals begins to sink, the animals manage to escape to a nearby island. Later the cruel circus owner tries to come get them, but the people of the village have a plan to keep the animals safe on the island.
Great book. Good story written in verse, beautiful illustrations, and the added bonus of getting to look for all 15 animals in many of the illustrations. This is another book I will have to add to my list of books I want to buy for my nieces and nephews.
Great book. Good story written in verse, beautiful illustrations, and the added bonus of getting to look for all 15 animals in many of the illustrations. This is another book I will have to add to my list of books I want to buy for my nieces and nephews.
Loosely (very loosely) based on a real life incident where a ship carrying circus animals was shipwrecked off the coast of Maine. However, in this version all of the animals make it safely to shore. After the shock of having wild/exotic animals in their town, the townsfolk "adopt" the animals and when the selfish/self-serving owner arrives to reclaim the animals, it is the townspeople who help hide them. Cleverly illustrated and beautifully told.
Fun, fictionalized accounting of an actual shipwreck that happened off the coast of Maine. It peaks curiosity imagining exotic circus animals living there. Some nice details in the otherwise whimisical illustrations: warn and peeling paint, Pine trees by the rocky shorelineseagull poop on the ridge line of the roofs. Van Dusen has been to Maine I would wager! The page in which the towns people have hidden their circus friends was especially clever.
A little much at times, but the kids seem to really like it. The illustrations are cartoonish in a very successful way.
Some dark themes afloat but I think most kiddos are busy hunting for the hidden animals.
I'm not trying to insult kids with that last bit. Instead, while adults will hone in on the animals being left to drown, the child stuck in a burning shed, etc (I did) the kids are focusing on the fun that is an escaped zoo.
Some dark themes afloat but I think most kiddos are busy hunting for the hidden animals.
I'm not trying to insult kids with that last bit. Instead, while adults will hone in on the animals being left to drown, the child stuck in a burning shed, etc (I did) the kids are focusing on the fun that is an escaped zoo.
Everything about this book is truly great...the illustrations, the story, the rhyme. Chris Van Dusen hits a homerun with this book. It is inspired by a true story and the kids in my class were fascinated...loved the book for its entertainment value and wonderfully illustrated story, and were also riveted when we read the author's note about the historical inspirations and facts connected to the story. This is a book to buy for young children.
Just perfect. The story is cute, the words have wonderful rhyme and rhythm, and the pictures are delightful. My preschooler and I had great fun finding all 15 animals in the various pictures. It was especially fun (view spoiler). Note that the spoiler is a minor spoiler. After all, the plot of a picture book isn't usually trying to be tricky.
My boys and I just loved this book. It's a rhyming story about a ship carrying circus animals that runs aground. The animals escape the mean circus boss by hiding in a small town in Maine. The story is engaging and the illustrations are absolutely delightful. There is one particular spread in the story where you can find all of the animals hiding from the circus boss. My boys were totally engaged spotting all fifteen animals.
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Chris Van Dusen writes: “I was born in Portland, Maine, on St. Patrick’s Day, 1960. As a child, my brothers and I would spend hours drawing pictures. We didn’t have video games or computers to entertain us, so we drew instead. One of my brothers would sketch intricate war scenes. Another would draw animals so realistic you’d swear they were breathing. My specialty was aliens, robots, and monsters....more
More about Chris Van Dusen...
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Jun 16, 2012 10:41am