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If I Built ...
If I Built a Town
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A joyful and inventive read-aloud, part of the award-winning If I Built series! Join Jack and his larger-than-life imagination as he dreams up his ideal town, where everyone is welcome.
“Sunny, inclusive, and imaginary.”—Kirkus Reviews
"My town will be swanky! My town will be swell!
My town will be prized as the best place to dwell!"
Jack has some great ideas for improving the community he lives in. And who better to describe them to than Mayor McKay! As they walk through the park together, Jack eagerly tells the mayor his plans for improving their town.
And what a town he has dreamed up! The zoo is packed with fantastic, Jurassic, and mythical creatures, the mail is delivered by super-fast hover vans, the health clinic travels right to your door, and a parade passes through each and every week. And don't forget the robots! All of Jack's plans include the most exciting and useful serving machines. But best of all, everything is free!
Jack's over-the-top creativity and infectious enthusiasm will inspire budding young inventors. It's a story time romp that you'll want to return to again and again.
“Sunny, inclusive, and imaginary.”—Kirkus Reviews
"My town will be swanky! My town will be swell!
My town will be prized as the best place to dwell!"
Jack has some great ideas for improving the community he lives in. And who better to describe them to than Mayor McKay! As they walk through the park together, Jack eagerly tells the mayor his plans for improving their town.
And what a town he has dreamed up! The zoo is packed with fantastic, Jurassic, and mythical creatures, the mail is delivered by super-fast hover vans, the health clinic travels right to your door, and a parade passes through each and every week. And don't forget the robots! All of Jack's plans include the most exciting and useful serving machines. But best of all, everything is free!
Jack's over-the-top creativity and infectious enthusiasm will inspire budding young inventors. It's a story time romp that you'll want to return to again and again.
- GenresPicture BooksChildrens
Audible Audio
First published September 30, 2025
82 people want to read
About the author
Chris Van Dusen
52 books323 followersChris 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.
“Dr. Seuss and Robert McCloskey were my heroes. I loved the rhythm of Dr. Seuss’ words and I was fascinated by the meticulous detail of Robert McCloskey’s illustrations. I had no idea back then that I’d end up writing and illustrating children’s books when I grew up.
“After high school, I studied fine art at The University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth and graduated with a BFA in 1982. It took me a while to figure out what I wanted to do. First I was a waiter, and then I was offered a part-time job at a magazine for teenagers. Eventually I started drawing cartoons and illustrations for the magazine and my career as an illustrator was born.
“For more than ten years I worked as a freelance illustrator specializing in art for kids. I was doing mostly editorial work and my illustrations appeared in magazines like Nickelodeon, Family Fun, and Disney Adventures. One day I started thinking about drawing a picture of a boat stuck high up in a tree. I thought that would be a really funny and intriguing illustration. At the same time, a refrain kept running through my head—“Mr. Magee and his little dog, Dee / Hopped in the car and drove down to the sea.” The combination of these two things eventually became my first book, Down to the Sea with Mr. Magee (Chronicle), which was published in 2000. Since then I’ve written and illustrated A Camping Spree with Mr. Magee (Chronicle) (2003), If I Built a Car (Puffin) (2005) and I’ve had a ball illustrating Kate DiCamillo’s Mercy Watson series (Candlewick).
“Dr. Seuss and Robert McCloskey were my heroes. I loved the rhythm of Dr. Seuss’ words and I was fascinated by the meticulous detail of Robert McCloskey’s illustrations. I had no idea back then that I’d end up writing and illustrating children’s books when I grew up.
“After high school, I studied fine art at The University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth and graduated with a BFA in 1982. It took me a while to figure out what I wanted to do. First I was a waiter, and then I was offered a part-time job at a magazine for teenagers. Eventually I started drawing cartoons and illustrations for the magazine and my career as an illustrator was born.
“For more than ten years I worked as a freelance illustrator specializing in art for kids. I was doing mostly editorial work and my illustrations appeared in magazines like Nickelodeon, Family Fun, and Disney Adventures. One day I started thinking about drawing a picture of a boat stuck high up in a tree. I thought that would be a really funny and intriguing illustration. At the same time, a refrain kept running through my head—“Mr. Magee and his little dog, Dee / Hopped in the car and drove down to the sea.” The combination of these two things eventually became my first book, Down to the Sea with Mr. Magee (Chronicle), which was published in 2000. Since then I’ve written and illustrated A Camping Spree with Mr. Magee (Chronicle) (2003), If I Built a Car (Puffin) (2005) and I’ve had a ball illustrating Kate DiCamillo’s Mercy Watson series (Candlewick).
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
October 6, 2025
This series used to be wonderful and allowed children to let their imaginations roam. But this book is full of propaganda (and of course, it's all nonsense) aimed at brainwashing the next generation into believing leftist/Marxist ideology.
Is everything in the town free? Yes. Can anyone read any book they want? Yes! Are all the police gone? Yes! Do little girls have two dads? Yes! Are the citizens following the rules about climate change. Yes! It's all in this town!
Even if you're a fan of his books, now is the time to stop supporting this author.
Is everything in the town free? Yes. Can anyone read any book they want? Yes! Are all the police gone? Yes! Do little girls have two dads? Yes! Are the citizens following the rules about climate change. Yes! It's all in this town!
Even if you're a fan of his books, now is the time to stop supporting this author.
November 24, 2025
I love this book and I love this author! I love the imagination and the reasoning behind everything. This book is super cute and there are more like this book by the same author. I would definitely recommend this book to others.
November 12, 2025
Way to dream big! I love the imagination, the rhyming text, the signature CVD illustrations, and especially the library!
October 6, 2025
Truly delightful and wholesome story with gorgeous illustrations full of joy. A fantastic addition to the "If I Built" it series and to my library.
October 4, 2025
Incredibly illustrated, linguistically interesting for all ages,
a story that is hopeful and sweet, telling us that the imagination of the future generation will build a world that is much better than the one built by adults commenting here with nothing better to do with their time, and no creative contributions to the world at large.
My son has loved all Chris Van Deusen’s books for 5 years and was thrilled to receive this in the mail today, already read it 3 times!
a story that is hopeful and sweet, telling us that the imagination of the future generation will build a world that is much better than the one built by adults commenting here with nothing better to do with their time, and no creative contributions to the world at large.
My son has loved all Chris Van Deusen’s books for 5 years and was thrilled to receive this in the mail today, already read it 3 times!
October 22, 2025
I am so sad about this book. Chris Van Dusen books are our absolutely favorites and my kids were SO pumped this was coming out. But my gosh, it's like Chris was being paid by the individual instances of woke crap he put in the book. It's aaaaall there - gay adoptive couple, climate change propoganda, book banning nonsense. LET KIDS BE KIDS for goodness sake! Really disappointing.
November 3, 2025
If I Built a Town is a good story time book. Other books by Chris Van Dusen have been a hit in children's books, and this one is no different. It puts into perspective of a boy who imagines what he would do if he built different things, and I enjoyed the other books in this series as a child so this one is no different.
October 3, 2025
If you like leftist ideology sprinkled throughout your picture books then this one’s for you! What a disappointment, the other 3 in this series were a delight.
November 10, 2025
Maddie has a lot of ideas for better town building.
November 25, 2025
Jack has put a lot of thought and creativity into the design of Jaxtown. Looks like a lovely and fun place to live.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews