Big Truck Little Island

By Emanuel Berger | May 13 2022 | Children'sBlog

That big truck is stuck! How will the island residents get where they’re going? A tale of community and ingenuity from the celebrated Chris Van Dusen, inspired by a true story.

When a big truck and its big load get stuck on a narrow road, traffic on the little island comes to a halt. Some cars need to go south and some have to travel north. How will Meg get to her swim meet? What about Barry’s ballet class? Luckily, the kids come up with an ingenious solution: why not just swap cars? Inspired by an incident that happened on Vinalhaven, Maine, Chris Van Dusen tells a fun tale of resourcefulness and community through clever, rhyming wordplay and whimsical illustrations, sprinkled with plenty of cars and trucks for transportation-loving readers.

Enjoy these Big Truck Little Island Activity Sheets

Chris Van Dusen is the author-illustrator of Hattie & Hudson, Randy Riley’s Really Big Hit, King Hugo’s Huge Ego, The Circus Ship. He is also the illustrator of the the Mercy Watson books, and many other titles. He lives in Maine.

Big Truck Little Island
Big Truck Little Island
Chris Van Dusen, Chris Van Dusen
9781536203936
That big truck is stuck! How will the island residents get where they’re going? A tale of community and ingenuity from the celebrated Chris Van Dusen, inspired by a true story.When a big truck and its big load get stuck on a narrow road, traffic on the little island comes to a halt. Some cars need to go south and some have to travel north. How will Meg get to her swim meet? What about Barry’s ballet class? Luckily, the kids come up with an ingenious solution: why not just swap cars? Inspired by an incident that happened on Vinalhaven, Maine, Chris Van Dusen tells a fun tale of resourcefulness and community through clever, rhyming wordplay and whimsical illustrations, sprinkled with plenty of cars and trucks for transportation-loving readers.
$17.99 US
May 03, 2022
9-3/4 x 11-5/16
Hardcover
32 Pages
Candlewick
Age 3-7 years
Hattie and Hudson
Hattie and Hudson
Chris Van Dusen, Chris Van Dusen
9780763665456
A little girl and her colossal friend teach a monster-size lesson about prejudging others in a charming offering from Chris Van Dusen.Hattie McFadden is a born explorer. Every morning she grabs her life jacket and paddles out in her canoe to discover something new on the lake, singing a little song on her way. When her singing draws up from the depths a huge mysterious beast, everyone in town is terrified — except Hattie, who looks into the creature’s friendly, curious eyes and knows that this is no monster. So Hattie sneaks out at night to see the giant — whom she names Hudson — and the two become friends. But how can she make the frightened, hostile townspeople see that Hudson isn’t scary or dangerous at all? Chris Van Dusen brings his colorful, perspective-bending artwork to this satisfying new story about acceptance, friendship, and sticking up for those who are different.
$18.99 US
May 09, 2017
9-3/4 x 11-5/16
Hardcover
40 Pages
Candlewick
Age 4-8 years
The Circus Ship
The Circus Ship
Chris Van Dusen, Chris Van Dusen
9780763630904
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.
$18.99 US
Sep 22, 2009
9-13/16 x 10-1/4
Hardcover
40 Pages
Candlewick
Age 4-8 years
Randy Riley's Really Big Hit
Randy Riley's Really Big Hit
Chris Van Dusen, Chris Van Dusen
9780763649463
Randy likes space, robots, and baseball, but he can't ace everything . . . or can he? Chris Van Dusen knocks one out of the park with a comical ode to ingenuity.Randy Riley loves two things: science and baseball. When it comes to the solar system, the constellations, and all things robot, Randy is a genius. But on the baseball diamond? Not so much. He tries . . . but whiffs every time. Then, one night, Randy sees something shocking through his Space Boy telescope: it’s a fireball, and it’s headed right for his town! Randy does the math, summons all of his science smarts, and devises a plan that will save the day in a spectacular way. Once again, Chris Van Dusen winds up his visual humor, dizzying perspectives, perfect pacing, and rollicking rhyme and delivers a hit to make readers stand up and cheer.
$18.99 US
Feb 14, 2012
9-3/4 x 11-5/16
Hardcover
32 Pages
Candlewick
Age 4-8 years
King Hugo's Huge Ego
King Hugo's Huge Ego
Chris Van Dusen
9780763650049
From a master of visual comedy comes the royally satisfying tale of a head swollen out of proportion and a blowhard brought down to earth. Hugo is a tiny king with a very large ego. But when he mistreats a villager who also happens to be a sorceress, the spell she casts causes his head to literally swell. The more he boasts, the bigger it gets, until it finally topples the mini monarch right off his castle! Who will cut this royal pain down to size? And, more important, will anyone live happily ever after? Chris Van Dusen’s hilarious story is matched only by his outrageous illustrations. Together, they make for a picture book that is sometimes fairy tale, sometimes cautionary tale, and always laugh-out-loud funny.
$18.99 US
Jul 26, 2011
9-3/4 x 11-5/16
Hardcover
40 Pages
Candlewick
Age 3-7 years
A Piglet Named Mercy
A Piglet Named Mercy
Chris Van Dusen, Kate DiCamillo
9780763677534
The instant New York Times bestseller!Every porcine wonder was once a piglet! Celebrate the joy of a new arrival with this endearing picture-book prequel to the New York Times best-selling Mercy Watson series.Mr. Watson and Mrs. Watson live ordinary lives. Sometimes their lives feel a bit too ordinary. Sometimes they wish something different would happen. And one day it does, when someone unpredictable finds her way to their front door. In a delightful origin story for the star of the Mercy Watson series, a tiny piglet brings love (and chaos) to Deckawoo Drive — and the Watsons’ lives will never be the same.
$18.99 US
Apr 02, 2019
9-5/8 x 10-5/8
Hardcover
32 Pages
Candlewick
Age 3-7 years
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