[]
If I Built a Town
Play sample
  • Published: 28 October 2025
  • ISBN: 9780593324981
  • Imprint: Rocky Pond Books
  • Format: Hardback
  • Pages: 40
  • RRP: $45.00

If I Built a Town

Formats & editions
EBook
30 Sept 2025
Audiobook
30 Sept 2025
Hardback
28 Oct 2025
Buy from…
The Nile Mighty Ape BookHub Whitcoulls The Warehouse Paper Plus Fishpond Book Hero Unity Books University Book Shop Find Local Retailers

It has been 20 years since the classic If I Built a Car was published, and now here's a companion read-aloud that's even more joyful and inventive!

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.
  • Published: 28 October 2025
  • ISBN: 9780593324981
  • Imprint: Rocky Pond Books
  • Format: Hardback
  • Pages: 40
  • RRP: $45.00
Categories:

About the author

Chris Van Dusen

Chris Van Dusen is the author and illustrator of several highly acclaimed picture books, including the hugely popular Mercy Watson series. His book, If I Built a Car won the 2006 E.B. White Read-Aloud Award presented by The Association of Bookesellers for Children. He and his family live in Camden, Maine.
portrait photo of Chris Van Dusen

Also by Chris Van Dusen

If I Built a House
Si yo diseñara un auto
If I Built a School
If I Built a Car
See all

Praise for If I Built a Town

Awards and Praise for Chris Van Dusen

If I Built a School
New York Times Bestseller
"An all-day sugar rush, putting the 'fun' back into, er, education." --Kirkus
"Told in excellently structured rhyming couplets, this story has a Seussian feel, although the vocabulary is much more varied and advanced. . . . Reluctant readers will be especially intrigued." --School Library Journal

If I Built a Car
E.B. White Read-Aloud Award
"Energetic verse and jubilant, action-packed artwork make this tale of a young inventor's fantastic daydream a joy ride." --Publishers Weekly
"The story is told in jaunty rhyming couplets, but the fun really comes from the illustrations, which perfectly parody 1950s' visions of the future." --Booklist

If I Built a House
NEIBA Children's Book Award

The Circus Ship
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award Winner
Maine's Lupine Award Winner

Mercy Watson to the Rescue
New York Times Bestseller
ALA Notable Book
Theodor Seuss Geisel Award
"Van Dusen's larger-than-life characters and retro sensibility extend the dry humor of the situation, and his shiny, rainbow-bright gouache art shoots the energy, especially Mercy's, right off the page." --Booklist, starred review

Awards and Praise for Chris Van Dusen

If I Built a School
New York Times Bestseller
"An all-day sugar rush, putting the 'fun' back into, er, education." --Kirkus
"Told in excellently structured rhyming couplets, this story has a Seussian feel, although the vocabulary is much more varied and advanced. . . . Reluctant readers will be especially intrigued." --School Library Journal

If I Built a Car
E.B. White Read-Aloud Award
"Energetic verse and jubilant, action-packed artwork make this tale of a young inventor's fantastic daydream a joy ride." --Publishers Weekly
"The story is told in jaunty rhyming couplets, but the fun really comes from the illustrations, which perfectly parody 1950s' visions of the future." --Booklist

If I Built a House
NEIBA Children's Book Award

The Circus Ship
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award Winner
Maine's Lupine Award Winner

Mercy Watson to the Rescue
New York Times Bestseller
ALA Notable Book
Theodor Seuss Geisel Award
"Van Dusen's larger-than-life characters and retro sensibility extend the dry humor of the situation, and his shiny, rainbow-bright gouache art shoots the energy, especially Mercy's, right off the page." --Booklist, starred review