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At first glance, A Camping Spree With Mr. Magee looks almost too quiet to work.A square man. A small dog. A very ordinary camper.
And yet, once you start reading it aloud, something clicks - and suddenly the entire room is leaning forward.
Have you ever seen such an unlikely pair of heroes in a children's book?
Wait, don't leave!
Yes, you would be perfectly correct to doubt the long-term potential of what may seem to be - at first glance - a very bland duo.
But you would also be perfectly wrong.
The Mr. Magee book series (A Camping Spree With Mr. Magee, Down To The Sea with Mr. Magee and Learning To Ski With Mr. Magee) is one of the best modern picture book series available.
This pair of book heroes just feels right.
They are a believable sort, because they are so low-key.
And this is one of the great triumphs of Van Dusen as a storyteller.
His inner artist works on so many levels to make the Magee stories so easy-going and enjoyable.
Tonight we read A Camping Spree with Mr. Magee for the umpteenth time and - as always - it never fails to inspire.
Now - many a reading later - the unassuming and good-natured Mr. Magee and his loyal sidekick Dee are probably my twins' most loved pair of characters from all of the books we read.
Now - many a reading later - the unassuming and good-natured Mr. Magee and his loyal sidekick Dee are probably my twins' most loved pair of characters from all of the books we read.
The Magee books are at the very top of our favourite read-alouds.
Although Van Dusen also illustrated the hyper-popular Mercy Watson series that I also reviewed penned by Kate DiCamillo about a porcine wonder, the Magee stories are clearly superior.
Don't get me wrong, Mercy Watson is interesting, but the novelty wears off after the first few books. The Magee books, on the other hand are just a massive winner thanks to the fantastic use of language.
What makes the Magee books even more magnificent to me (compared to the Mercy Watson series) is the use of sweet, humorous and intelligent rhyme on all 36 pages.
The book is such a fantastic pleasure to read. For the reader and for the listener(s). |
| Reproduced from http://www.chrisvandusen.com/ |
Those pictures!
Oh, don't get me started on the visuals in this book.
Van Dusen's retro feel combined with his glorious colors and breath-taking viewpoints make A Camping Spree for Mr. Magee a Technicolor roller-coaster experience for children.
But, I shouldn't forget that I only chose A Camping Spree for Mr. Magee (book number 2, actually) as a stand in for all three of the Magee books.
The first book was Down to the Sea with Mr. Magee, while the third one was Learning to Ski with Mr. Magee. However, the order of reading does not matter. In that sense they are fully interchangeable and independent of each other.
These are discrete stories that work as magic when combined, but are so good that work independently of each other.
The Magee books are a blast of natural life and fresh air in your face.
Van Dusen has this amazing ability to transport you to the locations, as if in Hollywood.
You will feel as if you are camping outside with Mr. Magee. Or as if you are right up there on the mountain!
And the story? It follows Magee and his pup Dee as they decide to go on a camping trip.
After a whole day's ride they find the perfect spot on a hill above a brook that runs over a steep waterfall.
While sleeping in the camper, a bear comes around.
"A kindly old bear whose sight wasn't so clear. He couldn't see far and he couldn't see near".
"A kindly old bear whose sight wasn't so clear. He couldn't see far and he couldn't see near".
Trying to reach a bag of marshmallows, the bear unhitches the camper, which rolls down into the river and stops on a ledge above the waterfall.
A drama with spectacular visuals unfolds above the waterfall.
Finally, after the bear helps to save Magee and Dee, they decide to return home.
Mr. Magee books are certainly not easy to create, Van Dusen published the three existing ones between 2000 and 2010.
The last one came out just before Christmas 2010, so I guess the next one will be published in 2013/4.
Until then - don't lose time - get a hold of the three existing Magee books.
And then give your kids a real treat.
Read them and laugh together!
2026 update
Since I wrote this post some years ago, alas no new Mr. Magee books have been published.
 |
| Mr Magee and Dee hiding in plain sight in The Circus Ship |
Shame - because I would have ordered them.
Mr. Magee and his little dog Dee are now family.
Mr. Magee and his little dog Dee are now family.
Yeah, this is how things stand between us.
Magee and Dee are just pure joy!
However, this does not mean that Mr. Magee is out of sight.
Oh, no!
What happened was that we became Van Dusen afficionados and started searching for Mr. Magee and Dee in his other picture books.
Yes, that is a thing!
I can confirm (for Magee fans) that Mr. Magee + Dee show up as hidden “Easter egg” cameos in at least these 7 other Chris Van Dusen picture books:
1. If I Built a Car (look across the big “tour of the car” spreads)
1. If I Built a Car (look across the big “tour of the car” spreads)
2. If I Built a House (hidden in the imaginative “house feature” spreads)
3. If I Built a School (hiding in the school concept illustrations/art)
4. If I Built a Town
6. Hattie & Hudson
7. King Hugo's Huge Ego (Mr Magee and Dee are hidden in the pages, read my detailed review of this book King Hugo’s Huge Ego: When Rhythm, Humor, and Humility Click)
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| A blink-and-you-miss-it detail Mr. Magee and Dee Hidden in a window Chris Van Dusen rewards re-reading Picture books for careful eyes! |
Look at this macro pic to the right, from a page in The Circus Ship.
This detail shows Mr. Magee and his dog Dee, characters from Chris Van Dusen’s Mr. Magee series, hidden inside a window illustration in The Circus Ship.
It’s a quiet visual cameo, not referenced in the text, rewarding readers who look closely!
And, I can tell you... my two little readers always looked closely!
They could spot Magee and Dee from a mile away.
Happy reading,
Read Aloud Dad
Where to buy
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Amazon UK – Check price
Tip: some Amazon UK links point to Kindle/other formats—double-check the format before buying.
Further resources for parents (opens in new window – not affiliate links):
- Chris Van Dusen – official page for A Camping Spree With Mr. Magee: The straight-from-the-source overview (plus a quick sense of the book’s look and pace)
- Chris Van Dusen – Q&A (including “why the ’50s?” and Mr. Magee details): A surprisingly readable peek into the choices behind the retro world (and the Mr. Magee “is it you?” question)
- Maine Boats Homes & Harbors – profile on Van Dusen (with Mr. Magee context): A substantial feature that ties Maine, the art, and the Mr. Magee trilogy together (with a great “packing the camper” nod)
- Zibby Media – interview transcript with Chris Van Dusen: A conversational, detailed read — including talk about “sticking” Mr. Magee into other books and even teasing a possible new Magee story
- Holly Papa (Bookscoops) – review / discussion of A Camping Spree With Mr. Magee: A genuinely thoughtful blog post that lingers on the art style, the era-feel, and why this one reads so well out loud
- Celebrate Picture Books – full review of A Camping Spree With Mr. Magee: A thorough walk-through with plenty of detail (helpful when you want to remember the “how did this escalate so fast?” sequence)
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