Ladybug Nominee Profile

If I Built a Town by Chris Van Dusen (Rocky Pond Books, 2025)

"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.

About Chris Van Dusen

Chris Van Dusen was born in 1960 in Portland, Maine. He has been writing and illustrating books since 2000 when Down to the Sea with Mr. Magee was published. He lives on the coast of Maine with his wife Lori and a yellow lab named Opal. His website is: https://www.chrisvandusen.com

Activities & Links

• Check out this Read Aloud with the author: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ll4z-AXOJPw
• Here's an interview with Chris Van Dusen & tour of his art studio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yW9u0SbZrao
• Check out these activity sheets for the book: https://assetbucketpublic.7169.prh.com/9780/593/324/981/sales-assets/9780593324981_If%20I%20Built%20a%20Town%20Activity%20Sheets.pdf
• Map drawing exercise: Encourage students to draw a map of their own imagined town/city. Here's a link to some map ideas: https://www.treevalleyacademy.com/pirate-treasure-map/

Suggestions for Further Reading

• Check out the other 2026 Ladybug Longlist titles featuring Imagination & Creativity at: https://nhbookcenter.blogspot.com/2026/02/ladybug-longlist-imagination-creativity.html 
• For other books by Chris Van Dusen, check out Big Truck Little Island, a 2023 Ladybug Finalist, The Circus Ship, a 2010 Ladybug Finalist, and If I Built a House, the 2014 Ladybug winner.
• For other books about imagination, consider The Fantastic Bureau of Imagination by Brad Montague, Once Upon a Book by Grace Lin and Kate Messner or Treehouse Town by Gideon Sterer. 

This is one of nine titles nominated for the 2026 Ladybug Picture Book Award.
We will be posting information about a different nominee each Friday throughout the summer and will issue a pdf voters guide featuring all the titles by Labor Day.