Chris Van Dusen is a renowned children's book author, born on St. Patrick's Day in 1960, in Portland, Maine. As a child, Van Dusen spent most of his free time drawing, as he and his brothers had limited entertainment options like video games or computers. His artistic inclinations led him to specialize in aliens, robots, and monsters, drawing inspiration from his heroes, Dr. Seuss and Robert McCloskey. Van Dusen's love for Seuss's rhythmic words and McCloskey's meticulous detail in illustrations significantly influenced his future career.
After high school, Van Dusen pursued a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, where he graduated in 1982. His career as an illustrator began with a part-time job at a teenage magazine, where he started creating cartoons and illustrations. For over a decade, Van Dusen worked as a freelance illustrator, focusing on art for children, with his work appearing in various magazines such as Nickelodeon, Family Fun, and Disney Adventures.
Van Dusen's first book, "Down to the Sea with Mr. Magee," was published in 2000, after he started thinking about creating an illustration of a boat stuck in a tree. The idea was accompanied by a catchy refrain, which eventually became the basis for his first book. Since then, he has written and illustrated several other books, including "A Camping Spree with Mr. Magee" (2003), "If I Built a Car" (2005), and illustrated Kate DiCamillo's "Mercy Watson" series. Van Dusen's illustrations have been published in various media, including books, magazines, T-shirts, and greeting cards. He currently resides in Maine with his wife, two sons, and, naturally, a dog.