If I Built a Town (If I Built Series)

This imaginative picture book invites young readers into a world of creative urban planning, where a child named Jack redesigns his entire community with spectacular innovations. The rhyming text flows with infectious energy as Jack describes his vision for a town filled with fantastic zoo creatures, high-speed hover vans for mail delivery, and extraordinary health facilities. Van Dusen's vibrant, retro-futuristic illustrations burst with color and detail, giving each page a sense of wonder that will captivate preschoolers. The book naturally introduces early concepts about community helpers and civic planning through this playful lens.

What makes this story particularly engaging is how it validates children's own imaginative ideas while showing them they can actively shape their world. The rhythmic, rhyming text makes for an excellent read-aloud experience that builds early literacy skills through predictable patterns. Young architects and dreamers will find endless inspiration in Jack's inventive solutions, from transportation systems to public spaces. This celebration of creative thinking and problem-solving will likely spark many conversations about what makes a community work and how children might design their own perfect towns.