Chris’s father ran the dairy with Chris’s three uncles after his grandfather Peter retired. But by 1949, the house was surrounded by buildings and other houses. It was a very old house that, like the little house in Virginia Lee Burton’s story, had once looked over farmland. When Chris was born, his family lived in an old farm house next door to the large brick creamery building. It was named East End Creamery and after they bottled the milk (and made the other products) they delivered it to homes all around Grand Rapids in yellow and blue trucks. His sister Karen was born in 1947.Ĭhris’s paternal grandfather, Peter, owned and operated a creamery, a place where milk was turned into butter, cream, cottage cheese, and ice cream.

Who will have the last laugh?Ĭhris was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan on June 18, 1949, the second child of Doris Christiansen Van Allsburg and Richard Van Allsburg. The boys are worried and decide to take Trudy to the one man they know can solve their problem-but will Lomax help them? Mama is on her way home. The only problem is, Calvin can’t remember Lomax’s magic word-Probuditi!-so Trudy won’t snap out of it! Trudy is stuck in her trance, convinced she is a dog-panting, drooling, and barking at squirrels. But unfortunately they cannot undo what they have done. Much to the boys’ surprise, the machine works. So Calvin and Rodney include her-by making her the first subject for their own hypnotizing machine.

It’s a job Calvin dislikes because his sister does not want to be left out of anything. When Calvin’s mother goes out, she leaves him in charge of Trudy.

The boys return home greatly impressed by the magician’s performance. Even though Mama hints that his little sister, Trudy, would love to go, Calvin doesn’t hesitate to invite his friend Rodney instead. For his birthday, Calvin’s mother gives him two tickets to see Lomax the Magnificent (magician and hypnotist extraordinaire!).

Probuditi by chris van allsburg