Science fiction & fantasy · novel

The Polar Express

by written and illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg

The Polar Express is a 1985 fantasy children's picture book written and illustrated by American author Chris Van Allsburg. Critics and various educators have described the book as a landmark in children's Christmas literature, and it is widely praised for its atmospheric illustrations by Van Allsburg himself and how it is a book about having faith. It was praised for its detailed illustrations and calm, relaxing storyline. For the work, Van Allsburg won the annual Caldecott Medal for illustration of an American children's picture book in 1986, his second after Jumanji. Van Allsburg based the story on a mental image of a child wandering into the woods on a foggy night and wondering where a train was headed. The book is set partially in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the author's home town, and was inspired in part by Van Allsburg's memories of visiting the Herpolsheimer's and Wurzburg's department stores as a child. It was adapted as a motion-capture film in 2004 starring Tom Hanks and directed by Robert Zemeckis. Van Allsburg served as an executive producer on the film. The book tells the story of a young boy who boards a magical train on Christmas Eve bound for the North Pole, where he receives...

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