The Polar Express
BY: Aubrey Fisher
author/illustrator
the author and illustrator are the same person. His name is Chris Van Allsburg.
Caldecott Award Winning Year
The Polar Express won in 1986.
Author's Purpose
He had this idea, this mental image, of a young boy who, perhaps while visiting relatives or something, hears a strange sound in the middle of the night, and he goes outside. It is a very foggy, misty night. He walks through these woods and sees a train standing still, just sitting in this kind of fog. Where is it going to go? Well, there are a lot of places a train could go and take a child, but where would a child want to go more than anywhere else? As I reflected on this mysterious train, it occurred to me that it must be a cold night, because the engine's steam is heavy. It might even be winter. Maybe some snow is falling. Perhaps it's December, close to Christmas, or even Christmas Eve. Then I asked myself the question again: where would a child want to go more than anywhere else on Christmas Eve? -Chris Van Allsburg
5 books Chris Van Allsburg wrote
He wrote:
The Mysteries of Harris Burdick
The Polar Express
Jumanji
Just A Dream
The Magic Journey
Analyze Polar Express
The Polar Express was awarded because it was professionally illustrated.
Comparisons
Jumanji and The Polar Express are different. Jumanji's pictures are dull and black and white. The Polar Express has bright colorful pictures.
The Polar Express (2/5) Movie CLIP - Back on Track (2004) HD