Chris Van Allsburg
When I had an opportunity to interview Chris Van Allsburg (December 13, 2002), he was on the final part of a tour that had started November 1st. He was so calm and relaxed and very smartly dressed (we women do notice coordinated clothes and color choices), that I was amazed as I listened to him describe the crisscrossing of the country that he had done during the preceding six weeks. He did tell me that his family had joined him on tour in Detroit to celebrate Thanksgiving with other relatives. After our dinner that evening, he was scheduled for another author event at a local bookstore and then again the next morning for an event at the Smithsonian Museum. Then it was off by train to New York and the Bronx Zoo. Why the zoo? To ride the new Polar Express that that has been inaugurated there. (Chris told me that the original one set up in Connecticut has become so popular that tickets are now awarded by lottery.)
The big question, of course, is what triggered this new book, Zathura after so many years since the publication of Jumanji? Kids have wondered what ever happened to Danny (and over the years some kids had come up with some pretty awful things). Chris knew that he had an audience and he himself wanted to revisit his subject—just like numerous other artists have revisited their subjects either from a different angle, time of day or changing season. Chris wanted to refine his idea. Of course, that is difficult to do with a book because once it is published there cannot be any further refinement. His story was open-ended, however, so he really did have a chance to revisit it and while some may describe it as a sequel, for Chris it is more of a variation on a theme. While it brings together some of the same characters, it is not really a literary sequel. In Zathura, he has the boys come to the table with a different set of problems, ones that could be resolved. Chris believes that his work is something new and that he is not exploiting himself.
His technique, perspectives, and the look of his books are really intriguing. In The Polar Express the drawings are created using what he called Caran d'Ache oil pastel which is soft and smooshy--like using lipstick. The pictures are in color whereas in many of his other books they are black-and-white drawings on rich creamy papers. During the early days of his career, Chris, as a young artist trying to make a living, sold most of the original art that made up his books such as The Polar Express. His only real regret is that since then, the artwork has been scattered and the buyers unknown, and thus it cannot be collected in order to be rescanned which he is something that he would love to do. When he originally created the art for The Polar Express the scanning technology process was in its infancy. The technological improvements today would make for better quality reprintings of his book.
Even though he has "made it" (4 1/2 million copies of The Polar Express alone, movie options, and more), he continues to create books because he is an artist and he cannot imagine himself not creating art. He also credits his growing up in the Midwest with instilling in him a bit of a work ethic and while he is not judgmental, he cannot imagine living a life whose sole goal is pleasure. Chris enjoys the comforts and stability that his home and family provide, probably another part of his Midwestern upbringing.
I asked him how his collaboration with Mark Helprin had come about. Mark had a friend who was a book packager who persuaded him to do a story based upon Swan Lake. The final result of the adaptation of Tchaikovsky's work was not one single cohesive tale, but a collection of various stories just like those that the composer heard to create his tale. Chris received a call from the packager who asked if he would also collaborate and since it was Mark doing the text, he agreed. However, Chris doesn't really consider these stories children's books.
He is currently working on the screenplay for The Widow's Broom. It isn't easy taking a thirty-two page book and converting it to a 2-hour film. There is a need to add material while maintaining the spirit of the children's book. It is difficult to restate what appears in the pictures into a narrative and to make it all happen in a real world, a world where the broom is truly unusual. It is also important to avoid dating the look and feel of the screenplay and film. Chris feels it will be a challenge to engage children in the film because the protagonist is not a child. The widow, however, does have two children, and Chris can provide others with whom they can interact. Chris pointed out that he had written his screenplay before Harry Potter and his famous broom, but in Chris's work, the broom is a character not a machine-as a matter of fact, the broom is an incompetent flyer.
What Chris is musing about these days—apparently along with a few ideas that rest as undrawn images in his mind—is if there is a story about squirrels: "Life at the Top," perhaps. I myself love watching them from my office windows—aside from the way they scamper from the top to bottom of trees and across wires and branches, I am intrigued by their ability to retrieve nuts that they have buried earlier in the year. Chris has also been musing about variations on classic nursery rhymes, many of which make no sense to us today. Another item that is simmering is the development of a personal Web site. As to the more immediate projects, in 2004 kids can look forward to enjoying the film version of The Polar Express. It will be a first class production from Warner Brothers/Castle Rock with Robert Zemekis lending his hand as director and Tom Hanks starring as the train conductor. Of course it will make its debut around Christmas.
Contributor: Marilyn Courtot
Click here for a Q & A with Chris Van Allsburg and an additional book review.
For further information on Chris Van Allsburg, please visit www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/authors/vanallsburg.
Reviews
Bad Day at Riverbend
Chris Van Allsburg
The imagination of this noted children's author (The Polar Express, Jumanji) is mind-boggling. The storytelling comes from a sheriff with a serious problem on his hands--his posse is being streaked with greasy orange slashes that seem to come from a light in the western sky. Actually, the book is drawn to look like a coloring book and those waxy stripes all over the cowboys and horses are crayon marks made by a youngster. What a humorous and enriching opportunity for kids to seee things from another point of view. But hide the crayons--coloring may be irresistible. 1995, Houghton Mifflin, $17.95. Ages 4 to 8. Reviewer: Deborah Zink Roffino
Author/illustrator Van Allsburg delights in tales that tread along the borders of reality. His latest offering is no exception, but unfortunately the story is sparse and aimed at children too young to enjoy the shifting perspective. Riverbend is beset by some awful presence, which leaves the townsfolk and the surrounding area smeared with greasy, slimy marks. At the end of this standard "sheriff rides out with posse to save the day" story, we realize that Riverbend exists only in a coloring book, and that a young child's scribbles are the scars marring the town. This book does not invite repeated readings. 1995, Houghton Mifflin, $17.95. Ages 5 to 9. Reviewer: Dr. Judy Rowen
ISBN: 0-7868-3132-4
Best Books:
Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, 2001; H.W. Wilson; United States
Jumanji
Chris Van Allsburg
Thickly shadowed pencil drawings add mystery and intrigue to the tale of two children who enter a jungle adventure board game. Energized and perilous, the book is a journey into the remarkable imagination of Van Allsburg. Like the Robin Williams movie based on this book, the story is a masterpiece of fantasy. 1981, Scholastic, $$17.95, $7.95, $4.95, and $24.95. Ages 8 up. Reviewer: Deborah Zink Roffino
ISBN: 0-395-30448-2
Best Books:
Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, 2001; H.W. Wilson; United States
Recommended Literature: Kindergarten through Grade Twelve, 2002; California Department of Education; California
Awards, Honors, Prizes:
California Young Reader Medal Nominee 1985 Intermediate California
Golden Archer Awards Winner 1996 Primary Wisconsin
Kentucky Bluegrass Award Winner 1983 Kentucky
New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Books of the Year Winner 1981 United States
Randolph Caldecott Medal Winner 1982 United States
Washington Children's Choice Picture Book Award Winner 1984 Washington
West Virginia Children's Book Award Winner 1985 West Virginia
State Reading Lists:
Kentucky Bluegrass Award, 1983; Kentucky
Just a dream
Chris Van Allsburg
This well-written fable offers a plea for environmental action and sends a message of hope for future generations. In this story, a young boy litters and refuses to sort trash for recycling, until he has a dream about an overcrowded and polluted future world. When he awakens from his terrifying nightmare, Walter rearranges his priorities and learns how to become ecologically conscious. 1990, Houghton Mifflin, $17.95. Ages 5 to 10. Reviewer: Debra Briatico
ISBN: 0-395-53308-2
Best Books:
Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, 2001; H.W. Wilson; United States
Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children, 1990; National Science Teachers Association; United States
The Polar Express
Chris Van Allsburg
The Polar Express has become a holiday classic since its first publication. To celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of The Polar Express, we have created a deluxe gift package including both CD and cassette recordings of Liam Neeson reading the holiday favorite. Late on Christmas Eve, after the town has gone to sleep, the boy boards the mysterious train that waits for him: the Polar Express, bound for the North Pole. When the boy arrives, Santa offers him any gift he desires. The boy modestly asks for one bell from the harness of the reindeer. The gift is granted. On the way home, the bell is lost. On Christmas morning the boy finds the bell under the tree. When he shakes it, it makes the most beautiful sound he's ever heard. The mother of the boy admires the bell, but laments that it is broken - for you see, only true believers can hear the sound of the bell. In strange and moving shades of full-color art, Chris Van Allsburg creates an otherworldly classic of the Christmas season. 2000 (orig. 1985), Houghton Mifflin, $25.00, Ages 4 to 8. (Supplied by the publisher.)
ISBN: 0-618-07736-7
Swan Lake
Mark Helprin
Illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg
Helprin and Van Allsburg have teamed together to create a story that brings deeper meaning, another dimension, to the ballet Swan Lake. They have succeeded immeasurably. The young prince and the orphaned princess, Odette, have been carefully crafted to allow us to share their emotions as they struggle to overcome life's obstacles. Their story, though tragic in most aspects, becomes a transcendental journey of love over adversity and leaves the reader with a hope that goodness lives on and will overcome. Though written as a children's book, this is an absolutely hauntingly beautiful story that will be treasured by readers of all ages. 1989, Ariel Books/Houghton, $12.95. Ages 10 up. Reviewer: Trina Heidt
ISBN: 0-395-49858-9
ISBN: 0-395-64647-2
Best Books:
Best Books for Young Adults, 1990; American Library Association-YALSA; United States
The Sweetest Fig
Chris van Allsburg
The Sweetest Fig is about a greedy, cruel dentist, Monsieur Bibot, and his poor dog, Marcel. One day a strange woman comes to him with a sore tooth. Instead of money, she pays him with two magic figs and tells him they will make his dreams come true. Bibot realizes she is telling him the truth when he discovers himself in the streets of Paris dressed in his underwear, just like a dream he'd had the night before. Bibot works hard to dream about being rich. As to the ending... Van Allsburg once again gives it the kind of twist that pleases kids and adult fans. 1993, Houghton Mifflin, $17.95. Ages 6 up. Reviewer: Susie Wilde
ISBN: 0-395-67346-1
Best Books:
Adventuring with Books: A Booklist for Pre-K--Grade 6, 1997; National Council of Teachers of English; United States
Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, 2001; H.W. Wilson; United States
Editors' Choice: Books for Youth, 1993; American Library Association-Booklist; United States
Publishers Weekly Book Review Stars, August 1993; Cahners; United States
School Library Journal: Best Books, 1993; Cahners; United States
Awards, Honors, Prizes:
Pennsylvania Young Readers' Choice Award Winner 1996 Grades 3-8 Pennsylvania
Rhode Island Children's Book Award Winner 1995 Rhode Island
State Reading Lists:
Prairie Pasque Award, 1996; South Dakota
Two Bad Ants
Chris Van Allsburg
When a group of ants embarks on a journey to find tasty food, two ants decide to venture out on their own. After encountering some close calls in a danger-filled kitchen, the two bad ants rejoin their friends and return home. Readers will enjoy this adventure story, which offers an interesting look at the world from an ant's perspective. 1988, Houghton Mifflin, $17.95. Ages 6 to 9. Reviewer: Debra Briatico
ISBN: 0-395-48668-8
Best Books:
Recommended Literature: Kindergarten through Grade Twelve, 2002; California Department of Education; California
Awards, Honors, Prizes:
California Young Reader Medal Nominee 1993 Primary California
Georgia Children's Book Awards Winner 1992 Georgia Child Picture Story Book Award Georgia
Maryland Children's Book Award Winner 1993 Middle School Maryland
Virginia Young Readers Program Winner 1991 Primary Virginia
Washington Children's Choice Picture Book Award Winner 1991 Washington
The Wretched Stone
Chris Van Allsburg
If there was ever any doubt that too much television is a threat to the human race, Van Allsburg makes his position known in this provocative tale. When a huge, glowing rock is found and loaded onboard a ship, the crew became mesmerized and regresses to an ape-like form. The captain takes matters into his own hands and scuttles the ship and the wretched stone. A great book for classroom discussion. 1991, Houghton, $17.95. Ages 6 up. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot
ISBN: 0-395-53307-4
Best Books:
Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, 2001; H.W. Wilson; United States
Children's Choices, 1992; International Reading Association; United States
Recommended Literature: Kindergarten through Grade Twelve, 2002; California Department of Education; California
The Veil of Snows
Mark Helprin
Illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg
As the Queen enjoys the birth of her first son, she also begins to sense that the kingdom she has fought her entire life to regain and protect is once again in danger of falling, as it has before, to the evil Usurper. With her husband away beyond The Veil of Snows, fighting his own battles and seemingly lost to her, she is left to defend her kingdom and secure their son's safety. With the help of her loyal staff of Generals, a brilliant plan is set into motion that holds off the attackers for a brief period of time. When the kingdom is finally overrun by the Usurper's armies and victory seems undeniable, a symbol of the queen's courage and the kingdom's hope escapes and is sheltered behind The Veil of Snows. Once again, Helprin and Van Allsburg have joined forces to keep alive the majestic kingdom and fascinating characters that were introduced in Swan Lake and carried on in the second book, A City in Winter. The third book in a beautiful trilogy, The Veil of Snows is eloquently written and grandly illustrated by two masters of their trades. 1997, Viking, $24.00. Ages 12 up. Reviewer: Trina Heidt
ISBN: 0-670-87491-4
Zathura
Chris Van Allsburg
Danny and Walter Budwing were last seen in 1981, carrying off the box with the mysterious game of Jumanji inside. We finally meet them again to answer the question of what happened. They are quarreling as their parents leave them. Big brother Walter furiously says "no" to Danny's request to play with him. Danny, however, has discovered another, more interesting board in the Jumanji box, with a path from earth to the purple planet of Zathura. Walter is soon pulled into the game, as meteors fall through the ceiling, the brothers find themselves in outer space, a robot goes out of control, their gravity reverses and increases, and space pirates attack. They manage to work together to bring the game to a safe conclusion as their relationship comes to a satisfactory resolution. Van Allsburg's visuals in many ways are related to those in Jumanji, with intriguing differences. He now uses spreads, albeit with white margins, instead of single page illustrations with facing text. The satin-y smooth surfaces of the older black and white pictures are replaced here by a sequence of grainy images with shapes outlined in black. The artist still gives us unusual viewpoints that help focus on the figures and actions. The floral designs on the wallpaper and the interiors are reminiscent of the earlier work. These are melodramatic but naturalistic stage sets, surreal in the juxtapositioning of the alien objects and the boys' ordinary home. Time will tell whether this adventure will hold readers in its spell as well as its predecessor, and whether that box will stay in the trash can. 2002, Houghton Mifflin Company, Ages 4 to 8, $18.00. Reviewers: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz
ISBN: 0-618-25396-3
Added 01/06/03
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