Most Popular Books by Chris Van Allsburg

Roll the dice, make your move, and plunge into one of the most imaginative stories of our time! The game under the tree looked like a hundred others Peters and Judy had at home. But they were searching for something interesting to do, so they decided to give Jumanji a try. Little did they know when they unfolded its ordinary-looking playing board that they were about to be launched into the most exciting and bizarre adventure of their lives... This picture book classic from Chris Van Allsburg has been honored with many awards, including the Caldecott Medal. The surreal story also became the basis of multiple blockbuster film adaptations. This story about a game that comes startlingly to life is a family favorite that inspires imagination and explores the ever-shifting line between fantasy and reality.

In this 25th anniversary edition of Just a Dream, travel with young Walter on a fantastical adventure as he travels--by way of his bed--into a polluted dreamscape world that wakes him up to a more eco-friendly way to live. Chris Van Allsburg''s pitch-perfect narrative, paired with his full-color pastel illustrations, renders this picture book a story that has stood the test of time. This anniversary edition includes bonus downloadable audio, read by Chris Van Allsburg and a stunning new jacket

Presents a series of loosely related drawings each accompanied by a title and a caption which the reader may use to make up his or her own story.

She could remember standing in a park near the falls, hypnotized by the sight and sound, and holding her father''s hand as they took a walk that would lead them closer. That''s what everyone wonders when they see Niagara . . . How close will their courage let them get to it? At the turn of the nineteenth century, a retired sixty-two-year-old charm school instructor named Annie Edson Taylor, seeking fame and fortune, decided to do something that no one in the world had ever done before--she would go over Niagara Falls in a wooden barrel. Come meet the Queen of the Falls and witness with your own eyes her daring ride

On his birthday, Calvin and his friend Rodney see a magician perform, then copy him by hypnotizing Calvin''s little sister, but the joke isn''t so funny when they are unable to snap her out of it.

The Polar Express is for all those—of any age—who believe, come Christmas Eve, that they too will hear the sweet sound of a reindeer’s silver bell. A young boy, lying awake one Christmas Eve, is welcomed aboard a magical train to the North Pole . . . Through dark forests, over tall mountains, and across a barren desert of ice, the Polar Express makes its way to the huge city standing alone at the top of the world, where the boy will make his Christmas wish. For millions of readers around the world, this mysterious journey to the North Pole has become a beloved Christmas classic. The Polar Express is a Caldecott Medal winner, and reading the story together is a beloved holiday tradition held by generations of families. It has also become a favorite holiday movie and been translated into stage productions that take place across the United States during the holiday season.

A strange glowing stone picked up on a sea voyage captivates a ship''s crew and has a terrible transforming effect on them.

Lulled to sleep by the rhythm of the rain as he studies for his geography test, Ben dreams that his house is set adrift on a ''round-the-world course, carrying him past the incredible structures that are merely pictures on the pages of his book. "The story idea . . . is illustrated in the artist''s meticulous drawings, marvels of symbolism, reality, imagination, and perspective".--"Publishers Weekly".

In 1983, beloved Caldecott-winning illustrator, Chris Van Allsburg, first invited readers to peer over the edge of a cliff to consider the wreck of a small sailboat. Had a churning sea carried the Zephyr up in a storm? Could waves ever have been so impossibly high? And what of the boy who had believed—dared to chase the wind—no matter where it lead? The winds have shifted once again and you’re invited back to the wreck of the Zephyr, to hear the story of the boy and his obsession to become the world’s greatest sailor, and a storm that carried them to a place where boats sail on the wind, instead of on the water. Told in spare text and haunting, full-color pastels, Chris Van Allsburg’s spectral sailboats once again take impossbile flight. In illustrations so vivid one can feel the whisper of wind and hear the flutter of canvas, depart this world for another to entertain the marvelous possibility of dreams. This 30th anniversary edition includes a bonus digital audio file to download, read by Chris Van Allsburg, and a stunning new cover!

From two-time Caldecott winner Chris Van Allsburg, creator of Jumanji and The Polar Express, comes a poignant story of one hamster''s struggle with destiny. Being a pet store hamster isn''t much fun for Sweetie Pie, but life in human homes proves downright perilous. As Sweetie Pie longingly gazes out of his cage at the squirrels frolicking in the trees, he wonders if he''ll ever have the chance to feel the wind in his fur. Allsburg''s expressive, soft-hued illustrations artfully capture a hamster''s-eye view of the wide and wonderful world where maybe, just maybe, Sweetie Pie could someday run free.

Depicts how A was in an avalanche, B was badly bitten, C was cut to ribbons, and the other letters of the alphabet suffered similar mishaps.

When Sheriff Hardy investigates the source of a brilliant light and shiny slime afflicting Riverbend, he finds that the village is becoming part of a child''s coloring book streaked with greasy crayons.

In this picture book classic, travel with young Walter on a fantastical adventure as he journeys—by way of his bed—into a polluted dreamscape world that wakes him up to our collective and individual environmental responsibility. Walter does not appreciate the beauty of nature, or understand his role in keeping the planet healthy . . . until a fantastic journey shows him the tragic fate that could befall Earth if humans like him are not more careful. Chris Van Allsburg (The Polar Express) pairs pitch-perfect narrative with his full-color pastel illustrations, rendering this picture book a story that has stood the test of time. "Two-time Caldecott Medalist Van Allsburg reaches a new pinnacle of excellence in both illustration and storytelling in his latest work." (Publishers Weekly) This anniversary edition includes bonus downloadable audio, read by Chris Van Allsburg and a stunning new jacket!

An inspired collection of short stories by an all-star cast of best-selling storytellers based on the thought-provoking illustrations in Chris Van Allsburg’s The Mysteries of Harris Burdick. For more than twenty-five years, the illustrations in the extraordinary Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg have intrigued and entertained readers of all ages. Thousands of children have been inspired to weave their own stories to go with these enigmatic pictures. Now we’ve asked some of our very best storytellers to spin the tales. Enter The Chronicles of Harris Burdick to gather this incredible compendium of stories: mysterious, funny, creepy, poignant, these are tales you won’t soon forget. This inspired collection of short stories features many remarkable, best-selling authors in the worlds of both adult and children''s literature: Sherman Alexie, M.T. Anderson, Kate DiCamillo, Cory Doctorow, Jules Feiffer, Tabitha King, Lois Lowry, Gregory Maguire, Walter Dean Myers, Linda Sue Park, Louis Sachar, Jon Scieszka, Lemony Snicket, and Chris Van Allsburg himself. NOTE: "The House on Maple Street" by Stephen King is not included in this ebook edition.

A magical train ride on Christmas Eve takes a boy to the North Pole to receive a special gift from Santa Claus.

En Nochebuena la capacidad de imaginar no tiene barreras, un niño nos recuerda que los sueños se pueden cumplir.

A boy who is eagerly awaiting a visit from Santa Claus accepts a ride on a magical train headed for the North Pole.

A magical train ride on Christmas Eve takes a boy to the North Pole to receive a special gift from Santa. Winner of the1986 Caldecott Medal.

After being given two magical figs that make his dreams come true, Monsieur Bibot sees his plans for future wealth upset by his long-suffering dog.

When two bad ants desert from their colony, they experience a dangerous adventure that convinces them to return to their former safety.