ChrisVanAllsburg,authorandillustrator

Author/Illustrator:ChrisVanAllsburg

Genre:Children'sFantasyNovel

Biography:VanAllsburg

HewasborninGrandRapids,MichiganinJune18th,1949.HissecondhomewasinthehousingdevelopmentoutsideofGrandRapidsthat

resembledthehouseheillustratedinPolarExpress.

• HeattendedUniversityofMichiganandgotadegreeinSculpture.HegotselectedintotheArt

ProgramwithoutaportfoliobutbecauseofhisresponsetoaquestionfromtheuniversityintervieweraskinghimwhathethoughtaboutNormanRockwell.He,“offthecuff”answered(quicklythinkingthattheinterviewerwasabigfanofthisartist)“IbelieveNormanRockwellis

unfairlycriticizedforbeingsentimental.IthinkheisawonderfulpainterwhocapturesAmerica'slongings.America'sdreamsandpresentAmericanlifewiththedramaandsensitivityofgreatplaywright"(22).TheadmissionofficerwasveryimpressedandacceptedChrisintothe

programrightonthespot.

•

OnaninterviewwithChris,heexpressedthathealwaysenjoyeddrawing,butgrowingupinGrandRapidshistalentwasn’tencouragedasmuchassportsandathleticswas.Butsoonhisteachersand

peerswereamazedathisartistictalentandinhighschooldrewalotfortheschool.Chriscontinuestosaythathisdrawingdevelopedincombinationwithhisloveforstorytellingthroughpictures.Hecreatedstoriesbyaskingquestionstohimself“Whatif”and“whatthen”.Forexample,the

wayhecreatedJumanjiwasaskingtwoquestions:Whatiftwochildrenwereboredwhileathomeanddiscoveraboardgameandthenwhatwouldhappeniftheboardcamealive?

HewontheCaldecottHonorMedalforthisbookin1980.Sincethenhehaspublished15additionalbooksandillustratedthreeothersforanauthorMarkHelprin.

Bibliography

• BaddayatRiverbend• Ben’sDream• AcityinWinter(Illustrator,writtenbyMarkHelprin)

• TheGardenofAbdulGasazi• Jumanji• JustaDream

• TheMysteriesofHarrisBurdick• ThePolarExpress• Probuditi

• TheStranger• SwanLake(Illustrator,writtenbyMarkHelprin)• TheSweetestFig

• TwoBadAnts• TheVeilofSnows(illustrator,writtenbyMarkHelprin)• TheWreckoftheZephyr

• TheWidowsBroom• TheZwasZapped• Zathura

Bad Day

A t River bend (1995)

Riverbendwasaquiettownwherenothingexcitingeverhappened.Eventhestagecoachneverstoppedthere;itjustrolledthroughtown.Butoneday,thestagecoachstopped.SomethingwasterriblywronginRiverbend.

The Sweetest Fig (1994)

"Thesefigsareveryspecial,"thewomanwhispered."Theycanmakedreamscometrue.

ThereissomethingterriblywrongontheRitaAnne.Hercrewno

longerspeaksandtheywalk"stoopedover.""Atnight,shriekscanbeheardcomingfromtheforwardhold."

The Widow's Broom (1992)

The Wretched Stone (1991)

"It'sdangerous,"theysay."It'sawicked,wickedthing."

Just A Dream (1990)

Walter'sneighborreceivesatreeforherbirthday.UselessgiftsinWalter'seyes.Walterlovestechnologyandhebelievesinafuturefullofwonderfulinventionssuchasrobots.Hefallsasleepanddreamsofthiswonderfulfuture,

butitisnotaswonderfulashethoughtitwouldbe.

Two Bad Ants (1988)

Twoantsgowithagroupoffellowantstofind"marvelouscrystal(s)"fortheirqueen.Theyfindthesecrystals,andthegroupheadsbacktotheirqueen.Allexcept"twobadants"whodecidetostayandexplorethisnewandfascinatingworldthatcontainssuchmarvelsasthecrystals.Theydidnotknowwhattroubletheyweregettinginto...

The Polar Express (1985)

Aboygoesonanunforgettablejourneywhen,onChristmasEve,heboardsthePolarExpresstotheNorthPole.

The Mysteries of Harris Burdick (1984)

(1996 Portfolio edition)

ChrisVanAllsburgdiscoversfourteen"mysterious"drawingsinthehomeofPeterWenders..