Author & Illustrator Profile
Chris Van Allsburg
18 Books
Chris Van Allsburg is an acclaimed American illustrator and writer of children's books. He is celebrated for his highly detailed, often surreal illustrations in award-winning books like 'Jumanji' and 'The Polar Express'. Throughout his career, he has won two Caldecott Medals for his imaginative and visually striking storytelling.
Captain Randall's ship, the Rita Anne, is filled with a happy crew that loves to read, play music, and tell stories. But everything changes when they stop at an uncharted island and bring a strange, heavy stone aboard. One side of the rock glows with a mesmerizing light that the crew cannot look away from. Slowly, the men stop talking, stop working, and lock themselves below deck to stare endlessly into the glow. The eerie, beautiful illustrations perfectly capture the dark mystery of the sea and the terrifying changes happening to the crew. Uncover the thrilling and spooky tale of a rock that turns men into apes.
6-8 Years
9-12 Years
40 Pages
Sweetie Pie is a small hamster with a very big dream. While sitting in his cage at the pet store, he watches the squirrels outside running free in the trees. More than anything, he wants to feel the wind in his fur. But life in human homes is not as easy as it looks. He goes from one owner to another, dealing with tight cages, wild toddlers, and loud households. Through beautifully soft drawings, you get to see the giant world from a tiny hamster's point of view. Follow along on his journey to see if Sweetie Pie will finally escape the wheel and find his way to the great outdoors.
6-8 Years
9-12 Years
37 Pages
Two brothers are about to have an afternoon they will never forget. Left alone at home, Walter and Danny discover a strange board game called Zathura. The moment they roll the dice, their house is magically launched into outer space. Suddenly, they are dodging meteor showers, fighting off alien robots, and dealing with a broken gravity machine. The only way to return to Earth is to finish the game. The stunning, shadowy illustrations make you feel like you are floating right alongside them in the dark universe. You will be holding your breath to see if the brothers can learn to work together before their time runs out.
6-8 Years
9-12 Years
High on a rocky cliff sits the broken wreck of a small sailboat named the Zephyr. How did it get there? The waves could never reach that high. The answer lies in the story of a young boy who wanted to be the greatest sailor in the entire world. His ambition led him to chase a storm that blew him to a magical place where boats do not sail on the water, but glide through the air. The glowing pastel pictures sweep you up into the sky right alongside the flying boats. Discover the breathtaking tale of a boy who dared to catch the wind and the high price he paid for his pride.
6-8 Years
9-12 Years
37 Pages
Late one summer, Farmer Bailey accidentally hits a man with his truck and brings him home to recover. The stranger cannot speak and does not remember who he is, but he brings a quiet wonder to the farm. As the weeks pass, something very unusual happens. While the trees all around the valley turn bright orange and red, the trees on the Bailey farm stay completely green. The warm, vivid drawings capture the cozy feeling of the changing seasons and the growing mystery of the silent houseguest. Follow the subtle clues scattered on every page to discover the true identity of the stranger who controls the autumn wind.
6-8 Years
9-12 Years
32 Pages
When a witch's broom loses its magic mid-flight, she leaves it behind at the lonely farmhouse of Widow Shaw. But the broom is not completely dead. It soon wakes up and begins helping the widow by sweeping the floors, chopping the wood, and even playing the piano. The widow loves her new magical helper, but her neighbors are terrified. They believe the broom is evil and demand that it be destroyed. The striking, textured illustrations perfectly capture the spooky but sweet atmosphere of the old farm. Find out how a clever widow and her magical broom trick the narrow-minded town in this wonderfully haunting tale.
6-8 Years
9-12 Years
240 Pages
Riverbend is the quietest town in the west. Nothing exciting ever happens there, until a strange, brilliant light flashes in the sky. Suddenly, stagecoaches and cowboys are being covered in thick, greasy stripes of brightly colored slime. Sheriff Hardy sets out to find the source of this terrible mess, completely unaware of what is actually happening. The clever black and white line drawings slowly get covered in wild scribbles, bringing the town to a stop. You will be laughing as you figure out the brilliant twist long before the sheriff does. Discover what happens when a peaceful western town gets trapped inside a child's coloring book.
6-8 Years
9-12 Years
40 Pages
Welcome to the most unusual stage show you will ever see. In this twenty-six act play, the letters of the alphabet take center stage, but they do not have an easy time. Watch as A is caught in an avalanche, B gets badly bitten, and C is cut to ribbons. Each page turns into a guessing game where you get to figure out what happened to the letter before turning the page to see the answer. The detailed drawings make every mishap look real and dramatic. It is a brilliant and fun way to practice your alphabet while solving a series of tiny mysteries.
6-8 Years
56 Pages
Walter does not think twice about throwing his trash on the ground or laughing at his neighbor for planting a tree. He believes the future will be full of shiny flying cars and cool robots. But when he goes to sleep, his bed takes him on a dizzying flight into a future he never expected. Instead of a high tech paradise, he sees an Earth choked by smog, filled with massive garbage dumps, and stripped of its wild forests. The incredible, dreamlike pictures pull you right into Walter's flying bed. Join him on a powerful journey that proves just how important it is to protect the planet we call home.
6-8 Years
9-12 Years
52 Pages
A mysterious man named Harris Burdick once dropped off fourteen incredible drawings at a publisher's office, promising to return the next day with the stories. He was never seen again. Now, all we have are these fascinating, shadowy pictures, each with a single title and one very mysterious sentence. From a glowing book to a house lifting off the ground like a rocket, every single page is a puzzle waiting to be solved. These striking black and white illustrations are meant to spark your own imagination. You are invited to look closely at the clues and write the missing stories yourself.
6-8 Years
9-12 Years
13-18 Years
42 Pages
When an ant colony discovers a crystal of sugar, two greedy ants decide to stay behind in the kitchen so they can eat the delicious treasure all by themselves. They think they have found a wonderful paradise, but a human kitchen is a very dangerous place for a tiny bug. Soon, they are being dumped into a boiling cup of coffee, toasted inside a hot machine, and nearly swallowed whole. The amazing drawings show the kitchen entirely from the perspective of an ant, making everyday objects look huge and terrifying. Follow along on their wild and dizzying adventure to see if they can make it back home safely.
6-8 Years
9-12 Years
32 Pages
Calvin has big plans for his birthday, and they do not involve hanging out with his little sister. After watching a grand magician perform, Calvin and his friend Rodney decide to try a little hypnosis themselves. Amazingly, it works, and they convince Calvin's sister that she is a dog. It seems like the funniest joke in the world until they realize they have forgotten the secret word to snap her out of it. The incredibly realistic pictures capture all the panic and comedy as the boys try desperately to fix their mistake before Mom gets home. It is a hilarious story about magic, mischief, and brothers and sisters.
6-8 Years
9-12 Years
36 Pages
Late on Christmas Eve, after the town has gone to sleep, a boy lies quietly in his bed listening for the sound of bells. Instead, he hears the hiss of steam and the squeak of metal. A magical train is waiting right outside his window, ready to take him on a breathtaking journey to the North Pole. Through snowy mountains and dark forests, the train travels to the top of the world to meet Santa Claus. The deep, rich drawings make you feel the freezing air and the cozy warmth of the passenger car. Hop aboard to discover a magical story that proves the wonder of the season never fades for those who truly believe.
6-8 Years
32 Pages
It is a dark and rainy afternoon, and Ben has to study for his geography test. But the rhythm of the falling rain is too soothing, and he soon drifts off to sleep. In his dream, the rain continues until the water rises high enough to lift his house right off its foundation. Suddenly, Ben is floating across the globe, drifting past the half-submerged monuments of the world. From the tip of the Eiffel Tower to the top of the Statue of Liberty, the intricate black and white line drawings show the world from a dizzying new angle. Take a quiet, surreal trip around the globe in this visual masterpiece.
6-8 Years
9-12 Years
32 Pages
Peter and Judy are having a completely boring afternoon until they find a strange jungle adventure board game sitting under a tree. The box warns them to read the instructions carefully, but they have no idea just how real the game is about to become. With one roll of the dice, a hungry lion appears right in their home. Soon, their quiet house is filled with mischievous monkeys, a rushing river, and a heavy monsoon rain. Every turn brings a wild new danger, and the only way to make the animals disappear is to reach the golden city and win. The stunning drawings make the magic jump right off the page.
6-8 Years
48 Pages
Young Alan is just trying to do his job and take care of a very stubborn dog named Fritz. But when Fritz breaks free and runs through a mysterious wooden door, Alan is forced to follow him into the dark and shadowy garden of a retired magician. Abdul Gasazi does not like dogs, and he has a terrible habit of turning them into ducks. The striking black and white drawings create a spooky and quiet world where nothing is exactly what it seems. As Alan searches the giant topiaries for his furry friend, you will be left wondering where the magic ends and reality begins.
6-8 Years
9-12 Years
32 Pages
Monsieur Bibot is a very strict dentist who does not care about anyone but himself, not even his poor little dog, Marcel. One day, a patient pays him with two magical figs that are promised to make his dreams come true. When Bibot realizes the magic is real, he creates a selfish plan to become the richest man in the world. He forces himself to dream about wealth, practicing exactly what he will do. But magic has a funny way of punishing greedy people. With beautiful illustrations that look like classic paintings, you will eagerly wait to see how Marcel the dog gets the ultimate revenge.
6-8 Years
9-12 Years
32 Pages
In 1901, a sixty-two year old charm school teacher named Annie Edson Taylor needed a way to make money. Instead of finding a normal job, she came up with the wildest idea the world had ever heard. She decided to design a custom wooden barrel, climb inside, and plunge right over the edge of the thundering Niagara Falls. Through gorgeous, historical illustrations that look like old photographs, you can feel the incredible power of the rushing water and the tense excitement of the crowd. Follow the true and gripping story of a determined woman who risked absolutely everything for her chance at fame and fortune.
6-8 Years
9-12 Years
45 Pages
