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Chris Van Allsburg Biography

Writer / Illustrator

Chris Van Allsburg won Caldecott Medals for his lavishly illustrated books Jumanji (1982) and The Polar Express (1986). Van Allsburg's books are known for their mysterious stories and whimsically dreamy images. He was one of the most prolific and successful children's illustrators of the 1980s and 1990s. His other books include Ben's Dream (1982), The Mysteries of Harris Burdick (1985), The Wretched Stone (1991), and Zathura, a follow-up to Jumanji, in 2001.

Extra credit: Jumanji was made into a movie in 1995, starring Robin Williams and Kirsten Dunst... A holiday film based on The Polar Express was released in 2004, with Tom Hanks as the train's conductor.

Other popular author/illustrators include Dr. Seuss and Beatrix Potter.

Blog posts mentioning Chris Van Allsburg:

Four Good Links

The Official Site of Chris Van Allsburg

Background, press release, artwork and occasional contests

World of Chris Van Allsburg

From his publisher, details on The Polar Express plus much other Van Allsburg info

KidsReads: Chris Van Allsburg

A brief biography, then a nice sturdy interview with the author

USA Today: The Polar Express

The newspapers reports on the production of the 2004 film

Vital Stats

Birth

18 June 1949
(age 60)

Birthplace

Grand Rapids, Michigan

Death

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Best Known As

The author of The Polar Express