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One couldn't select a more delightful and exciting premise for a children's book than the tale of a young boy lying awake on Christmas Eve only to have Santa Claus sweep by and take him on a trip with other children to the North Pole. And one couldn't ask for a more talented artist and writer to tell the story than Chris Van Allsburg. Allsburg, a sculptor who entered the genre nonchalantly when he created a children's book as a diversion from his sculpting, won the 1986 Caldecott Medal for this book, one of several award winners he's produced. The Polar Express rings with vitality and wonder.
Amazon Exclusive: A Letter from Chris Van Allsburg
Dear Amazon Readers,
Over the past twenty-five years, many people have shared stories with me about the effect that reading The Polar Express has had on their families and on their celebration of Christmas.
One of the most poignant was told to me five or six years ago at a book signing in the Midwest, on a snowy December evening. As I inscribed a book to a woman in her sixties, she told me that it was the second copy she had owned, and wanted to know if she could she tell me what had happened to the first. "Of course," I answered.
A dozen years earlier the woman, who had no children of her own, befriended a neighbor, a boy of about seven, named Eddie. He would often cross his driveway to visit her.
She had a collection of picture books, which she read to him, but around the holidays, the only story he ever wanted to hear, over and over, was The Polar Express. One year she offered to give him the book, but Eddie declined because he wanted to hear her read it aloud to him, which she continued to do every year until the boy and his family moved away.
Years later the woman learned from a mutual acquaintance that Eddie had grown up and become a soldier. He was stationed in Iraq. Since Christmas was approaching, the woman decided to send him a gift box. She included candy, cookies, socks, and her old copy of The Polar Express. She wasn't sure what a nineteen-year-old battle-weary soldier would do with the book in an army barracks in the Middle East, but she wanted him to have it. A month later, after the holidays had passed, she received a letter from Eddie.
He told her he was very happy to have heard from her and to get the box of gifts. He had opened it in his barracks, just before curfew, with some of his fellow GIs already in their bunks. A soldier in the next bunk spotted the book. He knew it well from his own childhood and asked Eddie to read it. "Out loud?" he asked. "Yeah," his buddy told him.
Eddie, quietly and a little self-consciously, read The Polar Express. When he'd finished and closed the book, a moment of silence passed. Then from behind him a voice called out, "Read it again," and another joined in, "Yeah, read it again," and a third added, "This time, louder." So Eddie did.
He wrote to the woman that he'd stood up and read it to his comrades just the way he remembered she had read it to him.
All aboard,
Chris Van Allsburg
Recipes and Activities to Celebrate the 25th Anniversary of The Polar Express
Polar Chocolate Nougat Caramel Squares | Christmas Snowball Cookies |
A Polar Express Crossword | A Polar Express Maze |
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Book Description Hardcover. Condition: New. Van Allsburg, Chris (illustrator). Anniversary. This beautiful hardcover edition of The Polar Express is the perfect gift for all those-of any age-who believe, come Christmas Eve, that they too will hear the sweet sound of a reindeers silver bell. This edition includes a keepsake ornament.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. In this thirtieth-anniversary edition, the inimitable artistry of Chris Van Allsburg is showcased with a bold new jacket design and expanded interior layout.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. Seller Inventory # DADAX0544580141
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: New. Van Allsburg, Chris (illustrator). Seller Inventory # ABE-1667062168995
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: new. Van Allsburg, Chris (illustrator). Seller Inventory # 9780544580145
Book Description Hardback or Cased Book. Condition: New. Van Allsburg, Chris (illustrator). Polar Express 30th Anniversary Edition 1.14. Book. Seller Inventory # BBS-9780544580145
Book Description Condition: New. Van Allsburg, Chris (illustrator). Brand New! Not Overstocks or Low Quality Book Club Editions! Direct From the Publisher! We're not a giant, faceless warehouse organization! We're a small town bookstore that loves books and loves it's customers! Buy from Lakeside Books!. Seller Inventory # OTF-S-9780544580145
Book Description Condition: New. Van Allsburg, Chris (illustrator). Seller Inventory # 23874218-n
Book Description Condition: New. Van Allsburg, Chris (illustrator). Brand New. Seller Inventory # 9780544580145
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: New. Van Allsburg, Chris (illustrator). Brand New!. Seller Inventory # 0544580141
Book Description Condition: New. Van Allsburg, Chris (illustrator). Seller Inventory # ABLIING23Feb2416190023701
Book Description Condition: New. Van Allsburg, Chris (illustrator). . Seller Inventory # 52GZZZ00I7E9_ns