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‹ 1982 Caldecott Medal acceptance speech for Jumanji up Schools & Libraries ›
  • Click here to download a PDF of a complete list of children’s books by Chris Van Allsburg

More Books

Let your imagination roam! Chris Van Allsburg's innovative, award-winning books capture the imagination, pique the senses, and amaze the mind.

 

Jumanji 30th Anniversary EditionJumanji: 30th Anniversary Edition

Publication date: 2011

• A 30th anniversary gift edition to celebrate the magic of Jumanji


Thirty years ago, Peter and Judy first found the game – Jumanji – with the instructions that once the game is started, it must be finished or it will go on forever – and thirty years ago, with this same wonderment, readers found Jumanji, too.  This special anniversary edition contains a CD of the renowned actor Robin Williams reading the timeless tale.

 

Queen of the FallsQueen of the Falls

Publication date: 2011

 


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!

 

 

The Chronicles of Harris BurdickThe Chronicles of Harris Burdick

Publication date: 2011

 

 

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 read this incredible compendium of stories: mysterious, funny, creepy, poignant, these are tales you won't soon forget.

 

The Polar ExpressThe Polar Express

Publication date: 1985

• Caldecott Medal winner, 1986
• 5 million copies sold worldwide
• New York Times Best Illustrated Book of the Year
• New York Times Bestseller


A magical train ride on Christmas Eve takes a boy to the North Pole to receive a special gift from Santa. The book includes a silver foil border, a CD audio recording read by Liam Neeson, a note from Chris Van Allsburg, and a silvery keepsake All Aboard ornament.

The Polar Express Discussion Guide
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ZathuraZathura

Publication date: 2003

• New York Times Bestseller

"Van Allsburg illustrates the surreal events in a grainy charcoal-black that seems to shimmer on a rough cream-colored background . . . with each new threat, the book seems to hold its breath." —Publishers Weekly

 

Zathura Discussion Guide
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Bad Day at RiverbendBad Day at Riverbend

Publication date: 1986

• ALA Notable Book for Children

"It's a book that starts with one point of view and steps into another. The average bildungsroman accomplishes this kind of transition in several hundred pages: Van Allsburg does it in thirty-two." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

 

Bad Day at Riverbend Discussion Guide
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Ben's DreamBen's Dream

Publication date: 1982

• New York Times Best Illustrated Book of the Year
• ALA Notable Book for Children

"[Van Allsburg's] skill in the lost art and subtle fine points of sculptural line drawing is nothing less than remarkable." —Art Express

 

Ben's Dream Discussion Guide
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The Garden of Abdul GasaziThe Garden of Abdul Gasazi

Publication date: 1979

• Caldecott Honor Book 1980
• New York Times Best Illustrated Book of the Year
• Boston Globe–Horn Book Award
• ALA Notable Book for Children
• Reading Rainbow Review Book
• First book by Chris Van Allsburg

"This is without question one of the best — and most original — picture books in years." —New York Times Book Review

The Garden of Abdul Gasazi Discussion Guide
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Just a DreamJust a Dream

Publication date: 1990

"Van Allsburg reaches a new pinnacle of excellence in both illustration and storytelling . . . His fable builds to an urgent plea for action as it sends a rousing message of hope." —Publishers Weekly

 

 

Just a Dream Discussion Guide
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The Mysteries of Harris BurdickThe Mysteries of Harris Burdick

Publication date: 1984

• ALA Notable Book for Children
• Booklist Editors' Choice
• Boston Globe/Horn Book Award
• Horn Book Fanfare Selection
• New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book of the Year

"His remarkable pictures suggest mysterious worlds unseen but impending." —People

The Mysteries of Harris Burdick Discussion Guide
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The StrangerThe Stranger

Publication date: 1986

• Horn Book Fanfare Selection
• New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book of the Year

"How marvelous that this master painter and storyteller has added a new dimension to his consistently original and enchanting body of work." —New York Times Book Review

The Stranger Discussion Guide
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The Sweetest FigThe Sweetest Fig

Publication date: 1993

• ALA Notable Book for Children
• Booklist Editors' Choice
• School Library Journal, Best Books of the Year

"Van Allsburg swings back into his most mystifying mode with this enigmatic, visually sophisticated tale . . . A significant achievement." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

The Sweetest Fig Discussion Guide
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Two Bad AntsTwo Bad Ants

Publication date: 1988

• IRA/CBC Children's Choice

"Children will be fascinated by the ant-eye view that Van Allsburg provides of common everyday items." —Booklist

 

 

Two Bad Ants Discussion Guide
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The Widow's BroomThe Widow's Broom

Publication date: 1992

• ALA Notable Book for Children
• Booklist Editors' Choice
• Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books Blue Ribbon Winner
• Horn Book Fanfare Selection
• IRA/CBC Children's Choice
• School Library Journal, Best Books of the Year


A widow finds herself in possession of an extraordinary broom left by a witch who fell into the widow's garden.

The Widow's Broom Discussion Guide
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The Wreck of the ZephyrThe Wreck of the Zephyr

Publication date: 1983

• New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book of the Year
• ALA Notable Book for Children
• Booklist Editors' Choice
• IRA Teachers' Choice


"The full-color pastel drawings are the work of a master: stunning, luminescent, and conveying a sense of the mystical and magical." —Publishers Weekly

The Wreck of the Zephyr Discussion Guide
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The Wretched StoneThe Wretched Stone

Publication date: 1991

• IRA/CBC Children's Choice

"As always, Van Allsburg's paintings are magnificent. Cool, clear colors, boldly executed, and unusual perspective accentuate the story's mystery." —Booklist

 

The Wretched Stone Discussion Guide
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The Z Was ZappedThe Z Was Zapped

Publication date: 1987

• ALA Notable Book for Children
• Booklist Editors' Choice

A dramatic black-and- white presentation of the alphabet in which the three-time Caldecott medalist depicts a mysterious transformation of each letter.

 

The Z Was Zapped Discussion Guide
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