Product Description

A magical train ride on Christmas Eve takes a boy to the North Pole to receive a special gift from Santa.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #284 in Books
• Brand: Houghton Mifflin
• Published on: 1985-10-28
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 3.00 pounds
• Binding: Hardcover
• 32 pages

Features

• Christmas Accessories
• For use with your scale model railroad

Amazon.com Review
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.

From School Library Journal
Grade 1-3 Given a talented and aggressive imagination, even the challenge of as cliche-worn a subject as Santa Claus can be met effectively. Van Allsburg's Polar Express is an old-fashioned steam train that takes children to the North Pole on Christmas Eve to meet the red-suited gentleman and to see him off on his annual sleigh ride. This is a personal retelling of the adult storyteller's adventures as a youngster on that train. The telling is straight, thoughtfully clean-cut and all the more mysterious for its naive directness; the message is only a bit less direct: belief keeps us young at heart. The full-page images are theatrically lit. Colors are muted, edges of forms are fuzzy, scenes are set sparsely, leaving the details to the imagination. The light comes only from windows of buildings and the train or from a moon that's never depicted. Shadows create darkling spaces and model the naturalistic figures of children, wolves, trees, old-fashioned furniture and buildings. Santa Claus and his reindeer seem like so many of the icons bought by parents to decorate yards and rooftops: static, posed with stereotypic gestures. These are scenes from a memory of long ago, a dreamy reconstruction of a symbolic experience, a pleasant remembrance rebuilt to fufill a current wish: if only you believe, you too will hear the ringing of the silver bell that Santa gave him and taste rich hot chocolate in your ride through the wolf-infested forests of reality. Van Allsburg's express train is one in which many of us wish to believe. Kenneth Marantz, Art Education Department, Ohio State University, Columbus
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From AudioFile
This production of the Caldecott winner enchants from the first notes of the magically mysterious music that introduces and supports the story of a boy's trip to meet Santa Claus. Narrator Liam Neeson's warm, deep voice encourages listeners young and old to dream along with the lucky boy aboard the Polar Express. Neeson's pacing is also exquisite--just slow enough for children reading along with the accompanying book, yet never too slow. The packaging of this production deserves special mention--a large-format hardcover book, easy-to-play tape, and Polar Express medal all wrapped up in a color slipcase. This is the perfect present for the child on your list. A.C.S. © AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Customer Reviews

The Polar Express
The book's quality is made well. The art work most colorful and fits well with the movie and gives a great visual adventure for parent and child to share a holiday favorite in the cold winter season of Christmas. A book to indeed have each year to make a tradition.

A Family Tradition
My uncle gave me this book as a gift many years ago. I loved the fact that it came with a cassette (read by William Hurt) and it even has a little bell just like the boy in the story. This story is probably my absolute favorite Christmas book. I am buying it for my Nephew to pass on the tradition.

Another outstanding Van Allsburg treat!
What can one say about an illustrator like Van Allsburg? The Polar Express is almost not a children's story but for the child with a vivid imagination (and may there still be a few in existence!!) they will identify with the little boy who travels in his dreams by the Polar Express. I know they have mad an animated film of this book and done it well but it really is more a nostalgia trip for adults. I have never seen a Van Allsburg done badly they are always incredible books and I would love to own the lot. Highly recommended!