CHRIS VAN ALLSBURG
Name: Chris Van Allsburg
Born: June 18, 1949
Chris Van Allsburg (born June 18, 1949 in East Grand Rapids, Michigan) is an
American author and illustrator of children's books. He won the Caldecott Medal
for Jumanji (1982) and The Polar Express (1985), both of which he wrote and
illustrated, and both of which were later adapted into successful motion
pictures. He received the Caldecott Honor Medal in 1980 for The Garden of Abdul
Gasazi.
He attended art school at the University of Michigan, and received his MFA from
Rhode Island School of Design. Mr. Van Allsburg is said to have disliked
children before becoming a father, making his decision to work on children's
books rather odd.
His books often depict fantastic, uncontrolled events and utilize sometimes
brutal irony. Van Allsburg breaks out of the comfortable world of children's
literature to explore the darker side of human nature. For example, his book The
Sweetest Fig is about a selfish man who is suddenly given the opportunity to
make his wildest dreams come true. His greed is eventually his downfall. This is
not an unusual moral for a story in children's books, but Van Allsburg's
chilling characterization of the man brings a frightening tone to the narrative.
The Wretched Stone, in which a ship's crew is mesmerized and corrupted by the
titular rock, is an allegorical tale about the negative impact of television.
Other literary themes include dreams, the environment, and items with lives of
their own (like the board games in Jumanji and Zathura).
Every book features Fritz, a bull terrier that is based on a real-life dog owned
by Chris Van Allsburg's brother-in-law. He appears in every book and even on his
website, sometimes as a real dog, or a toy, or other things as a tribute to the
dog's death.
Name: Chris Van Allsburg
Born: June 18, 1949
Chris Van Allsburg (born June 18, 1949 in East Grand Rapids, Michigan) is an
American author and illustrator of children's books. He won the Caldecott Medal
for Jumanji (1982) and The Polar Express (1985), both of which he wrote and
illustrated, and both of which were later adapted into successful motion
pictures. He received the Caldecott Honor Medal in 1980 for The Garden of Abdul
Gasazi.
He attended art school at the University of Michigan, and received his MFA from
Rhode Island School of Design. Mr. Van Allsburg is said to have disliked
children before becoming a father, making his decision to work on children's
books rather odd.
His books often depict fantastic, uncontrolled events and utilize sometimes
brutal irony. Van Allsburg breaks out of the comfortable world of children's
literature to explore the darker side of human nature. For example, his book The
Sweetest Fig is about a selfish man who is suddenly given the opportunity to
make his wildest dreams come true. His greed is eventually his downfall. This is
not an unusual moral for a story in children's books, but Van Allsburg's
chilling characterization of the man brings a frightening tone to the narrative.
The Wretched Stone, in which a ship's crew is mesmerized and corrupted by the
titular rock, is an allegorical tale about the negative impact of television.
Other literary themes include dreams, the environment, and items with lives of
their own (like the board games in Jumanji and Zathura).
Every book features Fritz, a bull terrier that is based on a real-life dog owned
by Chris Van Allsburg's brother-in-law. He appears in every book and even on his
website, sometimes as a real dog, or a toy, or other things as a tribute to the
dog's death.