Chris Van AllsburgChris Van Allsburg

Presented by Genevieve Presented by Genevieve Hammer and Jen FeretHammer and Jen Feret

Biography Biography • Born in Grand Rapids Michigan on June 18, 1949.Born in Grand Rapids Michigan on June 18, 1949.• He planned on becoming a lawyer at the University He planned on becoming a lawyer at the University

of Michigan, but after his freshman year he changed of Michigan, but after his freshman year he changed his major to sculpture. He graduated in 1972.his major to sculpture. He graduated in 1972.

• He earned a masters degree in sculpture at the He earned a masters degree in sculpture at the Rhode Island School of Design in 1975.Rhode Island School of Design in 1975.

• He showed his sculptures in galleries in NYC. His He showed his sculptures in galleries in NYC. His early artistic work shows a “strong sense of early artistic work shows a “strong sense of narrative and action, and they show humorous and narrative and action, and they show humorous and slightly dark qualities as seen in many of his early slightly dark qualities as seen in many of his early picture books.” picture books.”

• 1977 He began teaching illustration at the Rhode 1977 He began teaching illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design.Island School of Design.

Biography (continued)Biography (continued)

• 1979 Author and artist David Macaulay 1979 Author and artist David Macaulay convinces him that his drawings have convinces him that his drawings have story book potential.story book potential.

• That same year he sent his work to Walter That same year he sent his work to Walter Lorraine from the Houghton Mifflin Lorraine from the Houghton Mifflin Company. Lorraine felt that Van Allsburg Company. Lorraine felt that Van Allsburg was an extremely talented artist and had was an extremely talented artist and had the ability to tell a story through picture. the ability to tell a story through picture.

• His first picture book His first picture book The Garden of Abdul The Garden of Abdul GasaziGasazi received a Caldecott Honor Award. received a Caldecott Honor Award.

Books PublishedBooks Published

• 1979 The Garden 1979 The Garden of Abdul Gasaziof Abdul Gasazi

• 1981 Jumanji 1981 Jumanji

• 1982 Ben’s Dream1982 Ben’s Dream

• 1982 The Wreck of 1982 The Wreck of the Zephyrthe Zephyr

• 1984 The Mysteries 1984 The Mysteries of Harris Burdickof Harris Burdick

• 1985 The Polar 1985 The Polar ExpressExpress

• 1986 The Stranger1986 The Stranger

• 1987 The Z was 1987 The Z was ZappedZapped

• 1988 Two Bad Ants1988 Two Bad Ants

• 1989 Swan Lake1989 Swan Lake

• 1990 Just a Dream1990 Just a Dream

Published Books (continued)Published Books (continued)

• 1991 The Wretched 1991 The Wretched StoneStone

• 1992 The Widow’s 1992 The Widow’s BroomBroom

• 1993 The Sweetest 1993 The Sweetest FigFig

• 1993 The Veil of 1993 The Veil of SnowsSnows

• 1995 Bad Day at 1995 Bad Day at RiverbendRiverbend

• 1996 A City in 1996 A City in WinterWinter

• 2002 Zathura 2002 Zathura

Inspirations and Creative Inspirations and Creative ProcessProcess

• He visualizes the pictures in his mind then He visualizes the pictures in his mind then begins to create the story. He views the begins to create the story. He views the drawings and asks himself “what if ? and drawings and asks himself “what if ? and then what?”then what?”

• For example, when writing the For example, when writing the Polar Polar ExpressExpress he started with the idea of a train he started with the idea of a train traveling through the woods. He then traveling through the woods. He then began to wonder what if the boy gets on began to wonder what if the boy gets on their train. Where would he go?their train. Where would he go?

• The idea for The idea for Two Bad AntsTwo Bad Ants started when he started when he found two ants crawling on his counter found two ants crawling on his counter and began to wonder what kind of journey and began to wonder what kind of journey it would be like for an ant crawling from it would be like for an ant crawling from outside into someone house. outside into someone house.

Inspirations and Creative Inspirations and Creative Process (continued)Process (continued)

• The idea for The idea for JumanjiJumanji began when he assigned began when he assigned his class at RISD to create drawings that show his class at RISD to create drawings that show animals being part of an interior design. animals being part of an interior design.

• For For Bad Day at RiverbendBad Day at Riverbend he saw his daughters he saw his daughters coloring book. She had colored one of the coloring book. She had colored one of the scared looking character’s face in green and scared looking character’s face in green and purple. To him it looked like the character was purple. To him it looked like the character was horrified about the way they had been colored. horrified about the way they had been colored.

• It takes him about seven month to finish a It takes him about seven month to finish a book.book.

• Believes that a good story needs to have a Believes that a good story needs to have a psychological, moral, or emotional premise.psychological, moral, or emotional premise.

Plot Plot

• Van Allsburg creates suspenseful and Van Allsburg creates suspenseful and adventurous plots. The conclusion of his adventurous plots. The conclusion of his books are very mysterious and leave the books are very mysterious and leave the reader to wonder what will happen next. reader to wonder what will happen next.

• Unlike picture books that describe a Unlike picture books that describe a simple event, his aim is to have his story simple event, his aim is to have his story “unfold as pieces of a puzzle, and on the “unfold as pieces of a puzzle, and on the last page I want all the pieces to fit quite last page I want all the pieces to fit quite definitively together.”definitively together.”

ThemesThemes

Some of the themes used in his Some of the themes used in his work include:work include:

• FaithFaith-The Polar Express-The Polar Express

• Cautionary Tale and How to resolve Cautionary Tale and How to resolve conflict when frightenedconflict when frightened-Jumanji-Jumanji

• Comparing Illusion to MagicComparing Illusion to Magic-The Garden of -The Garden of Abdul Gasazi. Abdul Gasazi.

• Being faithful to your own natureBeing faithful to your own nature-Two Bad -Two Bad AntsAnts

IllustrationsIllustrations

• The neighborhood in The neighborhood in The Polar ExpressThe Polar Express is is draw from his childhood home in East Grand draw from his childhood home in East Grand Rapids. The houses all stood the same Rapids. The houses all stood the same distance from the street and the branches of distance from the street and the branches of the elm trees touched each other on the the elm trees touched each other on the side of the street.side of the street.

• His books contain an illustration of a bull His books contain an illustration of a bull terrier. He drew his brother in law’s dog terrier. He drew his brother in law’s dog Winston in his first book Winston in his first book TheThe Garden of Garden of Abdul GasaziAbdul Gasazi. He became very attached to . He became very attached to the dog and after his death he incorporated the dog and after his death he incorporated the drawing into all his books. the drawing into all his books.

Illustrations (continued)Illustrations (continued)

• His early books have black His early books have black and white pictures done in and white pictures done in charcoal and pencil. He did charcoal and pencil. He did not study illustration and did not study illustration and did not know how to use color in not know how to use color in his drawings. Years later his drawings. Years later when he became an when he became an illustrator He taught himself illustrator He taught himself how to use crayon, colored how to use crayon, colored pencil, and paint.pencil, and paint.

• He uses people as models to He uses people as models to create realistic images. create realistic images. Because his stories are Because his stories are fantasy they need to look fantasy they need to look real in order to convince the real in order to convince the reader that the events could reader that the events could really happen. really happen.

AwardsAwards• 1996 1996

– Golden archer Award from Wisconsin Education Association for Golden archer Award from Wisconsin Education Association for JumanjiJumanji

– Pennsylvania Young Readers Choice Award for the Pennsylvania Young Readers Choice Award for the Sweetest Fig.Sweetest Fig.

• 1995 1995 – Rhode Island Children Book Award for the Rhode Island Children Book Award for the Sweetest FigSweetest Fig..

• 19931993– Maryland Children’s Book Award for Maryland Children’s Book Award for Two Bad AntsTwo Bad Ants..

• 19921992– Georgia Children Book Award winner for Georgia Children Book Award winner for Two Bad AntsTwo Bad Ants

• 19911991– Washington Children’s Choice Picture Book Award for Washington Children’s Choice Picture Book Award for Two Bad Two Bad

Ants.Ants.

• 1987 1987 – Kentucky Bluegrass Award for Kentucky Bluegrass Award for The Polar ExpressThe Polar Express

Awards (continued 1)Awards (continued 1)

• 1986 1986 – Caldecott Medal for the Caldecott Medal for the Polar ExpressPolar Express– Boston Globe Horn Book for Illustration for the Boston Globe Horn Book for Illustration for the Polar ExpressPolar Express– New York Times Best Illustrator for New York Times Best Illustrator for The StrangerThe Stranger..– Parent’s Choice Award for Illustration for Parent’s Choice Award for Illustration for The StrangerThe Stranger..

• 19851985– New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book for New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book for The Polar The Polar

ExpressExpress– Irma Simonton Black Award for Irma Simonton Black Award for The Mysteries of Harris BurdickThe Mysteries of Harris Burdick– West Virginia Children’s Book Award for West Virginia Children’s Book Award for JumanjiJumanji– Parents Choice Award for Illustration for Parents Choice Award for Illustration for The Polar ExpressThe Polar Express

• 19841984– New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s book Award for New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s book Award for The The

Mysteries of Harris BurdickMysteries of Harris Burdick– Washington’s Children’s Choice Picture Book for Washington’s Children’s Choice Picture Book for JumanjiJumanji– Parent’s Choice Award for Illustration for Parent’s Choice Award for Illustration for The Mysteries of Harris The Mysteries of Harris

Burdick.Burdick.

Awards (continued 2)Awards (continued 2)• 19831983

– New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book for New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book for The The Wreck of the ZephyrWreck of the Zephyr

– New York Times Outstanding Book for New York Times Outstanding Book for The Wreck of the The Wreck of the ZephyrZephyr

– Kentucky Bluegrass Award for Kentucky Bluegrass Award for JumanjiJumanji

• 19821982– Caldecott Medal for Caldecott Medal for JumanjiJumanji– New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book for New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book for Ben’s Ben’s

DreamDream– International Board on Books Illustration Award for International Board on Books Illustration Award for The The

Garden of Abdul GasaziGarden of Abdul Gasazi– Boston Globe Horn Book Award for the Illustrations in Boston Globe Horn Book Award for the Illustrations in JumanjiJumanji– International Reading Association Children’s Choice Award International Reading Association Children’s Choice Award

for for JumanjiJumanji– American Book Award for the Illustrations in American Book Award for the Illustrations in JumanjiJumanji– Parent’s Choice Award for the Illustrations in Parent’s Choice Award for the Illustrations in Ben’s DreamBen’s Dream

Awards (continued 3)Awards (continued 3)• 1981 1981

– New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book for New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book for JumanjiJumanji

– New York Times Outstanding Book Award for New York Times Outstanding Book Award for JumanjiJumanji

• 19801980– Caldecott Honor Book for Caldecott Honor Book for The Garden of Abdul GasaziThe Garden of Abdul Gasazi– Boston Globe Horn Book Award for illustration for Boston Globe Horn Book Award for illustration for The The

Garden of Abdul GasaziGarden of Abdul Gasazi– Irma Simonton Black Award for Irma Simonton Black Award for The Garden of Abdul The Garden of Abdul

GasaziGasazi

• 1979 1979 – New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book for New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book for The The

Garden of Abdul Gasazi.Garden of Abdul Gasazi.

Bibliography Bibliography

Jennings, Kathryn. “Chris Van Allsburg” World Books Online Reference. 2005. Jennings, Kathryn. “Chris Van Allsburg” World Books Online Reference. 2005. April 14, 2005. April 14, 2005. http://www.aolsvc.worldbook.aol.com/wb/Article?id=ar580085&sc=1http://www.aolsvc.worldbook.aol.com/wb/Article?id=ar580085&sc=1

Loer, Stephanie. “Interview with Chris Van Allsburg.” Author Spotlight. 1999. Loer, Stephanie. “Interview with Chris Van Allsburg.” Author Spotlight. 1999. April 15, 2005 April 15, 2005 http://www.eduplace.com/author/vanallsburg/interview.htmlhttp://www.eduplace.com/author/vanallsburg/interview.html

““About Chris” Chris Van Allsburg Official Website. 2004. April 10, 2005 About Chris” Chris Van Allsburg Official Website. 2004. April 10, 2005 www.chrisvanallsburg.comwww.chrisvanallsburg.com

““The Books by Chris Van Allsburg. The Polar Express. 2005. April 15, 2005. The Books by Chris Van Allsburg. The Polar Express. 2005. April 15, 2005. http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/features/thepolarexpress/bookshelf.shttp://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/features/thepolarexpress/bookshelf.shtmlhtml

““Chris Van Allsburg Biography.” Author Spotlight. 1999. April 15, 2005. Chris Van Allsburg Biography.” Author Spotlight. 1999. April 15, 2005. http://www.eduplace.com/author/vanallsburg/biography.htmlhttp://www.eduplace.com/author/vanallsburg/biography.html

““Chris Van Allsburg” The Polar Express. 2005. April 16, 2005 Chris Van Allsburg” The Polar Express. 2005. April 16, 2005 http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/features/thepolarexpress/author.shthttp://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/features/thepolarexpress/author.shtmlml