Late one Christmas Eve, a boy boards a mysterious train that waits for him: the Polar Express bound for the North Pole. When he arrives, Santa offers him any gift he desires. The boy modestly asks for one bell from the reindeer's harness. It turns out to be a very special gift, for only believers in Santa can hear it ring.

Liam Neeson's gravitas lends the story just the right sense of magic and possibility in the book and CD edition.

Discover The Polar Express, a true Christmas classic, with this gifty, miniature hardback edition. "Magical" Guardian "Evocative and atmospheric" Sunday Times "A thrilling tale" Independent All aboard the Polar Express to the North Pole! Follow one boy's journey to recieve a very special gift from Santa himself: a bell that only true believers in Father Christmas can hear ring. Discover the beloved Christmas classic that inspired the blockbuster family favourite movie starring Tom Hanks.

Discover The Polar Express, a true Christmas classic. "Magical" Guardian "Evocative and atmospheric" Sunday Times "A thrilling tale" Independent All aboard the Polar Express to the North Pole! Follow one boy's journey to receive a very special gift from Santa himself: a bell that only true believers in Father Christmas can hear ring. Discover the beloved Christmas classic that inspired the blockbuster family favourite movie starring Tom Hanks.

The game under the tree looked like a hundred others Peter and Judy had at home. But they were bored and restless and, looking for something interesting to do, thought they'd give Jumanji a try. Little did they know when they unfolded its ordinary-looking playing board that they were about to be plunged into the most exciting and bizzare adventure of their lives. Bestselling Polar Express creator and Caldecott Medal winning Chris Van Allsburg explores the ever-shifting line between fantasy and reality with this story about a game that comes startlingly to life.

Some of Minna Shaw's neighbours don't trust her clever broom. 'It's dangerous,' they say. But Minna appreciates the broom's help. She enjoys its quiet company. But one day two children get taught a well-deserved lesson by the broom. For her neighbours, this is proof of the broom's evil spirit. Minna is obligated to give up her dear companion. Chris Van Allsburg, master of the mysterious, brings this tale to life with moody and memorable pictures that will haunt readers long after the book's covers are closed - now in a new edition to celebrate this beloved book's twenty-fifth anniversary.

"His disappearance is not the only mystery left behind. What were the stories that went with these drawings? There are some clues..." Who is Harris Burdick? Where did he disappear to? And how was he going to finish his stories? Chris Van Allsburg presents a series of loosely related drawings each accompanied by a title and a caption which the reader may use to make up his or her own story.

"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.
Since its original publication, "Jumanji" has been honored with many awards, including the Caldecott Medal, and in 1996, the surreal story was adapted to fit the big screen.
This special anniversary edition of "Jumanji" contains a CD of the renowned actor Robin Williams reading the timeless tale.
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The enigmatic origins of the stranger that Farmer Bailey hits with his truck and brings home to recuperate seem to have a mysterious relation to the weather. Could he be Jack Frost?

For his birthday, Calvin's mother gives him two tickets to see Lomax the Magnificent (magician and hypnotist extraordinaire!). Even though Mama hints that his little sister, Trudy, would love to go, Calvin doesn't hesitate to invite his friend Rodney instead.
The boys return home greatly impressed by the magician's performance. When Calvin's mother goes out, she leaves him in charge of Trudy. It's a job Calvin dislikes because his sister does not want to be left out of anything. So Calvin and Rodney include her--by making her the first subject for their own hypnotizing machine.
Much to the boys' surprise, the machine works. But unfortunately they cannot undo what they have done. Trudy is stuck in her trance, convinced she is a dog--panting, drooling, and barking at squirrels. The only problem is, Calvin can't remember Lomax's magic word--Probuditi!--so Trudy won't snap out of it!
The boys are worried and decide to take Trudy to the one man they know can solve their problem--but will Lomax help them? Mama is on her way home . . . Who will have the last laugh?

Sometimes that very thin line between illusion and reality is not as clearly defined as we would like it to be. It certainly wasn't the day that Alan Mitz stumbled into the garden of Abdul Gasazi. For in this bizarre and eerie place -- where strange topiary trees loomed -- the evil visage of Gasazi casts its shadow. And even after Alan escaped, the spell of Gasazi still seemed to penetrate into his everyday world. In this extraordinary, unusual, and unique picture book, Chris Van Allsburg explores both the real and surreal worlds with incredible deftness. In doing so, he has created exquisite and beautiful images that will continue to haunt readers long after they have left the enchanted garden of Abdul Gasazi.

In a story recounted through the daily log of Captain Allan Hope, the sailors aboard the Rita Anne become mesmerized and transformed by a mysterious glowing rock, and only music and books can restore them to normal.

In 1983, beloved Caldecott-winning illustrator, Chris Van Allsburg, first invited readers to peer over the edge of a cliff to consider the wreck of a small sailboat. Had a churning sea carried the Zephyr up in a storm? Could waves ever have been so impossibly high? And what of the boy who had believed--dared to chase the wind--no matter where it lead? Now, thirty years later, the winds have shifted once again and you're invited back to the wreck of the Zephyr, to hear the story of the boy and his obsession to become the world's greatest sailor, and a storm that carried them to a place where boats sail on the wind, instead of on the water. Told in spare text and haunting, full-color pastels, Chris Van Allsburg's spectral sailboats once again take impossbile flight. In illustrations so vivid one can feel the whisper of wind and hear the flutter of canvas, depart this world for another to entertain the marvelous possibility of dreams. This 30th anniversary gift edition includes a bonus digital audio file to download, read by Chris Van Allsburg, and a stunning new jacket

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

An inspired collection of short stories by an all-star cast of best-selling storytellers based on the thought-provoking illustrations in Chris Van Allsburg's "The Mysteries of Harris Burdick."
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 gather this incredible compendium of stories: mysterious, funny, creepy, poignant, these are tales you won't soon forget.
This inspired collection of short stories features many remarkable, best-selling authors in the worlds of both adult and children's literature: Sherman Alexie, M.T. Anderson, Kate DiCamillo, Cory Doctorow, Jules Feiffer, Stephen King, Tabitha King, Lois Lowry, Gregory Maguire, Walter Dean Myers, Linda Sue Park, Louis Sachar, Jon Scieszka, Lemony Snicket, and Chris Van Allsburg himself.

Van Allsburg's Harris Burdick illustrations have evoked such wonderment and imagination since "Harris Burdick"'s original publication in 1984; many have speculated or have woven their own stories to go with his images. More than ever, the illustrations send off their eerie call for text and continue to compel and pick at the reader's brain for a backstory--a threaded tale behind the image. In this book, we've collected some of the best storytellers to spin them.

"These figs are very special," the woman whispered. "They can make your dreams come true." -- Thus Monsieur Bibot, the cold-hearted dentist, was given two ordinary-looking figs as payment for extracting a tooth from an old woman's mouth. Monsieur Bibot refused to believe such nonsense and proceeded to eat one of the figs for a bedtime snack. Although it was possibly the finest, sweetest fig he had ever tasted, it wasn't until the next morning that Monsieur Bibot realized it indeed had the power to make his dreams come true. While dragging his poor dog, Marcel, out for his walk, he discovered that his strange dream from the night before was becoming all too real. Determined to make good use of the second fig, Monsieur Bibot learns to control is dreams. But can he control Marcel? Once again Chris Van Allsburg explores the mysterious territory between fantasy and reality in an uncanny tale that will intrigue readers of all ages.

In this picture book classic, travel with young Walter on a fantastical adventure as he journeys--by way of his bed--into a polluted dreamscape world that wakes him up to our collective and individual environmental responsibility. Walter does not appreciate the beauty of nature, or understand his role in keeping the planet healthy . . . until a fantastic journey shows him the tragic fate that could befall Earth if humans like him are not more careful. Chris Van Allsburg (The Polar Express) pairs pitch-perfect narrative with his full-color pastel illustrations, rendering this picture book a story that has stood the test of time. "Two-time Caldecott Medalist Van Allsburg reaches a new pinnacle of excellence in both illustration and storytelling in his latest work." (Publishers Weekly)

The three-time Caldecott medalist tells the tale of two ants who decide to leave the safety of the others to venture into a danger-laden kitchen.

This enchanting book tells the story of a little boy who believes in Santa Claus even though his friends say that he does not exist. Because of his faith, he is taken on a magical journey to the North Pole aboard the Polar Express, where he is given a very special gift: a beautiful bell that only rings for those who still believe.

On a terrifically rainy day, Ben has a dream in which he and his house float by the monuments of the world, half submerged in flood-water.

Sixty-two year old widow Annie Taylor runs a charm school, right by Niagara Falls. When this starts to fail, she resolves to find fame and fortune by being the first person ever to go over the thundering waters of Niagara Falls in a barrel.

Readers of all ages will warm to this inspiring story of bravery, as they take the roller coaster ride of a lifetime over the falls.

At the edge of a cliff lies the wreck of a small sailboat. How did it get there? "Waves carried it up in a storm," says an old sailor. But is it possible that waves could ever go that high? There is another story - the story of a boy and his desire to be the greatest sailor, the story of a storm that carried the boy and his boat to a place where boats glide like gulls high above the water.