Chris Van Allsburg (born
June 18, 1949 in
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.
Van Allsburg's drawings are particularly notable for their use of
perspective. In many cases the illustrations are drawn from a child's eye height. This viewpoint likely appeals to children because it conveys the world as they see it. It may also appeal to adults because they may (unconsciously) perceive the world as they did when they were children.
Chris Van Allsburg lives in Providence, Rhode Island with Lisa Van Allsburg, his wife of 30 years. They have 2 daughters, Sophia and Anna.
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