A review by haliamus
The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg

The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg is a Christmas story that many people know. This young boy finds himself on a train to the North Pole, on Christmas Eve. While there he meets Santa Clause and receives the first gift of Christmas, a bell from Santa’s sleigh. When he gets back on the train to go home he finds that is robe pocket is empty. The next morning he finds the bell as a present from Santa. The bell continues to ring for those who truly believe. I enjoyed the illustrations because they were very cozy and remind me of that warm feeling around Christmas. He created these images through color art (Allsburg, 1985). I have read this book many times with my family and I always loved the story of a young boy finding hope and faith in Christmas even though some children his age do not believe. I thought the message and morals in the book are great ones to share with any age!