The Polar Express
Chris Van Allsburg

Excerpt from The Polar Express

"On Christmas Eve, many years ago, I lay quietly in my bed. I did not rustle the sheets. I breathed slowly and silently. I was listening for a sound-- a sound a friend had told me I'd never hear--the ringing bells of Santa's sleigh..

...'Look,' shouted one of the children, 'the elves.' Outside we saw hundreds of elves. As our train drew closer to the center of the North Pole, we slowed to a crawl, so crowded were the t=streets with Santa's helpers..."

Reviews

This is without question one of the best--and most original--picture books in years.--New York Times Book Review

the full-color pastel drawings are the work of a master: stunning, luminescent and conveying a sense of the mystical and magical."/i>--Publishers Weekly