Written by : Chris Van Allsburg

{Plot Summary}

The Polar Express is written by Chris Van Allsburg and is a Caldecott Award winning book.  The Polar Express falls under the fantasy genre. Based on the themes of belief and imagination though, a child could think of it as realism. It could also be considered a myth.  The boy’s adventure on the train in the middle of the night is, to believers, completely believable but to those who have lost that innocence it is purely impossible and fantasized. While at the North Pole, the genre is still fantasy but moves into mythical territory. The character Santa Clause is a mythical figure and this scene that includes him would be considered mythical.   

The book begins on the night of Christmas Eve. A young boy lays in bed when suddenly he hears Santa's Sleigh. The book is about this young boy as he goes on an adventure where he boards a very magical train that takes him on the ride of his life. He is on his way to the North Pole to realize that maybe just what he needs is to believe. He embarks on this journey when he looks out his window and hears the whistle of the conductor and the engine's roar. At that moment he is invited on the train to experience an extraordinary adventure with many other children who are dressed in their pajamas just like him. This adventure to the North Pole is where he realizes the magic of beliving. 

As he gets to the North Pole him and the other children immediately recognize the hundreds of elves. They all are waiting to send Santa on his way. One by one they all got off the train and as they got off they saw Santa's sleigh. Then Santa appeared for all to see and the elves cheered as loud as they could. The young boy is picked out of the crowd by Santa to recieve the first gift of Christmas and is asked what he would like. The young boy asks for one silver bells from Santa's sleigh. The boy places the bell in his pocket and then they all watch in admiration as Santa takes off to deliver his presents.

Later on the ride home the young boy realizes that the bell in his pocket is no longer there and it must have fallen out. The boy gets home and he watches the train pull away. Christmas morning comes and his sister finds a present under the tree and the little boy opens it and it is a silver bell. Santa had found it and fixed the hole in his picket. He shook the bell and his parents couldn't hear the bell ring only him and his sister could hear.

The book ends with a small statement about the magic of the bell. The boy says that over the years his sister and friends stopped hearing the ringing of the bell but he still hears it because he believes in its magic, the magic of Christmas. 

{Textual Elements}

Setting :: The story takes place at the boy's home, The Polar Express, and the North Pole. There is no specific time period portrayed which causes the book to be timeless and appropriate over the years.

Characters :: The young boy is the main character in the book. We never learn his name but he plays a significant role in the book. He is the one who knows that there is a Santa when so many people surrounded him simply do not believe. The conductor is another character in the book. He is the one who leads the children to the North Pole. He shows them the way to the North Pole and helps them get there. The conductor also does not have a name throughout the book but also plays a significant role because he is able to lead the children on an adventure to help them believe. The little sister (Sarah) of the young boy is another character in the book who doesn't appear until the end. She does play an important part though because the young boy realizes that he isn't the only one who can hear the silver bell ring but his sister can too, which means she is also a believer. Santa is also a character in the book and doesn't need much of an introduction. The significance of his character in the book is huge. He is what the children need to see to believe in. Other characters in the book are the rest of the children ont he train. Some of them believe in Santa and so this ride is a special treat for them and others do not, making the ride a vital step in saving their childhood innocence. 

Point of View :: The Polar Express is written in first person from the point of view of the boy. The first sentence in the book begins with "I lay quietly in my bed." This kind of narration is continued throughout the book. You understand the story through the young boys eyes and see how he views the world. You also understand that all he wants to do is believe that Santa is real and through his journey you understand that is possible. The point of view also affects the language used. The descriptions of the cocoa and candy on the train are clearly coming from the thoughts of the young child.

Theme ::   

The Polar Express is based on themes of believing and the magic of Christmas. The boy boards the train as a skeptic and meets other children who have the same feelings. The conductor leads the way for them to get back that childhood view of Santa and finally, Santa in the flesh proves himself to be real. The end of the story when the boy describes how he can still hear the bell is the final moment of unwavering belief. The magic of Christmas is shown when they boy’s sister finds the last gift under the tree, the bell from Santa. Not only does this make the boy absolutely sure that his belief is credible but it also shows us that Christmas morning comes around and there is always a surprise and there is always something to look forward to and hope for.

{Artistic Elements}

Media and Technique ::

The illustrations were done with oil pastels. This media allows for blending and highlighting to  make the illustrations either very realistic or impressionistic.

Style of Art ::

The illustrations in The Polar Express are mainly realistic but border on impressionistic. The pictures that include the young boy are all realistic because you can see his face clearly with all of the details that make it look like real life. Some of the illustrations that are set in the North Pole are almost impressionistic. You can see Santa Clause in the forground with all of the details but in the background the elves are blended so much and do not have any features or details. They look just like basic shapes that you can tell, because of the context, are meant to be the elves.

Placement on Page of Illustrations ::

Many of the illustrations are framed and centered on the pages. The framing makes the illustrations stand out as if they are commended pieces of art meant to be hung on someone’s wall. This fits in with the element of timelessness the setting gives the story. The Polar Express is not just a picture book for one generation. It is an artful and magical story for everybody to enjoy.

Line, Shape, Texture, Color, and Design ::

The line of the illustrations is blurred because of the impressionistic style of art.  The parts of the illustration that are realistic still have blurred and blended lines but they have added details that show exactly what the objects are. The texture comes through with the use of white highlighting and the blending. The use of oil pastels allows for classic highlighting around the edges of objects but also for simple white “dots” inside the colors of the objects that make them realistic instead of flatly pigmented.

Placement on Page of Text:

The text is most often placed in a column on  the sides of the illustrations. It allows the reader to read the book as if the text is simply a narration. It lets the reader or listener hear the words, almost disregard the physical text, and view the entire illustration with the ability to imagine deeply what is happening in the picture. 

The font in the book looks like it is Times New Roman. The font size is too small to fill out the available space but it has the affect of simply describing the illustrations rather than solely telling the story.   

Format ::

This book is a picture book because there is a sense of imagination in the book and the way the pictures allow you to imagine what the text is saying is vital to the story. The text describes the hot chocolate and candy using similes and text painting but the illustration only shows the children smiling as the chefs push the cart with the white mugs and hot chocolate. We are left to imagine the white nougat in the center of the candy and the dark richness of the cocoa.

This is an example of a realistic Illustration because you can see the details of the childrens' faces. 

{Analysis and Critique}

The Polar Express is an amazingly written book.  VanAllsburg's launguage is beautiful. The use of text painting and similes make the text vivid where the pictures are not.  His use of language fits perfectly with the perspective of the boy because they were descriptions of candy and things that a small child would be thinking of, the style of writing although from the boy’s viewpoint is sophisticated and uses proper grammar. The descriptions are what make the text appealing.

     The Polar Express is definitely a book that should be read by not only children but also adults. The author does a great job with the theme of the book and really makes you want to believe. This is a great Christmas book and is read by many families around the winter holidays. We see a young boy wanting so badly to believe that Santa is real. We as readers see the adventure that he goes through and really understand that every child does go through a stage in their life where they don't know whether or not they should believe; especially when it comes to Santa. I think it is important that children read this book to understand that it is okay to still believe. Even if they don't believe it is still a great book to read because as the author puts it some people believe and some don't it is up to you to decide if you do or don't.

This could be a tricky subject in younger grades. Children might ask why people don’t believe and that could create controversy.

   The last quote in the book that is known to many who have read the book states it perfectly, "At one time most of my friends could hear the bell, but as years passed, it fell silent for all of them. Even Sarah found one Christmas that she could no longer hear its sweet sound. Though I've grown old, the bell still rings for me as it does for all who truly believe." This quote says it perfectly.  

References

VanAllsburg, Chris. The Polar Express. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1985.