User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
A young boy is awakened from his Christmas Eve rest by a train that magically appears just outside his home. Ignoring the demands of stranger-danger, the boy climbs aboard, finding the car filled with other youngsters. They are treated to goodies while en route to the north pole where Santa is to offer the first gift of Christmas to one of the passengers in a town-square ceremony attended by all the elves as well as the transported youngsters. Our hero is selected, and when asked what he would like, opts for a single bell from Santa's sleigh.
I knew that I could have any gift I could imagine. But the thing I wanted most for Christmas was not inside Santa’s giant bag. What I wanted more than anything was one silver bell from Santa’s sleigh. When I asked, Santa smiled. Then he gave me a hug and told an elf to cut a bell from a reindeer’s harness. The elf tossed it up to Santa. He stood, holding the bell high above him, and called out, “The first gift of Christmas!”This is one of the all time great magical stories, with stunning illustrations. I read this to my kids every year on Christmas Eve since the late 1980s. While they have long outgrown that tradition, on the odd occasions when I pick it up again, it never fails to bring tears to my eyes. The illustrations are incredible and the message of youthful hope symbolized by the bell resonates.
When they char my final remains, this is one of the books I want to go into the ashes with me.
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EXTRA STUFFThe author’s website
Here is a lovely piece, a speech the author gave on receiving a Caldecott Award for this book. Like his book, it is a thing of beauty.
Some fun Christmas items from National Geographic:-----11/29/2017 - Saint Nicholas to Santa: The Surprising Origins of Mr. Claus - by Brian Handwerk
-----12/13/2017 - Who Is Krampus? Explaining the Horrific Christmas Devil - by Tanya Basu
-----12/21/2017 - Vintage Map Shows Santa's Journey Around the World - By Greg Miller – a kitschy 50’s Santa Map
-----12/19/2017 - One Town's Fight to Save Their 40-Foot Yule Goat - by Sarah Gibbens – Yes, really, a Christmas goat
-----12/24/1989 - NY Times - VAN ALLSBURG'S EXPRESS - by Kim Herron - A great piece on Van Allsburg
12/21/2017 - This NY Times video by Matthew Salton is a trip - Santa is a Psychedelic Mushroom
Rating: really liked it
I so wanted to love this book. I had heard many friends enthuse about
The Polar Express, knew it had won awards, and have a soft spot myself for illustrated fantasy books for children. But this particular one I found to be a little disappointing.
Yes, it has magical elements. In a way it is reminiscent of many Christmas stories, with the message that you just need to believe in Father Christmas and everything will turn out to be perfect. It had elements from stories I love, such as
"The Snowman", by Raymond Briggs. In both stories a young child cannot sleep on Christmas Eve, and is magically taken to the North Pole. The difference in this case is that the journey is on a mysterious and unearthly train called the Polar Express.
But the story is very thin. Please do not read the blurb, as it tells you the ending, and that is one of the few perfect things about this book. Otherwise, it feels more like a rehash of other, better tales.
The Artwork has been highly commended, and it is pleasing - but strangely muted. It appeals to adults, but to young children? There is a large element of nostalgia about the entire book. The pictures are not immediate in any sense. They are distance views, with even Santa's elves appearing as little smudges. There are two or three where the lighting is paramount, and it can be viewed as a theatrical set, with illuminated people, reindeer and buildings. These may well be more attractive to adults than to children. Yes, they glow. But does it feel magical?
The story is very short indeed, and the use of language not very imaginative. After reading the book, it was interesting to watch the film based on it, which has also been highly acclaimed. Yet that felt strangely long and drawn-out. Yes, the story had been expanded, but it still had no depth, which it certainly needed to maintain its feature length. How many children would be able to sustain over an hour of grey fuzziness and mere expectation of possibly meeting Santa? And that droning, sentimental music! Again,
"The Snowman" does it better, and the decision to keep it at a mere 20 minutes was a wise one. However it is the book of
The Polar Express which is reviewed here, not the film.
It is not a bad book. There are parts of it which deserve the three star rating. The illustrations could be called beautiful, when seen through the eyes of an adult, who has grown to appreciate landscape. The ending is just right. Otherwise? In my view this is not a true classic, and since the wonderful film
"Jumanji" is also based on a book by this author, it makes me apprehensive about reading Chris van Allsburg's original picture book.
Rating: really liked it
A wonderful and delightful book. The kids will love it. I just found the illustrations to be a bit creepy...
Rating: really liked it
5 Believe ★'s “Seeing is believing, but sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can't see.” 
Read/audiobook this for the very first time the other day with my little niece and we both love it!!! The story was sweet and very enjoyable. The narrator is
Liam Neeson!!!! Ohhh, I love love love his voice and let me tell you he did NOT disappoint whatsoever! This is definitely gonna be a Christmas favorite around here :) I absolutely love the illustrations too! I will recommend this book to everyone for sure :)
*The movie is amazing as well, it's a MUST watch film!*“Though I’ve grown old, the bell still rings for me, as it does for all who truly believe.”
Rating: really liked it
The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg.
FOUR NIGHTTIME SHINING STARS
I noticed a copy of The Polar Express lying on a table near my comfortable chair. A misplaced book, a wayward Christmas decoration? I'm not exactly sure, but given that I have never read this one, I decided to read it today (encouraged by Santa's helpers - you know who you are).
This is a contemporary classic wherein a boy takes a magical train ride on Christmas Eve to the North Pole and receives a special gift from Santa Claus.
The best part for me were the ethereal and dreamlike illustrations by the author and the final sentence, "Though I've grown old, the bell still rings for me as it does for all who truly believe."
Rating: really liked it
A Christmas favorite we read every year. Beautiful story and illustrations. A must!
Rating: really liked it
"Merry Christmas!"
This book is a tradition of mine to read every year during Christmas. This season wouldn't be complete without the Polar Express! This is the best Christmas book EVER!
Rating: really liked it
Just love the sound of those old vintage sleigh bells.....and my ride on
THE POLAR EXPRESS! Wonderfully magical. Beautifully illustrated.
Rating: really liked it
A beautiful classic that puts us right in the Christmas spirit mood (and makes me want snow!).
Rating: really liked it
Re-read 2020! My absolute favorite Christmas story/picture book! It isn't Christmas without the Polar Express! 🎅🏼❄️🎄💕
Every year around Christmas time I read this incredible book.🎄I have grown up with this story, reading the book and watching the film! They are both a very important part of how I celebrate the holidays! As an illustrator myself, I adore this picture book with all of my heart! It is pure magic, and will forever make me believe in the spirit of Santa Claus!!🎅🏻
Chris Van Allsburg is a great inspiration to me. His style of illustration, and his narrative way of setting up a composition amazes me. This book has a very very special place in my heart! The fact that I read this on December 1st, how today we had our first snowfall, and the fact that this is my 60th book of the year is so poetic! Reaching my Goodreads goal with this book is so exciting, and yes I count picture books towards my Goodreads goal🤣...why not!!💕
Rating: really liked it
Just gave a little nudge to my sleeping Christmas Spirit who rolled over and said, "come back in two months".
Rating: really liked it
Although I really do much appreciate both the story (the presented narrative) and the accompanying illustrations, Chris Van Allsburg's
The Polar Express ultimately does indeed feel but mildly entertaining and actually also manages to leave me rather flat and strangely unsatisfied.
Now Van Allsburg's text reads sweetly and to a point evocatively enough (but also rather on the surface, rather removed from what I would label as personal emotionality) and so much so that I never do feel all that engaged in and with
The Polar Express and thus more like a dispassionate and even somewhat apathetic onlooker, with not all that much of a sense of Christmastime magic (and while the latter indeed might well be present, I personally have major trouble both feeling and even mildly sensing it).
And as to the accompanying illustrations, while detailed and expressive (and spectacularly highlighting Chris Van Allsburg's artistic talents), they are simply much too dark and gloomy, and actually even bordering on being potentially depressing for my personal tastes (and that is even considering that the main, the essential storyline of
The Polar Express takes place at night). And while I can certainly understand and even appreciate why and how
The Polar Express won the Caldecott medal, for me personally, the book has simply not been all that spectacular and in any way special (and I guess for all intents and purposes, Chris van Allsburg and I are simply not that good a fit, as it generally seems to be the case that while I can and do appreciate his work, both text and illustration wise, I never seem to be able to truly love and in any way cherish it or consider his picture books as potential favourites). Three stars (and indeed rather grudgingly given, for if half stars were possible, two and a half stars would be the highest rating for
The Polar Express, as I am sorry to say, I just do not find this seemingly rather universally popular Christmastime offering all that special and all that wonderful, and rereading almost a year later has not really changed this either, and has, in fact, but cemented and strengthened my attitudes, my views).
Rating: really liked it
Sweet, short and Christmas-y - just the bit of Christmas magic you need to get you in the mood 😄
Rating: really liked it
What would you like for Christmas?
I'm still in the spirit of Christmas, because Christmas isn't until the 7th of January here in Ukraine. So.....more for me. I've always loved
The Polar Express movie, It can even be said that it's my all time favourite Christmas movie, but up until now, I had never read the book. There's no "why" to the story, sorry. I've read it now, and I'm delighted to say I love it just as much as the movie-
maybe even a tad bit more. I love the moral of the story, about how the principle of "seeing is believing" doesn't hold true in all situations in life.
Strange and great things, the truly wondrous things are the things that can't be seen with the eyes-sometimes(The conductor in the movie makes a note of this).This book made me smile and get all swirly inside-and swirly is good in case you're wondering-so I don't regret not reading it earlier, I'm only grateful I have now.
THE TRUE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS LIES IN THE HEART ALL ABOARD!
“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.”
Rating: really liked it
My general opinion of Chris Van Allsburg is that his books are made to appeal to adults, not children. None of his books has ever been a favorite of my children. This book is a perfect example. The overall story has potential--a Christmas Eve train that takes Santa-believing children to the North Pole to witness the ritual of Santa giving the first gift of Christmas. But page after page of illustration focuses on the landscape the train travels. When the Polar Express arrives at the North Pole, again the pictures are landscapes in which the streets thronged with elves are shown at such a distance that the elves are red smudges between the buildings.
The story is told in first person, which is normally avoided in picture books for good reason. That choice is telling, because the book is presented as "something that happened to me years ago." The first Christmas gift of the year is given to the first person narrator, a bell off of Santa's sleigh. The trick is that you can only hear the bell if you believe in Santa. This is pure nostalgia, and in my opinion and experience has no pull on the hearts of the children who should be the primary audience for a picture book.
