About the artist:

Chris Van Allsburg is an award-winning American illustrator and writer of children's books. He won two Caldecott Medals for Jumanji (1981) and The Polar Express (1985), both of which were later adapted into successful motion pictures. Having illustrated and written over twenty children's books, his drawings are particularly known for their perspective, often created from a child's vantage point. The viewpoint likely appeals to children because it conveys the world as they see it.