Chris Van Allsburg
Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1949, Chris Van Allsburg transformed his love of art into a career as a children's book illustrator. The winner of two Caldecott medals, Van Allsburg has illustrated a slew of children's books.
Van Allsburg said he loved drawing as a child, but it wasn't until he took a freshman course in drawing at the University of Michigan that he made it a vocation. He graduated with a degree in fine arts from that school and went on to get an advanced degree in sculpture from the Rhode Island School of Design.
After graduation, he pursued a career as a sculptor, doing drawings for fun in the evening. His wife, Lisa, invited an author home one evening and showed him her husband's drawings. The two of them convinced him to send his illustrations to an editor at Houghton Mifflin Company.
Two of his books, Jumanji and The Polar Express, have been made into movies.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
The Garden of Abdul Gasazi |
The Widow’s Broom |
Jumanji |
The Wreck of the Zephyr |
The Polar Express |
The Z Was Zapped |
Ben’s Dream |
Two Bad Ants |
The Mysteries of Harris Burdick |
Zathura |
The Stranger |
The Sweetest Fig |
Bad Day at Riverbend |
The Wretched Stone |
Just a Dream |
