The Polar Express facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
The Polar Express

The Polar Express cover
Author	Chris Van Allsburg
Illustrator	Chris Van Allsburg
Cover artist	Chris Van Allsburg
Country	United States
Genre	Children's picture book
Publisher	Houghton Mifflin
Publication date	1985
Media type	Print (hardcover)
Pages	32
ISBN	978-0-395-38949-2
OCLC	12162097
Dewey Decimal	[E] 19
LC Class	PZ7.V266 Po 1985
Preceded by	The Mysteries of Harris Burdick
Followed by	The Stranger

The Polar Express is a famous children's book written and illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg. It was first published by Houghton Mifflin in 1985. Many people now see it as a classic Christmas story for young readers.

The book was highly praised for its amazing, detailed pictures. People also loved its calm and peaceful story. Chris Van Allsburg won the Caldecott Medal in 1986 for his illustrations in this book. This was his second time winning this important award.

The story takes place partly in Grand Rapids, Michigan. This is the town where the author, Chris Van Allsburg, grew up. He got some ideas for the book from visiting local department stores as a child. In 2004, the book was made into an animated film. This movie used a special technique called motion-capture. It starred Tom Hanks and was directed by Robert Zemeckis. Chris Van Allsburg also helped produce the film.

The Polar Express Story: A Christmas Journey

This section tells you about the exciting adventure in The Polar Express.

A Mysterious Train on Christmas Eve

The story begins on Christmas Eve. A young boy is sleeping when he hears a loud sound. It sounds like a train outside his window. He looks out and is surprised to see a large train waiting for him. A conductor stands by the train and looks up at the boy's window.

The boy quickly runs downstairs and goes outside. The conductor tells him the train is called the Polar Express. It is going on a special trip to the North Pole. The boy gets on the train. Inside, many other children are already there, all wearing their pajamas.

Journey to the North Pole

The Polar Express travels very fast. It goes over tall mountains and through thick forests. In these forests, timber wolves and rabbits live. But the train never slows down on its journey.

Finally, the train arrives at the North Pole. The conductor explains something exciting. Santa Claus will choose one child from the train. That child will receive the very first gift of Christmas.

The First Gift of Christmas

The boy and the other children see thousands of Christmas elves. The elves are gathered in the center of town. They are waiting to send Santa Claus off on his yearly journey.

Santa Claus then picks the boy to receive the first gift. The boy realizes he can ask for anything in the world. He decides to ask for a small bell from one of Santa's reindeer's harnesses. He puts the bell safely in his robe pocket. All the children then watch as Santa flies off into the night to deliver presents.

The Bell's Magical Sound

Later, on the train ride home, the boy checks his pocket. He finds that the bell has fallen out through a hole. The boy arrives back at his house. He goes to his bedroom as the train pulls away.

On Christmas morning, his sister Sarah finds a small package. It is for the boy and is hidden behind other gifts under the tree. The boy opens the box. Inside, he finds the bell! Santa had delivered it. There is also a note from Santa. It says he found the bell on the seat of his sleigh.

When the boy rings the bell, he and Sarah are amazed. The bell makes a beautiful sound. However, their parents cannot hear it. They say the bell must be broken. This is because they do not believe in Santa.

The book ends with a special message from the grown-up boy:

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.

The Polar Express Film Adaptation

The Polar Express is a computer-animated movie from 2004. It is based on the popular book. Robert Zemeckis wrote, produced, and directed the film.

The movie used a special technique called performance capture. This means actors' movements were recorded. Then, these movements were used to animate the human characters. The film stars Daryl Sabara, Nona Gaye, Jimmy Bennett, Michael Jeter, Eddie Deezen, and Tom Hanks. It was first shown in theaters on November 10, 2004. The movie earned over $307 million around the world.

See also

In Spanish: El Expreso Polar (libro) para niños