The Polar Express
By: Chris Van Allsburg
Medal Winner
NOT REVIEWED
Late on Christmas Evening after the town has gone to sleep, the boy boards the mysterious train that waits for him: the Polar Express bound for the North Pole. When he arrives, Santa offers the boy any gift he desires. The boy modestly asks for one bell from the harness of the reindeer. The gift is granted. On the way home the bell is lost. On Christmas morning the boy finds the bell under the tree. The mother of the boy admires the bell, but laments that it is broken—for you see, only believers can hear the sound of the bell.
In strange and moving shades of full color art, Chris Van Allsburg creates an otherworldly classic of the Christmas season. The Polar Express evokes the same sense of mystery as his previous imaginative books, The Garden of Abdul Gasazi, Jumanji, and The Wreck of the Zephyr.
From the dust jacket
King Bidgood's in the Bathtub
By: Audrey Wood
Illustrated by: Don Wood
Honor
NOT REVIEWED
. . . and he won't get out!
This rollicking tale tells the story of an unruly king who refuses to leave his bathtub and rule his kingdom. One by one, the Knight, the Queen, the Duke, and eventually, all the members of the King's Court attempt—and fail—to persuade King Bidgood to leave his sumptuous bath. Why King Bidgood finally leaves his bathtub makes a delightful surprise ending to this exuberant tale.
Audrey Wood's lyric text with its repetitive style conveys the merry mood of King Bidgood's Court. Don Wood's spectacular full-color art brings to life the glory of the Renaissance, complete with elaborate costumes and carefully researched details. His art shows subtle changes in light to reflect the passage of time. Together the author and illustrator have created an unforgettable bathtime story.
From the dust jacket
The Relatives Came
By: Cynthia Rylant
Illustrated by: Stephen Gammell
Honor
NOT REVIEWED
The relatives' station wagon: it smelled like a real car, looked like a rainbow, and was roomy enough for a crowd.
Lucky! Because a big crowd in all shapes and sizes piled into that old wagon at four o'clock one summer morning and piled out of it the next day at their relatives' place on the north side of the mountains. All in good moods.
The visitors settled in everywhere throughout the house, laughing and making music and hugging everyone from the kitchen to the front room. And they stayed for weeks.
Cynthia Rylant's words and Stephen Gammell's pictures take warm delight in the time the relatives came—when two sides of a family made one roomy middle.
From the dust jacket
