Zathura

by Chris Van Allsburg, Chris Van Allsburg (Illustrator)

Overview

Acclaimed author Chris Van Allsburg’s daring companion to his Caldecott Medal–winning Jumanji. This tale of intergalactic adventure and sibling rivalry features a beautifully refreshed cover.

In a story that picks up where Jumanji leaves off, older brother Walter warns his pesky little brother, Danny, not to bring home a mysterious board game they find at the park. But when Danny’s curiosity gets the better of him, the brothers have to battle homicidal robots, Zyborg pirates, and giant meteors in their living room!

Will the feuding brothers learn to work together before it’s too late? Full-spread illustrations depict the shimmering, surreal events of the story. Readers will be holding their breath with each new threat the boys face in this satisfying enigmatic picture book from a master creator.

Like Jumanji, Zathura is also the inspiration of a popular major motion picture. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780618253968
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	11/19/2024
Series:	Rise and Shine
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.20(w) x 12.00(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	540L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Chris Van Allsburg is one of America’s most innovative picture book creators. He was awarded the Caldecott Medal for Jumanji and The Polar Express and received a Caldecott Honor for his very first book, The Garden of Abdul Gasazi. He has received the Regina Medal for lifetime achievement in children’s literature, a National Book Award, and a Society of Illustrators Original Art Lifetime Achievement Award, among other honors. He lives outside of Boston, Massachusetts. Visit him at chrisvanallsburg.com.

Chris Van Allsburg is one of America’s most innovative picture book creators. He was awarded the Caldecott Medal for Jumanji and The Polar Express and received a Caldecott Honor for his very first book, The Garden of Abdul Gasazi. He has received the Regina Medal for lifetime achievement in children’s literature, a National Book Award, and a Society of Illustrators Original Art Lifetime Achievement Award, among other honors. He lives outside of Boston, Massachusetts. Visit him at chrisvanallsburg.com.

Hometown:

Providence, Rhode Island

Date of Birth:

June 18, 1949

Place of Birth:

Grand Rapids, Michigan

Education:

University of Michigan College of Architecture & Design, 1972; Rhode Island School of Design, MFA, 1975

Website:

http://www.chrisvanallsburg.com

Editorial Reviews

On the twentieth anniversary of Jumanji, Van Allsburg picks up right where his Caldecott Medal book left off, with similarly terrifying adventure set this time in outer space. — Booklist, ALA, Starred Review

"Van Allsburg illustrates the surreal events in a grainy charcoal-black that seems to shimmer on a rough, cream-colored ground...Zathura, like Jumanji, is a satisfying enigma." — Publishers Weekly

“Van Allsburg is a terrific illustrator, and his images here, including one where the boys open their front door and are greeted with a breathtaking views of the cosmos, are memorable.” — New York Times Book Review

“The angles of view, are, as always, wonderfully dramatic…” — Kirkus Reviews

“The shadowy black-and-white tones of Van Allsburg’s illustration recall 1950’s science-fiction films…” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“One can’t help but anticipating the encore.” — School Library Journal

From the Publisher

Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal Award

A trite, knock-off sequel to Jumanji (1981). The "Jumanji" box distracts Walter Budwing away from beating up on his little brother Danny, but it's Danny who discovers the Zathura board inside-and in no time, Earth is far behind, a meteor has smashed through the roof, and a reptilian Zyborg pirate is crawling through the hole. Each throw of the dice brings an ominous new development, portrayed in grainy, penciled freeze frames featuring sculptured-looking figures in constricted, almost claustrophobic settings. The angles of view are, as always, wonderfully dramatic, but not only is much of the finer detail that contributed to Jumanji's astonishing realism missing, the spectacular damage being done to the Budwings' house as the game progresses is, by and large, only glimpsed around the picture edges. Naturally, having had his bacon repeatedly saved by his younger sibling's quick thinking, once Walter falls through a black hole to a time preceding the game's start, his attitude toward Danny undergoes a sudden, radical transformation. Van Allsburg's imagination usually soars right along with his accomplished art-but here, both are just running in place.

Kirkus Reviews