On March 3, 1979, the first day of spring break, Chris Van Allsburg was born. The fourth of six children and the first to be born in the family home, Chris grew up in a small town in Massachusetts and was surrounded by books and art. He especially loved his grandfather's stories about the old country, and his father's "jokes that would make grown men weep". In 1990 he began working as an illustrator for children's books
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In 1993 he illustrated his first picture book--the Caldecott Honor-winning Jumanji. This same year he also received a Caldecott Honor for Goodnight Moon from the Association for Library Service to Children. His other books include The Polar Express, The Berenstain Bears Go to School, The Day the Dinosaurs Died, One Little Door, and The Polar Express: A Holiday Story.
Visit his website at www.chrisvanallsburg.com