THe Polar Express

The Polar Express was written by Chris Van Allsburg. It is a Caldecott Winner, and has now been turned into a movie. I use this book and film in my classroom every year in December! :)

Van Allsburg, C. (1985). The Polar Express . Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Exposition:
The story takes place on Christmas Eve and is primarily on the Polar Express train, followed by arriving at the North Pole.

Conflict:
A little boy is told by a friend that there is no Santa Clause; he vows to prove the friend wrong by waiting up for Santa.

Rising Action:
A train arrives and the boy boards. He rides the Polar Express to the North Pole with other chosen children.

Climax:
Santa give s the boy the first gift of Christmas; the gift is a bell. When he reaches in his pocket to show the other children, he discovers that it is missing.

Falling Action:
the boy returns home and opens gifts on Christmas morning. His sister Sarah finds one last gift for him beneath the tree, that none of the family put there.

Resolution:
The boy opens the gift and it is the bell Santa gave him. Only those who believe in Santa can hear the bell ring, so some think it is broken.

Illustrations:
The illustrations in this book are breathtaking. They are very detailed and rich in color. Children will love poring over the pages of this book do take in all that the illustrations offer.