Chris Van Allsburg's The Polar Express was first published in 1985. It tells the story of a young boy—who was inspired by the author's own childhood—who is one day welcomed aboard a magical train bound for the North Pole. The boy is promised that his Christmas wish will be fulfilled, but he first must go on a harrowing journey through massive amounts of ice, massive mountains, and forests. The Polar Express is a story about the true nature of Christmas and a young boy's marvelous journey.
Van Allsburg's book is now considered a Christmas classic for young adults. When initially published, the book received the Caldecott Medal. It was also an instant New York Times bestseller, selling over one million copies per year every year after its publication. The book has also appeared on other bestseller lists yearly.
The Polar Express was adapted into a film of the same name. Released in 2004, the film was directed by Robert Zemeckis and stars Tom Hanks in one of his few roles for children. The film received decidedly mixed reviews, but was a financial success, earning $314.1 million against a budget between $165 and $170 million. To support the film and book, The Polar Express was adapted into a video game of the same name. That video game was critically panned and not very widely played.
