Review - The Polar Express Book and Movie

Chris Van Allsburg’s Children’s Story About Believing in Santa

Dec 22, 2008

A young boy leaves on a Christmas Eve adventure on the Polar Express, a train that carries a group of children to the North Pole to meet Santa Claus.

A winner of the 1986 Caldecott Medal, The Polar Express (Houghton, 1985) Chris van Allsburg’s story about believing in Santa is not only a wonderful book to read with children at Christmas, but also an animated Christmas adventure movie.

A young boy lies in bed on Christmas Eve waiting to hear Santa’s sleigh bells and is surprised by the sound of a steam train outside his window. He invited to board the Polar Express by the conductor.

On board, the boy joins other children who are enjoying Christmas treats and the mysterious train ride to the North Pole. When they reach their destination, one of them will be chosen to receive the first gift of Christmas, given by Santa himself.

When they arrive, Santa is waiting and chooses the boy to receive the gift. He asks for a bell from the reindeer’s harness. When he returns to the sleigh, he is devastated to discover that he has lost the bell through a hole in his pocket. On Christmas morning, he is delighted to discover that Santa Claus has left the bell for him as a gift under the tree.

The magical Christmas bell can only be heard by those who believe in Santa. The boy’s parents can’t hear it and gradually, over the years, his friends and sister can no longer hear it ringing. The boy himself, even as he grows to manhood, continues to believe and can always hear the ringing of the bell.

This story is very simply told, without the embellishments and additional characters found in the movie. It is a lovely story for children at Christmas, although the subdued colours of the illustrations may not hold the attention of very young children. The story could be easily used as the basis for a primary school lesson plan incorporating Christmas, travel, winter and/or the North Pole.

Offering a much more complex storyline and message, The Polar Express animated movie is directed by Robert Zemekis and features the voice of Tom Hanks for several of the major characters including the boy’s father, the train conductor, a mysterious hobo hitching a ride and Santa Claus.

The performance-capture animation techniques used produce animated characters whose expressions and movements mirror those of an actor. The actor plays the part while wearing a number of sensors that allow a computer to map their movements, translating these into an animated image.

The Polar Express movie features several main characters including four children – the boy of the original story who in this case does not believe in Santa, a confident and compassionate girl, a know-it-all boy and a poor, shy boy. Each child is issued with a ticket onto which the conductor gradually punched letters which reveal what they have learned during their trip.

After many adventures and lessons, the children finally arrive in the centre of the village at the North Pole. The boy is not able to see Santa or hear the sound of the sleigh bells ringing, but when he chooses to believe he is rewarded by not only being able to see and hear Santa, but also receiving the first gift of Christmas.

With far more action and adventure than the book, The Polar Express movie is sure to be a favourite with children, particularly young boys with an interest in trains. The message is more complex with each of the central children learning that some things, such as friendship, are gifts that cannot be found under the Christmas tree.

A Christmas Story about the Power of Believing

Chris van Allsburg’s simple Christmas story is a wonderful way to discuss believing in Santa with young children. When discussing the sleigh bell in the movie, Santa describes the bell as “a wonderful symbol of the spirit of Christmas, as am I”, offering parents a way to discuss the Christian significance of Christmas and incorporate a belief in Santa if they choose.

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