1982 Caldecott Medal Winner

The back flap of this book explains that Van Allsburg used Conté pencil and Conté dust to create the illustrations.

The pictures in this book are stunning--the choice to use black and white adds a lot of depth and attracts the eye to the well-defined geometry of the house. I had an issue, however, with the scenes which Van Allsburg chose to illustrate. I remember this book being exciting when I was young, but as an adult it falls flat to me. There doesn't seem to be any palpable excitement or fear in the images. For example, the first picture of the lion shows Peter looking up at it with a slightly surprised expression, the lion facing away from him, mouth open in what could be a roar or a yawn. In the next one, Peter has just crawled under a bed, and the lion is stuck on the other side. For one thing, a lion would probably not be that stupid, and for another, it would have been more effective and intense to show Peter and Judy outside of the door gasping for breath, just having narrowly escaped.

In other words, the children never really seem to be in any imminent danger. In the illustrations, the lion isn't trying very hard to attack Peter, the monkeys are either eating bananas or watching the kids play the game, the monsoon is easily fended off by umbrellas, the rhinos and the snake are safely far enough away from the children to avoid worry. The text is also formulaic and not very exciting.

In the end, this one doesn't stand up to my memory of it. I know I've seen the movie since then, though, so it may have corrupted my sense of how awesome it was. It gets three stars for the beauty of the illustrations, but if I didn't like Van Allsburg's art so much in general, it would get a two. ( )

Truly stunning artwork and a simple yet exciting story. There's not a page of illustration that would be out of place framed on a wall. ( )

Independent Reading Level: Grade 4
Awards: Caldecott Medal/Honor

"Jumanji" is an imaginative adventure that captures the imagination of readers with its suspenseful plot and captivating illustrations.In "Jumanji," Peter and Judy's adventure unfolds as they roll the dice and move their game pieces across the board. Each roll brings new dangers and challenges into their world, from menacing monkeys wreaking havoc in their house to a lion prowling the streets. As they progress through the game, Peter and Judy encounter increasingly treacherous obstacles, including a deadly python and a torrential monsoon. It is a little longer chapter book so it would be a great read aloud in a third grade classroom.

We are watching the original movie again today, so I wanted to finally take a look at the book that started it all, and I have to say I am amazed by this gorgeous children's book!

The story itself is more of an obvious childish fancy within the story with the animals and elements showing up and causing a little light mayhem, but nothing that particularly inconveniences the kids and their game. It's more of the chaos and detritus the parents will discover, if it remains after the game is over.

I'm seriously impressed by how much original material went into the film script and the general tone and scale of the movie in general. It's a completely different animal and both are magical and very much their own things.

The art itself is something else! It's all in a black and white, almost photo realistic style with surrealistic elements that fill each illustration with disconcertingly visceral and bizarre whimsy that will delight children and wonderfully perturb adults. I truly recommend checking this book and/ or the art online because it truly is spectacular! ( )