Every adult can remember being a child at Christmas, the excitement of trying to fall asleep Christmas Eve knowing Santa Claus would be arriving that night, ears carefully tuned to the roof for the sound of reindeer hoof beats or Santa’s sleigh bells.
These days, children the world over continue to hope of one day meeting Santa as he is making his way across the globe, delivering presents. They dream of getting the opportunity to travel to the North Pole, to see the elves at work, and maybe pet and feed a reindeer.
This dream is the basis for Chris Van Allsburg’s Christmas classic, The Polar Express, where a young boy finds himself spending Christmas Eve on a steam engine headed straight for the North Pole. He and the other children aboard take a journey through wonderful winter towns and magical, mystical forests on their way to see Santa. Once they reach their destination they are witness to a gathering of elves who are all waiting to see Santa Claus off.
When the boy is handpicked by Santa himself to be given the first gift of Christmas, he must choose his present carefully. After all, he can have whatever he wants as the first gift of Christmas, but he also knows he probably won’t get another chance like this again.
The Polar Express, which won the Caldecott Medal in 1986 and was turned into a film in 2004 starring Tom Hanks, continues to be a beloved Christmas tale to this day. Kids and adults alike will delight in this unforgettable story of childhood wonder.