The Polar Express - Chris Van Allsburg

It's a shame ciao does not show the correct picture of this book. While one should not judge a book by it's cover, in this case, I will make an exception. The cover art shows a wonderful old American style steam engine complete with cattle catcher. You can see the steam rising from the smokestack and the light from the front of the train brightening up the night sky. The train somehow conveys warmth and light on a dark night with the snow softly falling. The story is told from the perspective of a child, who has reached the stage where most of friends no longer believe in Santa Claus, but he ... more

The Polar Express. This is a favourite Christmas story of mine and although in some ways it is young for Little Miss, she still enjoys the magic of it. The book is quite different to the film, although we also enjoy the film. At the very heart of the story is the magic that is Santa Claus and is for all who truly believe. It centres around a little boy who wants to hear the reindeer bells on Christmas Eve, and when he does hear a sound and looks out of his bedroom window, he sees a train. He is invited on board the train and off they go to the North Pole where the boy meets Santa Claus and ... more