It’s hard to separate children and Christmas, and when it comes to children’s Christmas literature, The Polar Express captures that fusion perfectly. Author Chris Van Allsburg is known for his imaginative storytelling and rich illustrations (he also penned such imaginative classics as The Mysteries of Harris Burdick and Jumanji), and his talent shines through every page of this beautiful story.
The Plot
Van Allsburg’s book begins on Christmas Eve with a young boy waiting for Santa Claus. To his amazement, he is chosen as one of a select group of children who get to ride the Polar Express, a magical train on a journey to the North Pole.
In the tradition of Christmas literature, the story has a magical feel without any real adventure in the classical sense — the boy does not fight evil elves trying to steal Christmas, nor does he have to save the holiday. Instead, Van Allsburg relies on lavish illustrations and considers the magic of Christmas to be enough of an adventure in its own rite.
Each child, upon reaching the North Pole, gets to choose a gift. Offered his choice of any gift in the world, the young boy picks a single bell from Santa’s sleigh. He later loses it, but on Christmas morning he finds it in a small package hand-delivered by Santa Claus, who found it on the seat of the Polar Express.
The Story
Although the plot is lovely in and of itself, it’s the final line of this work of Christmas literature that tends to linger in people’s minds — indeed, that became the byline of the film version of the story. When the boy first opens the package, he and his sister Sarah find themselves amazed by the bell’s beauty. The boy’s parents, however, can’t hear it ring and think it’s broken.
In this simple line, we learn once again that the spirit of Christmas is belief, is a childlike joy and innocence that isn’t necessarily naive — in fact, it may be a willingness to see the truth without being jaded by the modern world. The story’s last lines read:
At one time, most of my friends could hear the bell, but as years passed, it fell silent for all of them. Even Sarah found one Christmas that she could no longer hear its sweet sound. Though I’ve grown old, the bell still rings for me, as it does for all who truly believe.
And so this piece of Christmas literature ends on an uplifting note: no matter who you are, no matter your age or place, there is hope for you to hear the bell of Santa’s sleigh.
