"The Caldecott Medal was
named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. It
is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a
division of the American Library Association, to the artist of the most distinguished
American picture book for children."
- from the Association for
Library Service to Children
"What's that?" Judy
asked
"It's a game," said
Peter, handing her the box.
"'JUMANJI,'" Judy read
from the box, "'A JUNGLE ADVENTURE GAME.'"
"Look," said Peter,
pointing to a note taped to the bottom of the box. In a childlike handwriting
were the words "Free game, fun for some but not for all. P.S. Read
instructions carefully."
- from Jumanji written and
illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg
Having recently seen the new film
adaptation of Jumanji, I was eager to read this acclaimed picture book version
written and illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg. The book won the Caldecott Medal
for illustration in 1982. When it comes to illustrations, I love a children's
book that can create that feeling of being there in the scene with the simplest
of drawings. The gray-scale modality of Allsburg's illustrations have that
effect in his rendition of Jumanji. The black, white, and gray shades of the illustrations establish the story as a normal day in a normal house that will endure adventure unlike its normalcy. In my opinion, the most interesting aspect of the illustrations are the vantage point. Every picture seems to be drawn from a different and unexpected vantage point. You can see below that the image of the two children beginning to play the game is taken from above, and the picture of the lion appearing on the piano is taken from below at an angle.
The story begins as it should,
with the neglectful parents leaving for the opera and warning the boy and girl
to "please keep the house neat". I get tickled by such foreshadowing.
Any storybook parent who asks for cleanliness at the beginning of a children's
story is clearly headed for mess and chaos. Peter and his sister Judy discover
the game board under a tree in the park, and they bring it home to play despite
Peter's disinterest. I was amused at how the game declared itself to be "A
Game for the Bored and Restless," but Peter, in his declared boredom, did
not see the game as an answer to his ennui.
As one may expect, the game turns
out to be a dangerous and exotic adventure in which monkeys, lions, storms, and
snakes find their way into the house. The first appearance is the lion, and I
could not help but be pleased that he chose to appear on top of the piano. By
the detail in the picture, it is apparent that someone in the house must be an
accomplished musician.
The children are forced to continue
on in the game because the rules state that once the game has begun it is not
over until someone reaches the final space and yells out "Jumanji!"
Therefore, the frightened boy and girl press on through the exotic animal
appearances to reach the end and restore order to their home.
One illustration in particular
shows the genius of Allburg's artistic intentions. The python that appears over
the mantle has markings that match the designs on the couch and arm chair. A
sign that perhaps the story is coming from the children's own imaginings or a
sign that the exotic is only one step away from regular life if we bother to
take a look or a chance.
The Caldecott Medal was
well-awarded to this book, and I thoroughly enjoyed the read. Jumanji would
make a great book for a family gathering together to read as a unit or as an
exciting classroom read aloud and game.
References
Van Allsburg, C. (1981). Jumanji.
New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
http://www.ala.org/alsc/
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