In “The Polar Express,” the boy receives a bell from Santa.
The bell comes from Santa’s sleigh and is the boy’s requested first gift of Christmas. During the journey to the North Pole, Santa chooses him to receive the first present. The boy asks for a bell, which an elf cuts from a reindeer’s harness. Afterward, the bell falls through a hole in his pocket, but Santa sends it back in a present on Christmas morning.
The silver bell is more than a keepsake. It represents belief: the boy and his sister can hear its beautiful ringing, while their parents cannot. The story suggests that the ability to hear the bell depends on retaining a childlike capacity for wonder. The boy continues hearing it even as he grows older.
Chris Van Allsburg wrote and illustrated the picture book, which was published in 1985 and won the 1986 Caldecott Medal. The story was adapted into a 2004 motion-capture film directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Tom Hanks in multiple roles.