Who wrote the children's book 'The Polar Express'?

Chris Van Allsburg wrote the children’s book “The Polar Express.”

First published in 1985 by Houghton Mifflin, the fantasy picture book was both written and illustrated by Van Allsburg. It follows a boy who boards a magical train on Christmas Eve and travels to the North Pole, where Santa gives him a bell from his sleigh.

Van Allsburg drew on memories of his childhood in Grand Rapids, Michigan, including visits to local department stores during the Christmas season. He has also described beginning with a mental image of a child wandering through foggy woods and wondering where a distant train was going.

The book’s quiet supernatural story is really about belief, memory, and growing older, not simply a train ride. A common mix-up is crediting the 2004 film’s director, Robert Zemeckis, with the book. Zemeckis directed the film adaptation; Van Allsburg wrote the original book and served as an executive producer on the movie.