Zathura [Hardcover]

Chris Van Allsburg (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 28, 2002 | Age Range: 4 - 8 years | Lexile Measure: 540L (What's this?)

On the last page of the Caldecott-winning book Jumanji, young Danny Budwing is seen running after his brother, Walter, with a game tucked under his arm. Now after twenty years, Chris Van Allsburg is ready to reveal what happens when Danny and Walter roll the dice. This time the name of the game is Zathura and the battling Budwing boys are in for the ride of their lives.

Zathura unleashes intergalactic challenges that require even the quarreling Budwing brothers to work as a team.

Zathura hit bestseller lists when it was first published in 2002 and it's sure to visit them again this fall, along with an exciting selection of six movie tie-in editions when Zathura blasts into movie theatres nationwide!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Twenty years after Jumanji (1981), Van Allsburg picks up where he left off, with Danny and Walter Budwing discovering an oblong box in the park. Walter dismisses the box as "just some dumb old game," but his curious younger brother takes it home anyway. While Walter watches TV, Danny glances at the game's "jungle adventure" board, then turns his attention to a second board with an outer-space theme and "a path of colored squares leading... to a purple planet called Zathura." Just then, "with a click, a small green card popped out of the edge.... He picked it up and read, `Meteor showers, take evasive action.' " The boys don't act too surprised when a giant meteor falls into their tastefully appointed living room, but they do get excited when they see only stars and dark sky outside their windows. Several dice-rolls later, they're scrambling to evade a homicidal robot and a scaly "Zyborg pirate" climbing backward through the meteor-hole in the ceiling (its face goes unseen). As the boys play, their sibling rivalry gives way to cooperation, and grouchy Walter comes to appreciate his little brother. Van Allsburg illustrates the surreal events in a grainy charcoal-black that seems to shimmer on a rough, cream-colored ground. His deathly quiet images double spreads this time have a frozen stillness that leaves all color and activity to the imagination; with each new threat, the book seems to hold its breath. Van Allsburg reuses some devices, and Zathura, like Jumanji, is a satisfying enigma. The puzzling conclusion, involving a black hole and time travel to an earlier illustration, will have devotees scouring the first book and its sequel for clues. All ages.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 5-For more than 20 years, readers of Jumanji (Houghton, 1981) have had to wonder what happened when the Budwing brothers opened the box that Peter and Judy had frantically discarded in the park. The wait is over, but the wonder continues in this masterfully executed sequel. Walter's physical torture of his younger brother and Danny's annoying behaviors are classic sibling stuff, but savvy readers will recognize that this lack of camaraderie does not bode well here. The simple jungle board does not appeal to Walter, however, so it is not until another game board is uncovered at the bottom of the box that the action begins. This time, the children face the challenges of space, time, and dimension as they read the game cards: "The polarity on your gravity belt is reversed" and "Your gyroscope is malfunctioning." Their journey to the planet Zathura allows Van Allsburg to depict Walter plastered against the living-room ceiling or being swallowed by a black hole. As ringed planets and spaceships swirl past the windows, the boys find their way to teamwork and even affection. Van Allsburg's choice of highly textured paper adds interest and character; the patterned wallpapers are especially effective as homey counterpoints to the surreal story. The creamy background provides warmth and contrast to the black-and-gray sketches, so convincing in conveying depth of field. One can't help but anticipate the encore.
Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public Library
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 4 - 8 years
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children; First Edition edition (October 28, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618253963
• ISBN-13: 978-0618253968
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 0.4 x 12.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #217,347 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Chris Van Allsburg is the winner of two Caldecott Medals, for Jumanji and The Polar Express, as well as the recipient of a Caldecott Honor Book for The Garden of Abdul Gasazi. The author and illustrator of numerous picture books for children, he has also been awarded the Regina Medal for lifetime achievement in children's literature. In 1982, Jumanji won the National Book Award and in 1996, it was made into a popular feature film. Chris Van Allsburg was formerly an instructor at the Rhode Island School of Design. He lives in Rhode Island with his wife and two children.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 22 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Lost in Space..... November 21, 2002

By Roz Levine

Format:Hardcover

On the last page of award winning author and illustrator, Chris Van Allsburg's classic, Jumanji, Danny and Walter Budwing are seen running home from the park carrying a board game. Readers are left wondering what will happen to them. Will they play the game? Well, after twenty years Mr Van Allsburg finally answers that question with his latest picture book, Zathura. Danny opens the box and finds not just the Jumanji board, but another game board at the bottom of the box. "It showed flying saucers, rockets, and planets in outer space with a path of colored squares leading from Earth to a purple planet called Zathura and back to Earth. Danny put a token on Earth, then rolled the dice..." Sound familiar? Unfortunately, that's the problem with this book. There's nothing really new here. Mr Van Allsburg has transplanted his story from the jungle to outer space. His text is a bit flat and lacks drama and excitement. It's the intricate and marvelously detailed, black and white artwork that dazzles and makes this book worth a look, and youngsters will want to linger and explore each intriguing illustration before turning the page. Perfect for kids 4-8, Zathura works better as a stand alone for those who haven't read Jumanji, than as a sequel, and many Jumanji fans looking for a new and entertaining adventure, may be disappointed by the rehash of the original.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Nice sequel, too abrupt ending February 21, 2004

By Guinevere Cuthbert

Format:Hardcover

I'm a huge fan of Chris Van Allsburg's stories, and illustrations. As a child, my mother would read me Jumanji fairly often, so I bought it after watching the movie with my kids. When purchasing Jumanji, I saw that Van Allsburg had written this sequel - Zathura, and had to buy it too, although I was unsure how he could make another unique story from the same idea. I shouldn't have doubted.

Finding an alternate game inside the Jumanji box, Danny and Walter Budwing are sucked into a space adventure and have to work together, which is against their nature at the beginning of the book, to get back home. While the story is nice, it ends too abruptly, and could have easily been written into a better, longer, story, which I'm sure my kids would still sit through with rapt attention.

If you like Jumanji, and always wondered what happened to Danny and Walter, then I would recommend this book, even though it's not Van Allsburg's best work.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Not up to snuff December 31, 2002

By caprae

Format:Hardcover

Introduced to van Allsburg's work while in design school, I immediately fell in love with his drawing style and unique perspective. I often buy his books as much for the drawings as for the story. Unfortunately, this book falls WAYshort. The drawings are painfully out of perspective - lines don't go to a common horizon line, the younger brother's head is grossly distorted, sometimes hands just don't make sense.
As for the story, this book lacks the real adventure, wonder and excitement of Jumanji. The couple of space creatures are bumbling and not a real threat. There are no great scenes like monkeys in the kitchen or rhinos charging through. My advice is to save your money. If this wasn't a gift, I would return it.