The Polar Express By Randolph Caldecott Medal
The Caldecott Medal was named in honor of a nineteenth-century illustrator, Randolph Caldecott. This accolade is awarded to the most distinguished American picture book for children by the American Library Association. The 1986 recipient was The Polar Express, written and illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg, published in 1985. “In a true picture storybook, the pictures and the text work go hand-in-hand: we can’t have one without the other” (Russell, 103). Through his illustrations in The Polar Express, Van Allsburg demonstrated conventions of picture art, design and meaning, and artistic media style.
Convention of Picture Art:
Line
Illustrators use lines to convey meaning. Van Allsburg uses blurred lines to immediately instill a sense of calmness to the story. These fuzzy edges create a dream-like state. The use of horizontal lines, such as the central train that takes the children to the North Pole, also suggests a calm and …show more content…
stable atmosphere.
Space
Space is not often thought of as an artistic element when in fact, it is very powerful. Van Allsburg’s illustrations effectively capture the mood and the feelings the text portrays in each scene. For example, when the children are aboard the train, singing carols and eating candies, there is very little empty space. The reader’s eyes are not drawn to anything in particular capturing the excitement and chaos among the children. As the train climbs the mountains like a car of a roller coaster, there is an open night’s sky and peaceful untouched snow. The reader’s eyes are drawn up to the train and starry sky. This night scene captures a calm steadiness.
Shape
Similar to lines, shapes also elicit emotional reactions. Just like the train’s circular journey to the North Pole and back or the infamous bell, all of the shapes are round or have rounded edges. These edges tend to suggest comfort, security, and stability.
Color
It is a known fact that children are especially responsive to color, with many choosing a favorite color at a young age. “Color is one of the most emotionally evocative of artistic elements” (Russell, 111). All throughout The Polar Express, Van Allsburg uses warm, rich pastel colors to exhibit the magic of childhood and create vivid scenes. Phycologists claim that the different colors can represent different emotions. Santa’s red suit may symbolize warmth and love and the white of the snow may symbolize peace and innocence.
Texture
Artists create illusions in their art to give flat paper three dimensions and texture. Pencil marks, paint layers, brush strokes and other artistic skills achieve texture in the art. Van Allsburg uses white highlighting around the edges of objects to give them realistic qualities. The images also seem to have been made up of small dots, similar pixelated images, giving the pages texture.
Design and Meaning
Rhythm and Movement
“Good picture-book design creates a sense of rhythm as we move through page to page-a rhythm that is suited to the nature of the narrative (Russell, 117). Picture books that are effective create a natural pause at each page turn while at the same time causes the reader to want to turn the page.
The mountains turned into the hills, the hills to snow-covered plains. We crossed a barren desert of ice – the Great Polar Ice Cap. Lights appeared in the distance. They looked like the lights of a strange ocean liner sailing on a frozen sea. “There,” said the conductor, “is the North Pole.”
Van Allsburg creates illustrations to capture the essence of his text. As the train is traveling towards the North Pole, the reader is compelled to turn to the next page with the hope of getting a glimpse of Santa’s home. Van Allsburg uses this technique during the course of the story until the very last page.
Tension
Van Allsburg builds tension all the way through The Polar Express to keep the reader’s attention.
The story begins with a little boy trying to be still and quiet in order to hear Santa’s sleigh bells. As he boards the Polar Express train with the other children, the reader can almost feel the joy and anticipation filling the train car. Once the main character finally meets Santa and is gifted a bell from one of the reindeer, the reader is entranced as Santa’s sleigh finally takes flight.
Page Layout
Van Allsburg’s uses his illustrations to create the visual world of the Polar Express. The shape of the book, short and wide, focuses on the landscape of each scene. For the most part, the double-page spreads span throughout the entirety of the story with the exclusion of the last page. Van Allsburg designs accommodate the gutter and the illustrations come perfectly together. The text is very formal and consistent. The text is a basic font and appears to the very left of the page or the very right.
Artistic Media and
Style
“Painterly techniques are those by which an artist creates an image by applying a medium to a surface with an instrument” (Russell, 112). Van Allsburg uses oil pastels to create tranquil and somber night scenes. Van Allsburg’s illustrations are influences by the paintings of Casper David Friedrich, a 19th-century German artist. Van Allsburg uses realism and expressionism in his work. There is a realistic quality to the children and the train however, the journey to the North Pole with Elves are expressive and not a reality.
Convention of Picture Art:
Line
Illustrators use lines to convey meaning. Van Allsburg uses blurred lines to immediately instill a sense of calmness to the story. These fuzzy edges create a dream-like state. The use of horizontal lines, such as the central train that takes the children to the North Pole, also suggests a calm and …show more content…
stable atmosphere.
Space
Space is not often thought of as an artistic element when in fact, it is very powerful. Van Allsburg’s illustrations effectively capture the mood and the feelings the text portrays in each scene. For example, when the children are aboard the train, singing carols and eating candies, there is very little empty space. The reader’s eyes are not drawn to anything in particular capturing the excitement and chaos among the children. As the train climbs the mountains like a car of a roller coaster, there is an open night’s sky and peaceful untouched snow. The reader’s eyes are drawn up to the train and starry sky. This night scene captures a calm steadiness.
Shape
Similar to lines, shapes also elicit emotional reactions. Just like the train’s circular journey to the North Pole and back or the infamous bell, all of the shapes are round or have rounded edges. These edges tend to suggest comfort, security, and stability.
Color
It is a known fact that children are especially responsive to color, with many choosing a favorite color at a young age. “Color is one of the most emotionally evocative of artistic elements” (Russell, 111). All throughout The Polar Express, Van Allsburg uses warm, rich pastel colors to exhibit the magic of childhood and create vivid scenes. Phycologists claim that the different colors can represent different emotions. Santa’s red suit may symbolize warmth and love and the white of the snow may symbolize peace and innocence.
Texture
Artists create illusions in their art to give flat paper three dimensions and texture. Pencil marks, paint layers, brush strokes and other artistic skills achieve texture in the art. Van Allsburg uses white highlighting around the edges of objects to give them realistic qualities. The images also seem to have been made up of small dots, similar pixelated images, giving the pages texture.
Design and Meaning
Rhythm and Movement
“Good picture-book design creates a sense of rhythm as we move through page to page-a rhythm that is suited to the nature of the narrative (Russell, 117). Picture books that are effective create a natural pause at each page turn while at the same time causes the reader to want to turn the page.
The mountains turned into the hills, the hills to snow-covered plains. We crossed a barren desert of ice – the Great Polar Ice Cap. Lights appeared in the distance. They looked like the lights of a strange ocean liner sailing on a frozen sea. “There,” said the conductor, “is the North Pole.”
Van Allsburg creates illustrations to capture the essence of his text. As the train is traveling towards the North Pole, the reader is compelled to turn to the next page with the hope of getting a glimpse of Santa’s home. Van Allsburg uses this technique during the course of the story until the very last page.
Tension
Van Allsburg builds tension all the way through The Polar Express to keep the reader’s attention.
The story begins with a little boy trying to be still and quiet in order to hear Santa’s sleigh bells. As he boards the Polar Express train with the other children, the reader can almost feel the joy and anticipation filling the train car. Once the main character finally meets Santa and is gifted a bell from one of the reindeer, the reader is entranced as Santa’s sleigh finally takes flight.
Page Layout
Van Allsburg’s uses his illustrations to create the visual world of the Polar Express. The shape of the book, short and wide, focuses on the landscape of each scene. For the most part, the double-page spreads span throughout the entirety of the story with the exclusion of the last page. Van Allsburg designs accommodate the gutter and the illustrations come perfectly together. The text is very formal and consistent. The text is a basic font and appears to the very left of the page or the very right.
Artistic Media and
Style
“Painterly techniques are those by which an artist creates an image by applying a medium to a surface with an instrument” (Russell, 112). Van Allsburg uses oil pastels to create tranquil and somber night scenes. Van Allsburg’s illustrations are influences by the paintings of Casper David Friedrich, a 19th-century German artist. Van Allsburg uses realism and expressionism in his work. There is a realistic quality to the children and the train however, the journey to the North Pole with Elves are expressive and not a reality.