Happy Birthday, Chris Van Allsburg!

Chris Van Allsburg (whose award-winning classic, The Polar Express, will soon be a film) has a birthday tomorrow.

I adore Van Allsburg's art and the slightly bizarre tales he often tells, so it's hard to choose a favorite. Probably a toss-up between Bad Day at Riverbend and The Mysteries of Harris Burdick.

I do have a favorite quote from him, though: "Some people may contend that there is no image more charming that a child holding a puppy or kitten. But for me that's a distant second. When I see a child clutching a book... to his or her tiny bosom, I'm moved. Children can possess a book in a way they can never possess a video game, a TV show, or a Darth Vader doll. A book comes alive when they read it. They give it life themselves by understanding it."

Happy Birthday to you, Mr. Van Allsburg!