"Polar Express Delivers Christmas Spirit to Believers"

With Christmas two weeks away, many of us are preparing to celebrate the holidays with family and friends. We will be decorating our homes with lights and tinsel and purchasing an assortment of gifts.

When it comes to preparing for the holiday, the Columbus Public Library is no exception. We have a number of wonderful Christmas books for children of all ages, including the book “The Polar Express” by Chris Van Allsburg. This magnificent book, which won the Caldecott Award in 1986, has just been made into a movie and is currently being shown in theaters across the country!

“The Polar Express” begins on Christmas Eve with a young boy lying motionless, listening attentively for the ringing bells of Santa’s sleigh. Instead of hearing the bells, the boy hears the whistle of a train. Standing at the entrance of the train is a conductor. When the boy inquires about the locomotive, the conductor tells him he is gazing at the Polar Express destined for the North Pole. Eagerly, the boy boards and soon encounters other children singing Christmas Carols and eating holiday treats.

When the Polar Express arrives at the North Pole, the children are told that Santa will chose one of them to receive the first gift of Christmas. The children quickly head for the center of the North Pole where Santa and his elves are waiting. The boy is chosen to receive the first gift. When the boy steps onto the sleigh, Santa asks him what he wants most for Christmas. The boy says that he most wants a silver bell from Santa’s sleigh. Santa smiles and has an elf cut a bell from a reindeer’s harness. Santa then gives the boy the bell, and everyone cheers!

At the stroke of midnight, the children board the Polar Express to return to their homes. On the train, the boy reaches into his pocket only to discover that the bell has slipped through a hole in his pocket. The bell is gone, and the boy’s heart is broken.

When the Polar Express reaches the boy’s home, he gets out and waves goodbye. The conductor says something, but the noise of the train prevents the boy from hearing what is said. The conductor then cups his hands around his mouth and calls out “Merry Christmas.”

On Christmas morning, the boy and his family open their gifts. The last gift opened is a small box addressed to the boy. In the box is the silver bell and a note that reads: “Found this on the seat of my sleigh. Fix that hole in your pocket.” It is signed: “Mr. C.”

When the boy rings the bell, he and his sister hear the beautiful ringing sound. Their parents think the bell is broken because they can not hear the bell. The reason they are unable to hear the bell’s beautiful sound is that they are grown up and their belief in Santa has left them.

As years pass, the sound of the bell fades away for the other children as well because they too have grown up. However, the boy, now an old man, is still able to hear the bell just as clearly as the first day he rang it, because he has never stopped believing.

“The Polar Express” is a timeless book about believing and being young at heart. The illustrations almost leap out at the reader and closely resemble photographs that capture the excitement found on the faces of children during the Christmas holiday. The vocabulary used within the story is just as captivating, especially the descriptions Van Allsburg uses. The story of “The Polar Express” can be found in book form and also in audiotape and CD form as well, so one can share the magic of Christmas in a variety of medias with children.

To help children get into the spirit of Christmas, the Columbus Public Library will be hosting a Christmas Party for children between the ages of three and six on Tuesday, December 14, 2004 from 7-8 p.m. Stories will be read, including “The Polar Express,” and games will be played. Every child who attends will receive a special gift. If you have any questions regarding the Christmas Party or would like more information about the holiday books available, please feel free to contact me at 564-7116 Ext. 4.