d a narrative feeling to them. The storyteller in him started to become evident when they became available for display in New York City.His big break as a childrens book writer came as a result of his wife. She was a producer of a television show and invited one of the shows guests home for dinner on night. After dinner she and Chris Van Allsburg showed him some of his illustrations as part of a casual after-dinner conversation. He was immediately impressed and gave the number of Walter Lorraine, an editor with Houghton Mifflin Company, to him and asked him to call him. When he finally contacted Mr. Lorraine, the man was so impressed with his drawings that he convinced Chris Van Allsburg that he should venture into childrens book writing. His first book was The Garden of Abdul Gasazi in 1979. He showed the world that he was a talented storybook writer. The public responded by buying more than a million copies. This book also received a Caldecott Medal Award. He would follow up with wonderful books such as The Mysteries of Harris Bur*censored*. Many people wonder how he gets the ideas for such intriguing tales. Chris Van Allsburg explains this in many of his interviews. He always starts out with a picture. Then he asks himself questions about the characters and the events occurring around the characters. What are they doing? How did they get there? What is going to happen if they do this? Using these and other various questions, along with an imagination that is unfathomable, he produces a story with endless possibilities. In the end, he figures out what the best ending will be. The book is then placed in the hands of millions of little readers and thoroughly enjoyed.In reading his books I could definitely see why he is so successful. I was anxious to turn each page. When I finished a book, I was always left with a question or a deep thought concerning the outcome. One of my favorites was the book entitled The Myster...
